I stumbled across your article about the Bas Mitzvah of Roslyn Lieberman Horwich in trying to determine when Bat Mitzvahs became common in Reform Judaism. The surprise was finding an article by the Rabbi of the Oak Park Temple, where I was a Bas Mitzvah in January of 1960, when Rabbi Schwartz and Rabbi Mervis were leading the congregation. My memory is that there were not a lot of girls my age in the Bas Mitzvah program, but perhaps I've forgotten. My mother, Ann Kohout, was Rabbi Mervis' secretary, which might have had something to do with the decision. I was married by Rabbi Schwartz because he was willing to officiate at a ceremony between a Jew and a non Jew. We raised our daughter in Denver as members of Temple Emanuel. I have been a board member and congregational leader at both Sha'ar Zahav in SF and now at the Mendocino Coast Jewish Community. My Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation, and Jewish education were extremely important parts of my young life.
Thanks for your interesting article about Roslyn. I was very nervous and, I'm sure, had nothing profound or inspirational to say on the day of my Bas Mitzvah. She was some gal!
I stumbled across your article about the Bas Mitzvah of Roslyn Lieberman Horwich in trying to determine when Bat Mitzvahs became common in Reform Judaism. The surprise was finding an article by the Rabbi of the Oak Park Temple, where I was a Bas Mitzvah in January of 1960, when Rabbi Schwartz and Rabbi Mervis were leading the congregation. My memory is that there were not a lot of girls my age in the Bas Mitzvah program, but perhaps I've forgotten. My mother, Ann Kohout, was Rabbi Mervis' secretary, which might have had something to do with the decision. I was married by Rabbi Schwartz because he was willing to officiate at a ceremony between a Jew and a non Jew. We raised our daughter in Denver as members of Temple Emanuel. I have been a board member and congregational leader at both Sha'ar Zahav in SF and now at the Mendocino Coast Jewish Community. My Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation, and Jewish education were extremely important parts of my young life.
Thanks for your interesting article about Roslyn. I was very nervous and, I'm sure, had nothing profound or inspirational to say on the day of my Bas Mitzvah. She was some gal!