Beth Torah’s 2018 Confirmands

Mazel tov to Congregation Beth Torah’s 2018 Confirmation Class. This year’s confirmands were Hope Decker, daughter of Michelle Gordon; Chloe Roberts, daughter of Gwen and Ron Roberts; Jacob Whitcomb, son of Libby Holtmann; and Josephine Zucker, daughter of Beth and Jeff Zucker. The confirmation was celebrated with their families and the congregation on Saturday, May 12. The synagogue took part in a new congregational ritual to honor the 10th-grade teens. Students of the CBT Congregational Learning Center lined the main aisle of the sanctuary as the four confirmands walked to the bimah carrying special baskets. Each younger student presented the teens with fruit or barley sheaves representing the minhat bikkurim, or first fruits that were presented to the Kohanim (Priests) at the time of the Holy Temple. The teens also participated in leading services and shared their inspirational reflections on their own Jewish journeys. The students will take a trip to Alabama this summer with Rabbi Elana Zelony to learn more about the role of Jews in the civil rights movement. In addition to Rabbi Zelony, the class was taught by Eli Davidsohn, Seth Miller and Elizabeth Stein.

College grad Kaner headed
back to her old junior high

Elizabeth Kaner, daughter of Marni and Joey Kaner and granddaughter of Janet and Gary Kaner of Dallas and the late Faye and Herby Berkowitz of Fort Worth, is a Cum Laude graduate of the University of North Texas. Her degree is in Interdisciplinary Studies with a teaching certification in 4th-8th Grade Mathematics and ESL. A member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, she was also inducted into the Order of Omega, Greek Honor Society; Rho Lambda, Greek Women’s Honor Society; and Kappa Delta Pi, Education Honor Society. She was president of the UNT Hillel and is a unit head at Camp Chai at the JCC. In the fall, Elizabeth will teach math and coach volleyball at Parkhill Junior High School, where she attended seventh and eighth grade and played volleyball.