Eliana Levenson
4TH GRADE TEACHER
My name is Eliana Levenson and this is my very first year teaching at Sinai Temple! As I thought about a date of significance to me, I kept coming back to November 14, 2004 (1 Kislev 5765), which was the date of my bat mitzvah. Not only was that the day that I became an adult within the Jewish community and first had the chance to read Torah from the bima, but I was also lucky enough to share that special day with my grandmother, who hadn’t been given the opportunity to be a bat mitzvah when she was younger. Unlike the usual bat mitzvah, which takes place during a Saturday Shabbat service, my bat mitzvah was on a Sunday for Rosh Chodesh (first of the month). In Judaism, we always take time to recognize and take special notice of beginnings. Whether its Rosh Hashanah to start off the year, Rosh Chodesh to start off the month, Havdallah to start off a new week, or just a shehechiyanu blessing, Judaism helps us to not be so afraid of starting over or trying something new by providing us the space to recognize the beauty of a new beginning. As I start off my journey here at Sinai Temple, I’m grateful for the way that Judaism has helped me throughout the new beginnings in my life and the perspective it has given me to truly embrace the new!
