Paridis Siddur

Jessica Burton Paridis Coming of Age Ceremony

Spring Blossoms by Jessica Paridis

dxy za cakei Yocheved bat Sarah

May 29th, 2011 At home in Purchase, NY

Dear Family and Friends, Thank you for joining us here today to mark this profoundly special occasion in our family. As each of you are near and dear to us you will know that we honor a few powerful traditions in our family – some old, some new and others we work out as we go along.

Sally discovered a wealth of spiritual and religious truth in the teachings of the Torah many years ago. Whilst there is so much more to Jewish thought and tradition than simply learning how to read Hebrew, our children have studied Jewish teaching as well as participating in the Judeo-Christian traditions of their grandparents. We are deeply honored that Jessica has chosen to have a Bat Mitzvah and we hope to share the love and learning this has brought our family with you today.

We are proud of the grace and courage Jessie has shown in making the choices she has made to prepare for this day. We applaud her dedication during exams and snowstorms to travel into Manhattan each week mixing it in with with her hectic dance schedule, soccer, somehow finding time to build a webpage and volunteer at the Blythdale Children’s hospital as part of her Mitzvah project.

We are enormously grateful to the support of Rabbi Glazer and our friends at the JCC in teaching Jessie and our family about Jewish tradition. Today would not have been possible, however, without the love and support of Rabbi Ingber who has enabled us to make this day a reflection of our family and values, our cultural diversity and hope for a bright future.

Thank you for being a part of our life and joining with us in this celebration. Special thanks to Jessie’s Grandparents — Basil, Pamela, Steve and Adriana, Aunty Wendy and cousin Amelia — who have flown halfway around the world to be here.

Sally and Steve Paridis

Day by Day Day by day Day by day Oh Dear Lord Three things I pray: To see thee more clearly Love thee more dearly Follow thee more nearly Day by day —Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell

Van Gogh’s Branches of an Almond Tree 3

Blessing from Grandparents There – my blessing with thee And these few precepts in thy memory Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any proportioned thought his act.

Be thou familiar, but by not means vulgar.

Those friends though hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel, But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatched, unfledged courage. Beware Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in, Bear’t that th’opposed may beware of thee.

Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice; Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment.

Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy, For the apparel oft proclaims the man, Neither a borrower nor a lender be For loan oft loses both itself and friend, This, above all, to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.

—William Shakespeare, Hamlet 1.iii

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Hold on to Faith Hold on to faith: It is the fiber and strength of a confident soul.

It is the source of believing That all things are possible.

Hold on to hope: It relieves doubt and enables a positive and cheerful heart.

Hold on to trust: It is the core of relationships that are secure and content.

Hold on to love It is life’s greatest gift; for it shares and cares.

Hold on to family and friends; they are the most important people in your life, They are the roots and the beginnings, they are the vine that has grown through time to nourish you, and to give you the wings you need to fly.

Hold on to what you feel and believe is right.

Your heart has a way of speaking louder than your mind.

Hold on to dreams Achieve them diligently and honestly Make the world a better place one day at a time. —Author Unknown

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She’hech’ianu

Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam she-he-chi-anu v’-ki-manu v’-hi-gi-anu la-z’man ha-zeh.

Let us bless the flow of life that revives us, sustains us, and brings us to this moment.

Bondi Beach by Robert Paridis, Jessie’s Uncle

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Sanctuary Song

O Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary Pure and holy, tried and true And in thanksgiving I’ll be a living Sanctuary for you

Ve’a’soo li mikdash Ve’sho’chanti be’tocham Ve’anachnu ne’varech Yah May’atah ve’ad olam

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Ashrei (Selections from Psalm 145) Read by Hannah Paridis, Jessie’s sister

Happy are those who dwell in Your House; they shall continue to praise You! Happy are the people for whom this is so; fortunate are the people.

You open Your hand, and satisfy every living thing with Your favor.

YHVH is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all deeds.

YHVH is close to all who call, to all who call in truth.

Fulfilling the will of those who are reverant; hearing their cry and saving them.

My mouth shall speak the praise of YHVH, and all creatures shall bless this holy name for ever and all time. We will bless YAH now and forever.

HalleluYAH!

L’Dor VaDor

Sung by Amelia Cormack, Jessie’s cousin

L’dor vador, l’dor vador L’dor vador nagid god’lecha U’l’neitzach n’tzachim K’dushot’cha nakdeesh.

The Dance Foyer at the Opera on the Rue Le Peletier, Degas

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I am a dancer.

I twirl, leap, and spin.

I jump, pirouette, and tap.

I am a dancer.

I feel pain and fear.

I feel defeat and failure.

Yet, I keep going.

I smile, I practice, I perform.

I have grace and beauty.

I do not dance because I am happy, I am happy because I dance.

I hear thet applause.

I perform and do my best.

Sometimes I fail.

I don’t give up.

For I am a dancer.

