Dear Friends,
The ceremony of Confirmation as a Jewish life-cycle event has its roots in Reform Judaism. The ritual of Confirmation was introduced in 1810, when the Reform Movement in Germany adopted the concept as a means to broaden the scope of Jewish learning beyond the bar mitzvah (bat mitzvah did not exist at that time). Some congregations added this ritual as a post-bar mitzvah program, while others used it as a substitute. Either way, the ritual was introduced to provide deeper and more meaningful connections to the Jewish faith and heritage.
By the late 1800’s, Confirmation services were including girls as well as boys, which was a radical idea for its time. This egalitarian ritual not only reflected the value of gender equality within the Reform Movement, but it became ritual springboard for longer and stronger bonds for all teens within the Jewish community.
Today, Confirmation continues to provide our teens with opportunities to study and grow within their faith. In contrast to the bar / bat mitzvah ceremony, which is focused on an individual’s relationship with God and Torah, Confirmation offers students an opportunity to define and confirm their identities within the context of the broader Jewish community.
Join us this Friday night as HCRJ confirms its largest Confirmation Class in history. We are very proud of our students and pray they will continue to bless us in the years to come as teachers in our religious school.
L’Shalom-Steve