May the New Year
bring to all our friends
and family
health, joy, prosperity and
everything good in life.

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah

2014
5775

First-Time Fasters

Young adults prepare to take part
in Yom Kippur fast.

I

R

efraining from food and bev-
erages for up to 25 hours is a
hallmark of Yom Kippur (the
Day of Atonement), Judaism's most
important and introspective day.
Healthy Jewish adults taking part in
the Yom Kippur fast will begin prior
to sunset on Kol Nidrei (All Vows),
the evening service that ushers in Yom
Kippur. Kol Nidrei will be observed
this year on Friday, Oct. 3. Yom Kippur
continues until nightfall on Oct. 4, a
date that correlates to the 10th day of
Tishrei on the Hebrew calendar.
Jewish children are not obligated
to fast until they become a bar or bat
mitzvah, which is age 13 for boys and
12 for girls. They become adult mem-
bers of the Jewish people and account-
able for their actions upon reaching
this milestone.
Several teens who became bar or bat
mitzvah over the last two years told
the Jewish News why they plan to fast
and other thoughts about taking part
in the ancient ritual.

Heidi and Jeff Budaj,
Nicole, Michelle, Michelle,
Marcy and Mark

May the sound
of the shofar welcome
a new year of health,
happiness, laughter
and love.

The Cohens
Don, Keri, Hannah
and Emma

May the New Year
bring to all our friends
and family
health, joy, prosperity and
everything good in life.

Esther Allweiss Ingber
Contributing Writer

Rosh Hashana

2014
577

Jack and Miriam Shenkman
IN T
and family

"I want to fast
because since I had
my bar mitzvah it's
my responsibility to
participate in Jewish
holidays. I want to
feel the suffering I
may have caused
this year."

"My parents have
done it my whole
life so I thought I
would do it, too,
that it might be a
good thing to do."

- Spencer Blatt

of Oak Park

The son of Faye and Paul, Spencer
became a bar mitzvah on June 7, 2014,
at Congregation Shir Tikvah in Troy.
He is a student at Anderson Middle
School in Berkley.

"It's not my first
time — maybe my
third. Everyone
in our family
was doing it, so I
thought it would be
good to do. It's not
that hard, but I was
really glad when it was over."

- Jackie BeVier of Farmington Hills

The daughter of Julie and Peter,
Jackie became a bat mitzvah in June
2013 at Congregation Shir Tikvah
in Troy. She is a student at North
Farmington High School.

- Max Wittenberg of West Bloomfield

The son of Lisa and Alan, Max
became a bar mitzvah on March
28, 2014, at Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield. He attends West Hills
Middle School in Bloomfield Hills.

"I'm going to
try fasting because
now that I had a
bat mitzvah and
I see all the adults
doing it, I feel it is
my responsibility to
do it."

- Rose Mouradian

of Southfield

48 September 25 • 2014

The daughter of Vivian and Daniel,
Rose became a bat mitzvah on June
21, 2014, at Congregation Beth Shalom
in Oak Park. She is a student at AGBU
Alex & Marie Manoogian School in
Southfield.

"I have fasted
before and plan
on doing it this
year also. I fast
because I feel it's
my obligation as a
young Jewish adult.
Secondly, we all
make mistakes and fasting helps you
feel the pain you might have caused
to others."

- Dylan Wittenberg of West Bloomfield

The son of Lisa and Alan, Dylan
became a bar mitzvah on Nov.
17, 2012, at Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield. He is a sophomore at
Bloomfield Hills High School.

❑