CALLED TO THE TORAH

mitzvah ceremonies occurring
in the 1950s. In 1993, she led
the congregation Friday night
at Congregation Beth Israel in
Flint and the Saturday morn-
ing service at Temple B'nai Is-
rael in Saginaw to "make a
simchah at the age my mother
died."
"It was a very Jewish way of
celebrating my 50th birthday,"
Ms. Hirsh Polasky said.
Because Ms. Hirsh Polasky
regularly attends synagogue in
Saginaw and Flint — she is ac-
tive at both congregations —
perfecting her Torah portion
didn't pose any difficulties. In-
stead, she spent much of her
time preparing an in-depth dvar

Torah, or interpretation of the
Torah portion.
"I think it's really different
doing it again as opposed to do-
ing it for the first time as an
adult," Ms. Hirsh Polasky said.
"But one thing I'm sure is sim-
ilar — the 48-hour high after-
ward."
West Bloomfield resident Jill
Goldman is in the process of
preparing for her bat mitzvah
at Temple Israel.
She has watched her son and
daughter lead services and
graduate from religious school.
Ms. Goldman's formal Jewish
education ended in the eighth
grade, without the bat mitzvah
ceremony.

Fran Wigod: "It (bat mitzvah)
gave me a feeling of inclu-
sion in the service, in the
Jewish religion."

•

Her father was Orthodox, her
mother, non-observant. The
family settled on a Conserva-
tive synagogue in Detroit where
Jill attended Hebrew and Sun-
day school.
"I hated it," Ms. Goldman
said.
Ms. Goldman's early dislike
for religious learning did not af-
fect her intrinsic feeling of Jew-
ishness, though. She married a
Jewish man in a traditional cer-
emony and joined a Reform
temple soon after her youngest
child was born.
Following visits to several
congregations, the Goldmans
settled on Temple Israel where
Ms. Goldman had "a whole new

experience."
"I could relate to the rabbi. It
became important to attend ser-
vices. I wanted to be Jewish. I
finally found a place where I felt
I belonged," Ms. Goldman said.
After attending
her cousin's adult
bat mitzvah cere-
mony a few years
ago, Ms. Goldman
considered doing
the same for her-
self.
Last May, she
joined an adult
b'not mitzvah pro-
gram at Temple Is-
rael. On April 30
she will join 17 oth-
er women at the
bimah.
"My family
had all done this
(bar or bat mitz-
vah) and I felt
like I had missed
out," Ms. Goldman said.
She studies Hebrew and
works on her section of the
Torah portion. She also is re-
quired to take two Judaica
classes in addition to elective
courses through the adult
academy at the temple.
Besides working with the
rabbis, Ms. Goldman and
classmates have been learn-
ing with temple educational
director Fran Pearlman.
It is the first adult b'nai
mitzvah class Ms. Pearlman
has taught. To date, 180 in-
dividuals have gone through

the two-year program since its
first ceremony in 1985.
"I think this is a testimony to
the fact that Reform Judaism
has evolved to saying, 'Yes,
there is equality.' It's not just in
gender, but in
age. It doesn't
matter when the
ceremony occurs,
it's the process
that is impor-
tant," Ms. Pearl-
man said.
"I see women
from families
where the par-
ents did not be-
lieve women
needed a Hebrew
education. I see
women who were
confirmed but
Jill Goldman would like to
reaffirm their Ju-
daism as adults,
with a greater
understanding. I see young par-
ents with no knowledge of He-
brew setting an example for
their children," Ms. Pearlman
said.
Ms. Goldman has many rea-
sons for wanting a bat mitzvah
ceremony.
She enjoys learning Hebrew,
but struggles with Midrash.
Perhaps the hardest part of the
process is knowing her father
will never see her read from the
Torah.
"He died recently. He was the
most Jewish of us all. And I
think he felt bad that growing

"It became
important to
attend services.
I wanted to be
Jewish.
I finally found a
place where I felt
I belonged."