Ma Hadash Blog from CSH

We're so proud of our young people and seeing them called up to the Torah as the next generation of Jewish leaders is a simcha (joy) for all of us to be part of - let's celebrate these wonderful milestones!

Make sure to say "Mazel Tov" if you see them and their families around the Shir Hadash campus! Our B'nai Mitzvah students recently include Owen Greenfield, Nathan Brodsky, Max Carlinsky, Jacob Laponis, Winston Perl, Rebekah Stern, Liora Shapiro, and Molly DiSessa.

ABOUT MOLLY: June 22

Molly is a thoughtful student - in school her favorite subject is English and a recent book she particularly enjoyed was The Song of Achilles. A long-time swimmer, she is on the Sunnyvale Swim Team and loves the water.

Molly's Torah portion, B'haalot'cha, deals with how Miriam gets leprosy after speaking against Moses. Molly's favorite thing about Shir Hadash is how welcoming the community is and that it is easy to get to know people. In her spare time, Molly enjoys video games such as Legend of Zelda.

ABOUT LIORA: June 1

Liora is a hard-working, athletic, and compassionate 7th grader at Dartmouth Middle School. Liora is active in many ways as a student, including playing the baritone horn in Concert Band. Outside of school, Liora is on a competitive gymnastics team, and has been practicing gymnastics for the last 6 years. In gymnastics, her favorite event is bars. Liora also studies modern Hebrew and Russian. She enjoys playing with her dog, Julie, and spending time with her friends and family. Her favorite thing about Shir Hadash has been her meaningful work with Cantor in preparation for her Bat Mitzvah, as well as volunteering as a Madricha in Kulanu Hebrew. .

Liora's Torah portion is B'chukotai, which covers blessings and curses that God tells the Israelites. At the end of the curses, God promises to keep the covenant he made with Abraham even when the Israelites are in other lands. Both sides of Liora’s family emigrated from the former Soviet Union and Liora's great-grandfather is a Holocaust survivor. God keeping the covenant resonates with her interpretation of the portion because she still practices Judaism today.

Liora's Bat Mitzvah Project was raising money for the Jewish Coalition for Literacy. The Jewish Coalition for Literacy works brings books to underserved communities. Liora raised money for the company by holding a bake sale. In addition, she collected children's books and donated them to the organization.

ABOUT REBEKAH: May 25

Rebekah Stern is a 7th grader at Discovery Charter School (Phoenix Campus). Her favorite subjects are math and science, due to their logical reasoning and straightforward answers. Her Torah portion, Parashat Behar, deals with many laws related to land possession and inheritance, and she aims to focus on the consequences of humans mistreating the land, and not respecting God’s authority.

Rebekah greatly enjoys track + field, math competitions including Math Olympiad and AMC8; and playing the violin for San Jose Youth Symphony Orchestra. For leisure, she likes painting with watercolors, reading, and solving NYT puzzles. Rebekah appreciates Shir Hadash’s community involvement, traditions, and musical/educational programs.

ABOUT WINSTON: May 11

Winston is a 7th grader at Easterbrook Discovery School and is proud to be a member of Shir Hadash all of his life where he enjoys learning songs, cooking food, and meeting friends. Winston's Torah portion is Kedoshim which teaches "love your neighbor as yourself," known as the Golden Rule.

Winston enjoys playing sports including baseball, track and field, basketball, cross country, skiing, and volleyball. Winston is also passionate about music where he has starred in musicals at his school, plays the cello and piano.

Winston appreciates his family, which includes his pet cat, Dash and his older sister Kaylin. In his spare time, his favorite activities are spending time with friends and enjoying video games such as Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft. He also enjoys getting subscribers on his gaming YouTube account where he posts his video game experiences.

ABOUT JACOB: May 4

Seventh grader, Jacob Laponis, is a thoughtful and diligent student. His favorite subject in school is math because he feels it is straightforward: every problem has a correct answer. His portion, Acharei Mot, covers the practices of Yom Kippur, and Jacob has thoughtfully grappled with the fact that there is no specific "one right answer" when interpreting Torah. Jacob will focus his D'var on the lessons found in his portion regarding how admitting mistakes helps us in life.

Jacob plays basketball and also runs track for his school, Almaden Country Day School. As a Boy Scout, he has taken leadership roles including being a Patrol Leader. His love for coding (mostly in Python) makes him interested in a possible career path related to engineering. In addition, he loves to cook! He often makes sweet treats. Jacob's favorite thing about Shir Hadash is the community, including participating in teen-focused activities held by our SALTY youth group and serving as a madrich.

ABOUT MAX: April 20

Max is a kind and athletic 7th grader who attends Yavneh Day School. His favorite sport is basketball, and he plays guard for the Yavneh Blaze. Max's favorite subjects at school are social studies, band, and cooking. He plays drums in Yavneh’s band, and enjoys cooking cuisine from around the world.

Max always wanted a dog and a few years ago his wish came true when his family got their dog Poppy. Max’s favorite Shir Hadash memories are of his preschool years at the Shir Hadash ECC playground, Friday preschool Shabbat with the Cantor, and his preschool teachers.

ABOUT NATHAN: April 13

Nathan's Torah portion is Tazria, which he finds interesting for its unusual level of specific instructions for things like cleaning the body after childbirth. He has a fascination with biology and life, and how different biological elements interact with each other in the world, which is why his top interests for future career goals include the fields of biology or software engineering.

In school, Nathan's favorite subject is ELA (English Language Arts) which he particularly enjoys when he is able to write fictional narratives. In his free time, he enjoys the challenge of playing Minecraft in survival mode, which involves planning for and accumulating resources, avoiding monsters, and industrializing the landscape. He is proud of earning Honor Role in his academic efforts.

ABOUT OWEN: April 6

Owen's Torah portion is Sh'mini in which Aaron and his sons offer sacrifices and laws are given distinguishing between pure and impure animals. Owen is a friendly and energetic student whose favorite subject is PE because he enjoys being active and outside.

Owen excels as the Right Winger for the Junior Sharks hockey team, showcasing his skills on the ice. But his interests reach far beyond the rink. He's a dynamic individual with a deep passion for music and a thirst for adventure.

When he's not busy scoring goals, Owen can be found exploring the diverse world of music, playing his guitar. Additionally, he thrives on outdoor activities, whether it's riding waves while surfing, navigating challenging trails on his bike, or catching waves on his boogie board. Each adventure is met with Owen's infectious energy and zest for life.

Owen's curiosity about different cultures fuels his love for travel. He eagerly immerses himself in new environments, eager to learn about traditions, languages, and cuisines. His adventurous spirit extends to his culinary explorations, fearlessly sampling exotic dishes wherever his travels take him.