Scholars of JCC B’nai Mitzvah newsletters have explored the San Francisco gold rush before flying over the plains of Iowa and Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago to spend some time with Roberto Clemente z”l in Pittsburgh. Not stopping in the rust belt, we’ve driven across Pennsyltucky taking the Garden State Parkway to Newark Airport on the way to Gay Paris. However, given the demographics of the JCC we have shockingly not hosted an Israeli Bar/Bat Mitzvah in recent memory. That changes tomorrow when Miya Bavli celebrates her not exactly Japanese 成人式 coming-of-age ceremony.
The Bavli family hails from the industrial, cultural, financial and political powerhouse of…Givat Shmuel. In truth, you don’t need more than a few sentences to describe the nearly 30,000 strong bedroom community that is sort of a suburb of suburbs surrounded by more densely populated areas.
To get a sense of Givat Shmuel’s centrality in the Israeli psyche, consider its sister cities throughout the globe including Dubna, Russia, Gołdap, Poland and Stade, Germany. Never heard of them? Neither has anyone else! But Givat Shmuel does contain a jewel in the crown of Israeli society that very much drives the country and world Jewry writ large, Bar Ilan University. (Editor’s Note: Some people say Bar Ilan is in Ramat Gan. I think they’re wrong.)
Founded in 1955, Bar Ilan University possesses distinctly American roots. The idea behind its establishment was conceived not in Ashkelon but Atlanta. The brainchild of the Religious Zionist movement known as Mizrachi, an acronym for Mercaz Ruchani or Spiritual Center, Bar Ilan University sought to bridge Israel and the United States while synthesizing the Torah world with secular studies. Emphasizing the commitment to both ideals, the university emblem is a combination of a Torah scroll and a microscope.
With over 20,000 students currently enrolled in disciplines as varied as nanotechnology and Talmud, Bar Ilan is clearly fulfilling the vision of its founders. The Bat Mitzvah’s parents are both alumni. Proof of the university’s continuing appeal came in the form of a recent $260 million anonymous donation. The only biographical data the donor revealed is that he is a North American Jew and graduate of Columbia University who served in World War II. Morningside Heights’s loss is Givat Shmuel’s gain.
Will the Bat Mitzvah one day merit to make her own anonymous $260 million donation to her hometown university? We live in hope. Until then, feel free to ask Miya what country has better sushi: Israel or Japan. Upon tasting Tsukiji’s famous fish, her sophisticated palate suggested the Israeli sushi chain Japonika has even Sukiyabashi Jiro beat.
Mazal Tov!
Services
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, June 14th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat Parshat Nasso
Bat Mitzvah of Miya Bavli
Saturday, June 15th
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, June 21st
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat Parshat Beha’alotcha
Bar Mitzvah of Jeremy Epstein
Saturday, June 22nd
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, June 28th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat Parshat Bamidbar
First Anniversary of Théo Daquin’s Bar Mitzvah
Kiddush sponsored the Rosenberg Family in commemoration of the yahrzeits of Jerry’s mother “Bubbie” Babe Rosenberg and Marsha’s father Mickey Blum
Saturday, June 29th
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Friday Night and Shavuot Dinner Reservations can made on our website: https://jccjapan.jp/shabbat-meals-sign-up/
Events
Violins and Hope
From the Holocaust to the Symphony Hall: a photographic journey documenting the man and work of Israeli master luthier (violin maker) Amnon Weinstein who set up a project to restore violins that survived the concentration camps and ghettos of the Holocaust, even when their owners often did not.
Sunday, June 23rd
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Coffee with the Rabbi
Rabbi Andrew will discuss how to address antisemitism, an important issue, even more so in these turbulent times. After the introduction, enjoy a Q&A with the Rabbi while eating Israeli Bamba and sipping award-winning specialty coffee from Saza Coffee.
Tuesday, June 25th
1:00pm – 2:00pm
JCJ Open Mic Night!
WHAT: Spoken word poetry, music, skits, dance, storytelling
WHO: All ages and all skill levels
THEME: Jewish in Japan
Advance sign-ups are required to perform. If you are interested, please fill out this Google form https://forms.gle/ibJgPSzRC6vXfU566 to submit your name, contact, and type of performance.
Sunday, July 7th
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Event Registration Page: https://jccjapan.jp/event-registration/
If you have an idea for an event or a topic you would like to share with others, please visit our website: https://jccjapan.jp/event-committee-inquiry/
Announcements
Thank you to everyone who joined us on Shavuot from Indiana to Oita! We enjoyed a spirited discussion about Rabbi Meir Kahane on Tuesday night followed by a shockingly well-attended Wednesday morning service. Cheesecake and Kiddush were sponsored by the Lerman Family of South Bend, Indiana and the good people at Steel Warehouse, for all your steel sheet, coil & plate needs.
Four types of sliced Cholov Yisroel cheese was shlepped to Japan by two visiting MIT students. Five types of cheesecake were served including crowd favorite Sara Lee. An additional debt of gratitude is owed to our Torah and Scroll of Ruth reader, Todd Walzer and Chazzan for the Chag David Tropp.
Yiddish Club with Jack Halpern: Please contact Jack at jack@cjki.org if you are interested to join. All levels are welcome, from beginner to advanced. Much more than just language, the club’s monthly meetings explore Yiddish culture as well.
Shabbat Nasso
Candle Lighting: 6:40pm
Havdala: 7:44pm