Today, I am a woman…second time around’

Your batmitzvah speech when you’re 12 doesn’t always reflect the Jewish woman you become. For International Women’s Day, we asked four women to reimagine their batmitzvah speeches

I CAN remember my batmitzvah distinctly; much fuss was spent on looking for the right dress, shoes, and hair-do. My parents had set just one condition — they would only pay for a party if I gave a drasha. I had to address my guests with a profound idea connected to Jewish texts, which would be entirely my own.

My batmitzvah was to take place between Yom Kippur and Sukkot, making my options countless. Indeed, my Jewish background had undoubtedly prepared me for the mission; I was studying in Chorev, one of Jerusalem’s top schools for religious girls, and my parents were always pushing us to think creatively.

After numerous hours of typing and deleting (and nagging my parents for help, which they were reluctant to give) I opened

Sefer Ha’chinuch, or “The Book of Education”, which discusses the 613 mitzvot, and inserted some passages about Sukkot. I chose a large font and inserted a very long passage of thank-yous to fill in space. Essentially, I produced something between a copy and a translation of the texts I had used. There wasn’t much thought or personal reflection involved in the process.

Today, I split my time as an MPhil student at the University of Cambridge, and as a Jewish chaplain in Nottingham. These two experiences have taught me the great value of critical thinking and personal engagement — both with a given text, and with my personal religious identity.

Indeed, if I were to give my bat mitzvah speech now, I would weave together these two concepts to compose my drasha.I would talk about how one must take responsibility for one’s Judaism.

A batmitzvah is a point where you are no longer a consumer of your Jewish home and your parents’ religious work, but a productive individual in the Jewish community.

In truth, while this process is initiated in this Jewish comingof-age event, it continues to be relevant and important. One can lead an entire Jewish life as a consumer; attend communal events, participate in Kaballat Shabbat, enjoy a good Friday-night dinner. But, for me, the essence of crossing the threshold between a childlike approach to Judaism and an adult approach is grounded in the ability to engage with one’s Jewish identity and build a critical concept of what that identity means — when looking inwards, outwards and toward the wider Jewish community.

Alissa Symon is currently serving as the Jewish chaplain for Nottingham and the East Midlands, together with her husband Rabbi Elazar Symon, through University Jewish Chaplaincy. She is studying for an MPhil in Muslim-Jewish Relations at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge. She previously completed her BA at Shalem College and worked with young professionals on leadership development. Alissa is originally from Jerusalem.

There wasn’t much thought in my »[\] speech