Rachel Bernstein’s Bat Mitzvah

Rachel Bernstein, a seventh grader at The Brandeis School of San Francisco, will be called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on October 25th. A lifelong member of Congregation Beth Sholom, attending her first high holy day services as a one-month-old, Rachel is excited to celebrate this special milestone with her family, friends, and community.

Rachel enjoys competitive dance, club basketball, traveling, spending time with her friends and playing with younger kids. She has loved learning more about Jewish traditions and preparing to take on new responsibilities as a Bat Mitzvah.

Her Torah portion, Parashat Noach, includes not only the story of Noah and the flood but also the story of the Tower of Babel. Rachel’s drash focuses on the Tower of Babel and explores what it teaches about prioritizing what's truly important and holy and the importance of having our own ideas, not just following the group.

Rachel would like to thank Rabbi Russell for her guidance with her drash, her tutor Marilyn Heiss for making the learning process meaningful and engaging, and her teachers and friends at Brandeis and CBS for their encouragement. She is especially grateful to her family for their love and support as she reaches this important moment in her Jewish journey.