One of the most meaningful Jewish milestones during their elementary years at The Davis Academy is when our 5th grade students chant Torah publicly for the first time. Below are three reflections from students who recently participated in this very special experience. As you read their reflections, note the sense of accomplishment, the connection that they feel to the Torah and to the process of studying Torah, and the confidence that they have in looking toward the future as literate and engaged members of the Jewish community...
Student 1:
We just finished our fifth
grade torah services and I am so proud! All of fifth grade worked so hard
preparing for this moment. To prepare for our services, all of us had to learn
trope. Everyone started by learning three clauses, “Echnachta, Sof Pasuk,
and Katon”. After that, we got our lines. All of our lined contained something
from those three clauses, but some of our lines had more. Because of some of
our lines having more trope than just the three clauses, we all learned them
separately from the people that did not need to. After everyone learned the
tropes, we needed to start knowing our lines. We practiced for days, and then
when we knew them well, we had a final run-through. After that, the day had
come. Inside the chapel, it was as if there were a hundred people in there!
That was the most challenging part. When my class and I were done, there was a
huge wave of relief because everyone did amazing! When I was done, I felt
proud. I had finally read from the torah, for my first time! Also, my mom, dad
and brother were there to see me do it. My verses were about sacrifice rules,
which can apply to anything, and leaving stuff for other people. My first verse
shows how If you disobey a rule, you will almost already be different, but if
you are not, then you slowly start doing less rules, and so on. To make sure
that does not happen, just do the right thing. My next two verses show how
leaving food, or anything for other people to have is a mitzvah! That can apply
to donating, or any other form of giving. In the future when I can give more,
and there are rules to follow, this will impact me! It is not only the
translation of my verses but also learning trope. When I am thirteen, I will
have my Bar Mitzvah. Most of the trope in my verses will be from the clauses I
have already learned, and I won’t have to read from the torah for my first
time. I am super proud of what I have went through because it will impact me
forever.
Student 2:
First it was 5A, then it was 5B, and
finally it was 5C. Our Torah service has come to an end. It had its
ups and downs, and there were some difficult parts while getting ready and
during the actual service. I had a very fun time preparing, and I know
this won’t be my last time reading from the Torah. Not only will I do the
exact same thing for my bah mitzvah, we talked about using the Torah for real
life. People use the Torah to get there points across, express, and be
wise. After I was done reading from the Torah, I thought about how we
learned about the Torah at a young age, read from it when we are in Fifth
Grade, read from it on our bah or bar mitzvah, and it will stick with us for
our whole life.
I also feel so deeply about this,
because I love that sweet relief I get when I’m finally over with something.
That feeling makes me feel like I’m walking on air, and nothing can stop
me. Reading from the Torah is somewhat like a presentation, but also not.
Like a presentation, you have to do it in front of everybody, including
your family and/or friends, which is another reason I loved the Torah service
so much, and you will be preparing for it for a while, and it feels so good to
get it off your chest. You get this burst of accomplishment and pride.
I put doing it in front of family and friends a reason I
loved the Torah service so much, but that’s also a reason it was difficult.
During you reading from the Torah, you think about what if you mess up
and your friends and family see. It can be very scary when everyone’s
looking at you. Might I add, you’re reading a completely new language
with no vowels, while trope is being something you just learned. Hebrew
is very difficult, and that is what makes the end of the Torah service so
pleasing. I also love it so much, because everyone has their own trope.
My trope said, “You shall not place a stumbling block
before the blind, or insult the deaf. You shall fear your God. I am
the Lord.” My interpretation from this is that we shouldn’t use people’s
disabilities to our advantage. We may have more power, but it’s no fair to
treat them differently because we can. This line along with everybody
else’s I feel is very holy. I’m glad I got to read from the Torah for the
first time, and I’m excited to do it again, soon.
Student 3:
We have just finished our Torah
services and I’m so proud of myself. I think I did a fantastic job and so did
my peers. There where a few challenges along the way, I had to learn how
to read trope, read from the Torah, sing the trope, learn how to read without
vowels, and we had to go up to the beemah and actually perform in front of our
families. The absolute hardest thing was learning how to remember tropes but
Mr. Weismark helped us along the way. In the end there where a few rewards that
came out of it like learning how to read from the Torah, the feeling of pride
and relief afterwards, and seeing friends and family watching us live a big
moment in our Jewish paths. My take away from my verse was that you should wait
until everything is juicier and bigger and better before taking it. Just be
patient. Serve others before you serve yourself. My future connection to my
verse and service is that when my Bat Mitzvah comes I will be able to think
I’ve already done this once before and I know I can do it. I will also have the
strength to say I’ve read from the Torah. This verse will be important in my
life because it will be a reminder of how my Jewish past and years at the Davis
Academy have helped me throughout my Jewish path. It will be a beautiful
reminder of how so much effort can absolutely pay off in the end and how happy
of a moment it would and will always lead to. My verses is exactly what the way
I think everyone should live should look like and how you have to be kind and
show kavod to really get what you want in the end. Overall I think this Torah
service has definitely made an impact and a mark on my life and Jewish path. It
is a teacher of what I can accomplish in just a few months with the support of
my family and friends.
Student 3:
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