Beineinu May 2025

On the penultimate day in May, Temple Beth Sholom will come together to celebrate Confirmation—our moment to honor young people who step forward and claim Judaism as their own. This year, we’re proud to recognize three remarkable confirmands: Daniel Ginzburg, Davin Potts, and Burke Harsin.

Confirmation isn’t “graduation” from religious school. It’s a public pledge: “I choose Torah study. I choose Jewish peoplehood. I choose God.” Bar and Bat Mitzvah mark entry into mitzvah‑bearing; Confirmation marks the choice to keep learning, questioning, and growing. In 19th‑century Germany, Reform rabbis created Confirmation as a collective affirmation of faith, often near Pentecost. We continue that tradition today by holding Confirmation on the Shabbat closest to Shavuot—the holiday when our ancestors stood at Sinai and declared, “Na’aseh v’nishma”: “We will do and we will listen” (Exodus 24:7).

Our tradition trains us to speak Torah into every moment. “Impress [these words] upon your children. Talk about them when you sit…when you walk…when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:7). We don’t relegate Jewish learning to a classroom; we weave it into morning routines, long drives, and the conversations around our Shabbat tables. The rabbis insist, “Great is study, for it leads to action” (Pirkei Avot 1:17).

We’ve covered mitzvot and Israel, comparative Judaism, and the history of the Jewish people. They’ve learned some, and much more awaits them. They’ve learned with us and now stand ready to carry the torch along with us in the years that follow and ask the right questions to continue to learn and grow in their Jewish identity.

As a congregation, we pledge to support them. We offer Torah study groups, book discussions, adult‑ed classes, and one‑on‑one chevruta partnerships. Confirmation Shabbat reminds us that Jewish learning isn’t a phase: it’s a lifelong adventure, fueled by community and guided by tradition.

Please join us at 7 pm on Friday, May 30^th as we recognize our confirmands, hear their personal commitments, and recommit ourselves—each one of us—to study, to question, and to grow. May their example inspire all of us to choose the journey of Jewish learning, today and every day.