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When bat mitzvas began by Carolyn Gold The first bat mitzva in the his tory of the Atlanta Jewish com munity took place on Friday even ing Dec. 19, 1941, at the Ahavath Achim Synagogue. Forty-five years ago, that event, a girl participating in the synagogue service, was con sidered by many to be a radical innovation. Joyce Jacobs, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Jacobs, made his tory as the first girl to take part in a bat mitzva ceremony. She was fol lowed in quick succession by five other classmates: Inge Sultan, Jan. 23, 1942, Renana Epstein, Feb. 6, 1942. Rita Klein, Feb. 27, 1942, Selma Piassick, March 20, 1942, and Anita Schwartzman, March 27, 1942. Rabbi Emeritus Harry H. Epstein recalls that Ahavath Achim was one of the first congregations in the nation to introduce individual bat mitzvas. He explains, “The trend in most Reform and Conservative congregations was to have bat mitzvas in groups.” The majority of the Ahavath Achim congregation did not go along with the prospect of girls participating in this ceremony. Rabbi Epstein says, “Many fathers never heard of it. They thought Judaism was only for boys.” The rabbi remembers that he struggled with this rare thing for years, and “now it is a must.” His papers, being collected at the At lanta Jewish Federation, verify that the next bat mitzva did not take place until 1945, three years later. Jewish tradition teaches that a girl develops a year sooner than a boy, so Rabbi Epstein conducted the beginning bat mitzvas for girls in their 12th year. The synagogue bulletin encouraged fathers and mothers to understand the value of the ceremony and to witness the first such event. The Dec. 18, 1942 issue reads, “This ceremony will inspire our girls to a better understanding and a more significant appreciation of Jewish life.” The bulletin stressed the importance of girls becoming “daughters of duty”; it explained the Hebrew reading requirement, and the training needed. Each girl read from the Prophets in Hebrew and English, gave a short oration on the significance of bat mitzva, and then received a charge and blessing from the rabbi. Since the country was at war, the first girls included prayers for their country when they asked for bless ings on their parents and families. The bulletin prior to Inge Sul tan’s bat mitzva, the second one at Ahavath Achim, explained that she had begun her Hebrew studies in Germany before coming to this country. Renana Epstein was des cribed as having studied Hebrew since she was 5 years old. For that special occasion the rabbi delivered a sermon entitled “A Father Blesses His Child.” Selma Piassick gave her oration on “The Role of Women in Jewish History.” Anita Schwartzman, the daughter of Cantor Joseph Schwartz man, remembers that her family came to Atlanta in 1940, and she joined the first bat mitzva group. Her ceremony took place the Sab bath before Passover for, as the bulletin stated, she began Hebrew studies at age 6 in Pittsburgh. Rabbi Epstein remembers that one girl was not encouraged by her family to have a bat mitzva, but she came back at age 18 or 19 to partic ipate in the ceremony she had missed. In the Federation’s archives, the collection of Rabbi Epstein’s pap ers proves that girls got equal treatment with boys. When they neglected their studies, a note went home to their parents. Diligence was expected. According to Jewish tradition there are certain duties that men are obligated to fulfill. There are obviously certain things that women also can and want to do. The present numbers of bat mitzvas prove that girls are taking this responsibility of learning, par ticipation, and dedication to their faith and making it a traditional milestone. Creative Candid Photography Our specialty is great photography HAMMOND FESTIVAL nonQ in SANDY SPRINGS 252-0209 < m 5? 1 t i .inda Gold Stationery Service! ^ S Outstanding Service & Selection® >3 18% Discount! 252-80061 invitations • stationery • announcements r napkins • placecards • favors • embossers calligraphy • Hebrew lettering • art work the laws tastefully. If only it were enough to be Atlanta’s only hotel with a completely kosher kitchen! After all, ours is sanctioned by Orthodox rabbinic authority. And a mashgiach oversees every superb dish our chefs create. But who knows how kosher is kosher? We do. We know the original laws so well, we can follow them faithfully and still prepare exciting dishes that will be the envy of all your friends. Our catering department at 659-1400, extension 2458, can tell you all about our kosher catering. They can also tell you about our excellent facilities for bar mitzvahs, bas mitzvahs, weddings, receptions, fund raisers —whatever. You could simply make your next event a kosher one. Then again, you could make it kosher and have it at The Westin Peachtree Plaza. TheWestin Peachtree Plaza Atlanta How come we’re so good at kosher catering? Wt know how to observe PAGE 19 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE July 18, 1986