I am brave and strong.

I dance not for fame and glory.

But for how I feel inside.

I am happiness, joy, love, and excitement.

Strife, talent, joy.

Determination and beauty.

I am a dancer. —Author Unknown Little Dancer by Degas Jessie age 6

Sh’ma

(Hear O Israel) Sh’-ma Yis-ra-eil Adonai E-Io-hei-nu, A-donai e-chad

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The Meaning of Bat Mitzvah BAT MITZVAH Of the many milestones in life, few combine the sense of tradition, achievement, responsibility and joy of a Bat Mitzvah. Becoming a “daughter of the commandments” signifies the choice of a child, at the age of 13, to accept the responsibility and teachings of a Jewish life.

At tonight’s Service, our Bat Mitzvah Jessie exercises one of the new privileges and responsibilities of Jewish coming of age: reading from the Torah.

Torah The custom of public Torah readings had its beginnings with Ezra the Scribe after the return of the Jewish people from Babylonian exile in 444 B.C.E. Ultimately, the Torah was divided into 54 weekly portions, each called a sidra, that are read in every synagogue in the world according to the Hebrew calendar. Thus, this week every Bar or Bat Mitzvah in the world touches every person around the world reading from the same Torah portion.

The Torah is written as a continuous scroll consisting of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy — and is hand written on parchment with vegetable ink and a quill pen by trained scribes. The Hebrew calligraphy used to write these scrolls has been the same for more than 2,000 years. The text is chanted according to a prescribed method and pattern that has remained largely unchanged for more than 1,000 years. Since no vowels, punctuation, or musical symbols appear in the scroll, special study and training are required to be able to chant from it.

To be near the Torah is exhilarating, to hold the Torah is a great honor, and to read from it is both humbling and uplifting. No act symbolizes becoming a Bat Mitzvah more than reading from the Torah.

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The Torah Service The Torah is symbolically passed from generation to generation. The Bat Mitzvah then chants the Torah portion in Hebrew and introduces her thoughts on the meaning of the portion. After the reading, the Torah is Iifted — to show that the Torah is an open book and belongs to all the people. The Torah is then carried around to give congregants a chance to touch it as a mark of respect and love for its teachings.

Today, each time the Ark is opened or closed, we say the prayers that Moses chanted during the time of the Exodus from Egypt, prayers which were chanted each time the Israelites would pick up or put down the original Ark of the Covenant containing the tablets on which were inscribed the Ten Commandments given at Mount Sinai. Each time the Torah is taken out to be read, we reenact God giving the Torah to Moses.

Ki mi-Tzion teytzey Torah U’dvar Hashem mi Y’rushalayim

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Torah Service Reader calls...

...and the congregation responds...

Bar-chu et Adonai ham-vorach.

Ba-ruch Adonai ham-vorach ve-olam va-ed.

Let us praise God!

Praise God who is everywhere at all times!

Reader continues:

Ba-ruch Adonai ham-vorach ve-olam va-ed.

Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam Asher bachar banu mi-kol ha-amim, ve-natan lanu et Torah-to, Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai, noten ha-Torah.

Praise God who is everywhere at all times!

Blessed are You, God, Source of Wisdom, Who blessed the world by giving the Jewish people His Torah, Blessed are You, Giver of Torah.

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Numbers 6:1-21 Parshat Naso

Blessing after the reading:

Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam Asher natan la-nu Torat emet, ve’chayyei olam natah b’tocheinu Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai, noten ha-Torah.

Blessed are You, God, Source of Wisdom, Who gives us Torah and plants eternal life within each one of us, Blessed are You, Giver of Torah.

