I love Confirmation!

My words to our Confirmation Class of 2013/5733

I love confirmation, the service, the students, their families; the whole experience.  I think back and remember that most of you were consecrated here not to mention all of your years in Religious and Hebrew school. This is my 23^rd Confirmation class and our 60th confirmation class.  I can’t wait to get your picture up on the wall and for you to come back and visit all of us and see that picture.   

  

We learn in Psalms: From all of my teachers I have learned

 This year you have been my teacher and I have learned from you. I invite all of you back to be Madrichim in our school and to continue to study and learn at Lakeside.  One of you has already come back as a Madricha in our Hebrew school.

As a group you have participated in many activities including playing musical instruments including guitar, cello, and you enjoy the fine arts, sing in the choir and do theater crew.   You participate in sports, tennis, biking, basketball and track and field. You dance all types of dance and you are active in BBYO.  You love Jewish camping, especially at OSRUI and I hope that you will all go to Israel one day.

You have participated in many mitzvot including mitzvah day at Lakeside Congregation when you went to the food bank with Rabbi Serotta or stayed here and tie dyed t-shirts.  5 of you went with Rabbi Serotta and Anita Pildes on our annual New York trip.  You had some great stories to tell us when you got back.  Some of you are the oldest in your families and some of you are the youngest or the only in your families.  Your parents are active members of Sisterhood, teach in our school, have sat on the Religious School committee, worked in the Religious School office, organized PADS and our trips to the Beth Emet Soup Kitchen, been  outstanding ushers at B’nai Mitzvah, blown Shofar, sat on our Board of Directors, have been confirmed at Lakeside, I was at the confirmation of someone’s Mom, as a guest, not as a teacher.  Tonight we are so glad that all of you are part of the Lakeside Family.

Students you have all volunteered for me and pitched in at the Religious school when we needed help, which is more often than not, especially for the Purim carnival.   I am proud to be here with you tonight, of all your speeches of what mentches you have become.  I can only hope that Lakeside and I played a small part in your development.  I wish you and your families, Mazel Tov.