Hannah Weinstein's Confirmation Speech

Hannah Weinstein was one of our religious school students who participated in the Confirmation ceremony this past Shavuot, which took place on June 7.  Hannah was kind enough to share her Confirmation speech with us:

Before I became a member of Adas Emuno, I did not know there was such a thing as a Confirmation after a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. I chose to continue my Jewish studies and to become Confirmed. Confirmation with Jennifer was very different than other classes because we got to talk about horoscopes, cyber-bullying, cross-dressing, Sydney’s favorite, piercing, life after death, and much more. Confirmation helped me take a stand on these topics by relating them to everyday life and by talking about Rabbis’ points of views. Confirmation class was a place where we could voice our opinions without the fear of being judged. I would like to thank Jennifer Katz Goldstein for guiding me further in my Jewish studies. Jennifer has always made Confirmation class interesting, fun, and I have always looked forward to them. I am so glad that I got to spend time with you in my last years of official learning at Adas Emuno. I would also like to thank my two wonderful parents for supporting me in everything I do. I made the choice to go to Hebrew School, to become a Bat Mitzvah, and to go on to being confirmed, and my Mom and Dad never hesitated or questioned me in my decisions. And a very special THANK YOU to my wonderful, amazing, extraordinary, one and only Dad, David Weinstein, who is the best dad on the face of the Earth. Lastly, I would like to thank our amazing Cantor Shapiro for all that she has done for this congregation and me. Cantor has made this congregation very special and I will miss her very much.

This night is not only about celebrating Confirmation, but also is Shavuot. This Torah portion is about the Ten Commandments. It is said that G-d asked all of the different people of the Earth if they would accept the Ten Commandments but only the Jewish people said yes. The Jewish people vowed to follow the Ten Commandments as their law and practice. And just like the Jewish people many years ago, I promise to continue following Judaism for the rest of my life, and to pass it on for generations to come.
Thank You.

Well said, Hannah, and congratulations, on behalf of the entire Adas Emuno community, to you and your family!