6:1 YHVH spoke to Moshe, saying: 2 Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: A man or a woman-when one sets oneself apart, by vowing the vow of a Nazirite/ Consecrated-one, to consecrate oneself for YHVH: 3 from wine and from intoxicant one is to consecrate-oneself; fermentation of wine and fermentation of intoxicant one is not to drink, any liquid of grapes one is not to drink, and grapes, moist or dried, one is not to eat. 4 All the days of one’s being-consecrated, anything that is made from the vine of wine, from seeds to skin, one is not to eat. 5 All the days of one’s vow of beingconsecrated a razor is not to go-across one’s head; until the fulfilling of days that one is consecrated for YHVH, holy shall one remain; one is to grow loose the hair on one’s head. 6 All the days that one consecrates-oneself for YHVH, near a dead person one is not to come- 7 (even) for one’s father or one’s mother, one’s brother or one’s sister; one is not to make- oneself-tamei by them when they die, for (hair) consecrated for one’s God is upon one’s head. 8 All the days of one’s being-consecrated, one is holy to YHVH. 9 Now if a dead-man has died near one suddenly, all-of-a-sudden, so that one makes-tamei the consecrated (hair of one’s) head, one is to shave one’s head on the day of one’s becoming-pure; on the seventh day one is to shave it. 10 Now on the eighth day one is to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the entrance of the Tent of Appointment. 11 The priest is to sacrifice one as a hattat/decontamination-offering, and one as an offering-up; he is to effect-purgation for one, in that one became-contaminated by the (dead) person. One is to make one’s head holy (again) on that day, 12 and is to reconsecrate to YHVH the days of one’s being-consecrated, bringing a lamb in its (first) year as an asham/compensation-offering. The former days are to be (considered) fallen-away, since tamei became one’s state-of-consecration. 13 Now this is the Ritualinstruction for the Consecrated-one: On the day that one’s days of being-consecrated are fulfilled, one is to be brought to the entrance of the Tent of Appointment; 14 one is to bring-near as one’s near-offering to YHVH: a lamb in its (first) year, wholly-sound, one, as an offering-up, and one ewe-lamb in its (first) year, wholly-sound, as a hattat-offering, and one ram, wholly-sound, as a shalom-offering; 15 a basket of matzot of flour, roundloaves mixed with oil, wafers of matzot spread with oil, (as well as) their grain-gift and their poured-offerings. 16 The priest is to come-near before the presence of YHVH, and is to sacrifice his hattat- offering and his offering-up, 17 and the ram he is to sacrifice as a slaughter-offering of shalom to YHVH, together with the basket of matzot; then the priest is to sacrifice his grain-gift and his poured-offering. 18 The Consecrated-One is then to shave, at the entrance of the Tent of Appointment, one’s consecrated head, and is to take the hair of one’s consecrated head and put (it) on the fire that is under the slaughteroffering of shalom. 19 The priest is to take the shoulder of the ram, boiled, and one loaf of matza from the basket, and one wafer of matza, and is to put (them) upon the palms of the Consecrated-one, after one’s shaving of one’s consecrated (hair). 20 The priest is to elevate them as an elevation-offering, before the presence of YHVH- it is a holy-offering for the priest- on top of the breast of the elevation-offering and on top of the thigh of the contribution, and after (that) the Consecrated-one may drink wine. 21 This is the Instruction for the Consecrated-one who vows a near-offering to YHVH in addition to one’s (requirement of) consecration, aside from what one’s hand can reach: according to the vow that one has vowed, thus is one to perform, in addition to the instructed-requirements of one’s consecration.

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Priestly Blessing The power of a blessing has been a religious tradition since antiquity.

We are all called upon to bless the people, events and things we wish to empower with energy, hope and gratitude, utilizing words and speech to heal and to build a more compassionate and loving world.

Blessing from Fiddler on the Roof Sung by Laura Patinken Urken May the Lord protect and defend you.

May He always shield you from shame.

May you come to be In Israel a shining name.

May you be like Ruth and like Esther.

May you be deserving of praise.

Strengthen her oh Lord, And keep her on the rightful way.

May G-d bless you and grant you long life.

May the Lord fulfill our special prayer for you May G-d bless you and make you a good Mother and wife.

May he send you family that will care for you.

May the Lord protect and defend you.

May the Lord preserve you from pain.

Favor her Oh Lord, with happiness and peace.

Oh, hear our special prayer. Amen.

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Remembrance Reading by Wendy Phillips, Jessie’s Aunt Let us glorify, honor and praise that which made this unique natural and spiritual world.

May we fashion this world, our bodies, minds and souls into the joyful, peaceful, beautiful and healthy state they are designed to achieve.

May we appreciate and remember what is, and those who preceded us and where we are heading, each and every moment of every day.

May we do this sincerely and with the greatest passion we can summon.

May there be peace and love in all parts of this world and in ourselves and in any world in which we, our friends or enemies, or our children or ancestors may reside.

Tree of Life, Ethel Green

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Salaam (Od yavo shalom aleynu) Soon peace will come upon us....

Od yavo shalom aleynu (x3) v’al kulam.

Salaam... aleynu v’al kol ha’olam Salaam Shalom.

Adon Olam Adon olam, asher malach, b’terem kol y’tzir nivra.

L’et na’asah v’cheftzo kol, azai melech sh’mo nikra.

V’acharey kichlot hakol, l’vado yimloch nora.

V’hu haya, v’hu hoveh, v’hu yih’yeh b’tifara.

V’hu echad, v’eyn sheni l’hamshil lo, l’hachbira.

B’li reishit, b’li tachlit, v’lo ha’oz v’hamisrah.

V’hu Eli, v’chai go’ali, v’tzur chevli b’et tzarah.

V’hu nisi umanos li, m’nat kosi b’yom ekra.

B’yado afkid ruchi b’et ishan v’a’irah.

V’im ruchi g’viyati, Adonai li v’lo ira.

Kiddush (Blessing Over Wine) Ba-ruch A-tah Adonai E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam, borei p’ri ha’gafen.

Blessed are You, Soverign of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

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Jessica Paridis by Theresa Byrnes