BMitzvah Blog

Good morning Rabbi, family, friends, and everyone who came for the food. Today I become a Bar Mitzvah which means I've officially entered adulthood and become responsible for my own actions so basically I can't blame everything on my parents anymore. Turning 13 in Judaism isn't suddenly knowing everything. Today my speech will be about the ten commandments which are in my portion Yitro found in the second book of the Torah which is Shemot. But instead of the ten commandments

Shabbat shalom everyone. This week’s parsha is parshat beshalach from the book of Shemot or the book of Exodus. The story starts with the Israelites’ escape from Egypt. Hashem guides them by a pillar of smoke during the day and a pillar of fire at night. Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, suddenly has a change of heart and decides he doesn’t want to lose his slaves so he chases after them with his whole army. When the Israelites reach the Sea of Reeds, they panic. With a situation

This week’s Parshat is quite relevant to what’s going on in the world today, and to me personally. It tells the story of Moses’s attempts to free the Israelites from Slavery, his negotiations with the Pharoah, and the first 7 plagues. More than that it shows us how we have to keep trying, and that if we don’t give up, neither will Hashem. This parasha tells us how Moses freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt . God identified himself to Moses and told him to go and free th

Shabbat Shalom! My Torah portion is Vaeira which can be found in the book of Exodus, the second book of the five books of the Torah. My Torah portion just so happens to be a part of the Torah we all know very well because it's the part we do during Pesach, the part about the 10 plagues, when the Jews are slaves in Egypt and God chooses Moses to lead his people out of slavery. Studying this portion was fascinating because Pharaoh’s reaction to the 10 plagues was a very interes

Shabbat shalom friends, family and congregants. Today I will be speaking about my Parsha, Shemot (from the book of Exodus). Chapter 1 begins when a new Pharaoh comes into power, who we think is Ramesses the 2nd. And he is threatened by how the Israelites had flourished. So he forced them into slavery, and later issued a decree that all male infants were to be slaughtered. When Moses was born, his mother refused to bring harm to her son. So she put him in a basket and placed h

Shabbat shalom, my torah portion is Vayeitzei and can be found in the book of Genesis or Bereishit. Previously, Jacob was forced to leave his family because he had stolen the birthrights from his brother Esau. His mother advised him to flee to Haran, the land of her family until his brother’s rage cooled.  Vayeeitzei starts when Jacob leaves Beersheva and sets out for Haran. On the way he had a dream of a ladder reaching into heaven, with angels going up and down the rungs an

The story of Isaac and Rabecca- Esau and Jacob Toledot (Genesis 25:19-28:9) Torah Portion. The story of Jacob and  Esau is a foundational narrative that resonates  deeply in Jewish tradition and serves as a timeless illustration of complex family issues.  The favoritism exhibited by Isaac and Rebekah resulted in a deeply dysfunctional family environment, with deceit, trickery, favouritism and betrayal The story highlights how Isaac's preference for his elder son, Esau, and Re

MY BAT MITZVAH PROJECT was done at Sea Point Place.   I visited the Frail Care section there to do manicures for some of the ladies. It was such a meaningful afternoon and I plan to keep visiting these ladies to do their nails whenever I can.

Shabbat Shalom, everyone. This week’s parsha, Chayei Sarah, starts with something sad — the passing of Sarah Imenu. But even though it begins with loss, it’s actually a story about life, legacy, and the future. After Sarah dies, Abraham doesn’t just stay stuck in his sadness. He takes action. He buys the Cave of Machpelah to bury her — the very first piece of land ever owned by the Jewish people — and then he sends his servant, Elie’zer, to find a wife for his son, Isaac Even

Shabbat Shalom, In my Torah portion – Parashat Noach, we read that Noach was righteous for his generation. Though, Noach was righteous for his generation, the language used in the Torah is often vague so we don't know quite how bad his generation was. It is fair to assume that Noach was the best of a bad bunch. Basically the only one who hasn’t turned completely to the dark side. When I began reading the text, the first questions I had was about just what humanity did to dese

Shabbat Shalom everyone. My parasha is Bereishit, the very first parasha of the Torah. It has been an honour to study this parasha. This parasha contains so many well-known stories and great lessons. It starts with G-d creating the world in 7 days.   Day 1: G-d said, ‘Let there be light!’ And there was light.   Day 2: G-d separated the sky and the waters. On Day 3, G-d separated the water from the land and put plants and trees on the land.  On Day 4, G-d made the sun, the moo

My Torah portion is read during the festival of Sukkot. In it, we learn about the calendar of the Jewish year and how the Jewish festivals are connected to the seasons. Pesach is connected to the Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, Shavuot to Summer, and Sukkot--my portion--is connected to Autumn, which is harvest time. And since we`re talking about harvest, it's important to also talk about the farming of the land that leads to that harvest, and the lessons we can learn from

For my mitzvah project I helped out at Oscars Arc.   Oscars Arc  is a dynamic dog adoption agency with the mission to inspire dog adoption through creative marketing initiatives. These include captivating online and digital campaigns, a centralised dog adoption centre and  WOOF Project , a pop-up adoption platform.

This week’s parasha is  Nitzavim , and it comes near the end of the Torah, right before Rosh Hashanah. In this portion, Moshe (Moses) is speaking to the entire nation of Israel — men, women, children, leaders, even strangers — and he tells them:  “You are all standing here today before God.” What’s interesting is that Moshe includes  everyone  — not just the important or the religious people — but  everyone , even future generations. He reminds us that we all have a part in t

Good morning everyone and thank you for being here with me today. My Torah portion is called Shoftim, which means Judges. It is in the book of Deuteronomy, which is the 5th and final book in the  Torah. In this week’s Torah portion, the Israelites are about to cross into the promised land. Moses is giving them advice on how to build a society when they get there, because he cannot cross into the promised land with them.   The first paragraph of my Torah portion contains a ver

On Sunday 17 August, I went to the Animal Anti-Cruelty League for my barmitzvah mitzvah. I cuddled with the kittens, played with the doggies and decided that I’m going to go there once a month to volunteer and give the animals some love. I’ve always loved animals, and since these animals are caged up for a long time during the day, I feel they could really use some love and attention. It felt amazing to make a difference in those little animals’ day.

Lessons from Parsha Eikev   As I stand here today, celebrating my Bar Mitzvah, I reflect on the significance of this moment and the values I am inheriting from my Jewish heritage. One of the most profound lessons I have learned from Parsha Eikev speaks to the importance of faith, responsibility, and standing strong in the face of adversity. Today, as we witness the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas alongside the rise of antisemitism, I find that the lessons from Parsh

Shabbat Shalom, the Torah portion this week is Matot-Masei and comes from the book of Numbers. It starts with the tribes of Reuben and Ga...

Shabbat Shalom Today is my Bar Mitzvah and my torah portion is Chukat and I would like to share with you what my torah portion is about...

Parashat Beha’alotcha, from Numbers, teaches us about leadership, faith, and bringing light to others. One key moment is when God tells...

Shabbat Shalom! Today’s Torah portion is Nasso, which can be found in the book of Bamidbar. Naso means to take a census, which is a...