Consecration at BZBI
On Shabbat morning, February 27th, our Gimel class will celebrate their special Consecration Day at the Neziner Hebrew School!
You may be asking yourself, “What is Consecration?” Consecration is an old tradition that celebrates the milestone of marking the formal beginning of a child’s Jewish Educational Journey.
Many years ago, children did not begin Hebrew School until the 3rd grade, and that’s when the path to becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah officially began. By 3rd grade, families are members of BZBI, thereby demarcating your strong commitment to your child’s Jewish Education.
True, times have changed, and we are very fortunate that so many of our children are beginning Hebrew School in Pre-Kindergarten (Bonim) and Kindergarten (Gan). We are already brainstorming new ways to celebrate this special milestone at an earlier age.
In fact, this year Consecration will look a little different than it has in the past:
First, since our 3rd grade children are now combined with our 1st and 2nd graders, 3rd grade parents are invited to join that service on Saturday, February 27th. During that service, families will have the opportunity to really see how the children are learning to daven, and what great examples they are to those younger students who look up to them.
In lieu of a Torah story that morning , each parent will present their child with a special gift – not necessarily something store bought, but maybe a family heirloom, something special…maybe a picture of the person they are named for, etc. ( I gave my daughter, my great grandmother’s shabbas candleholder). After the gift is presented, each parent will say something wonderful about their special child.
It will be neat for the younger kids to really see what’s in store for them as they reach 3rd grade.
After the service, we will go upstairs to the Goldberg Sanctuary, and the children will share some of the special things they have prepared for the entire congregation. Rabbi Abe will address the children, present them each with a certificate and a new Siddur Sim Shalom that each child will use when they are preparing for Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Our Gimel families are sponsoring flowers and Kiddush for the congregation on Shabbat morning, so that we can all share in their nachat (joy) together.
I have known most of the children in this class since their toddler days in the preschool, and it’s so special for me to be able to watch these children grow, both physically and spiritually. I know it’s going to be an incredibly special day, and I feel privileged to be able to share in the celebration together with all of BZBI.
B’Shalom,
Cindy Citron
Tags: Consecration, Family, Generation
