'It's never too late': Palm Beach synagogues host bat mitzvah celebrations for 20 women

A pair of Jewish congregations in Palm Beach hosted bat mitzvah ceremonies this month for more than 20 women who had limited opportunity to celebrate when they were teenagers.

The Chabad House Palm Beach hosted a bat mitzvah celebration for two congregants April 8 at The Colony Hotel, while Palm Beach Synagogue hosted a ceremony for 18 congregants on April 13.

The women spanned six decades in age, with many lacking previous Jewish education, said Dinie Scheiner, the Hebrew School director at Palm Beach Synagogue, who hosted a six-month bat mitzvah preparatory course for them.

"This journey is a commencement, the beginning for spiritual and educational growth," Scheiner said of a bat mitzvah, which is a coming-of-age ceremony for Jewish girls when they reach the age of 12. Bar mitzvah ceremonies for boys traditionally take place at age 13.

"There are many who have not had the opportunity to have a Jewish education. One of the women’s parents was a Holocaust survivor. A bat mitzvah wasn't a priority. There are various reasons that they didn't have the opportunity to learn for and celebrate their bat mitzvah."

The 18 women who celebrated their bat mitzvah at Palm Beach Synagogue Saturday were the first to participate in a pilot program launched last fall by Scheiner, whose husband, Moshe, is the synagogue's rabbi.

The program began in November and included twice-monthly classes on topics ranging from faith and spirituality to building a strong connection with God, Scheiner said.

Classes often ran for three hours and involved lengthy discussions about connecting emotionally and spiritually with Judaism.

"Anyone who signs up for a course like this is committed to learning more about Judaism and growing spiritually," Scheiner said. "It was evident to the congregation how incredible these women are. They're living with a higher purpose, which brings so much depth and beauty to their lives.”

Classes concluded with the synagogue's joint bat mitzvah celebration April 12-13, which included Friday night services attended by more than 100 people, and Saturday's ceremony attended by hundreds of congregants.

At the Saturday ceremony, Scheiner said, eight of the 18 participants who hadn't yet received a Hebrew name selected one before addressing the congregation.

"The women really felt very special," she said. "They were extremely grateful for the opportunity to celebrate their bat mitzvah. At this point in their lives, it's never too late to celebrate this important milestone.”

Gail Marks, a bat mitzvah celebrant, agreed.

"It is truly amazing what we can do when we push past pre-conceived limitations and boundaries to get to what really defines and shapes us," she told Palm Beach Synagogue congregants Saturday.

In addition to Marks, the other bat mitzvah celebrants were Elsa Malinsky, Debra Mosca, Jaffa Halfon, Michele Gabel, Robin Bratt, Jeanine Spokoine, Carolina Mizrachi, Margie Lynn, Tamar Daniels, Susan Lande, Leah Siskin, Debra Wagner, Starr Kempin, Tali Ann Katz, Adrienne Klein, Ellyn Kleinberg and Yulia Hnidenko.

Chabad House Palm Beach hosted its bat mitzvah milestone celebration for congregants Dawn Iseson and Doreen Bilezekian April 8 at The Colony.

The event included a recitation of Psalms by a Holocaust survivor, an address from Rabbi Zalman Levitin, a video presentation, and speeches from Iseson and Bilezekian.

Both women took a course taught by Chabad House Palm Beach director of programming Hindel Levitin in preparation for their bat mitzvah milestone ceremony.

"I know it was my job as the teacher, or rebbetzin, of the course to teach the women that it is never too late to discover who you are as a Jewish woman and to embrace that role even if technically you became a bat mitzvah at 12 years old and your neshama (soul) is whole," Levitin said. "You can always learn and understand what that soul is and how it is meant to impact your every day."

Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach synagogues host bat mitzvah celebrations for 20 adult women