On my way to conduct a wedding in Virginia (the daughter of a childhood buddy), I stopped off in D.C. to visit some of our congregation’s fully-grown Bnai Mitzvah.  9-17 years after donning a tallis and reading Torah, our kids are now assuming the American mantle of adulthood—learning a vocation that suits them and making their own way in the world.  I’m happy to report that the character and charm that they all demonstrated on our bima has only been refined in the crucible of advanced education and training.
   Pictured right to left are Ben Wallis, yours truly, Rebekah Usatin, Haylene Sandler and husband Pierre.  Not pictured is Sarah Daniels who joined me for breakfast the previous morning due to the grueling MCATs on the day of our group brunch.  If a 13-yr-old can lead the congregation in prayer, then they should all have a psychological advantage in the other rites of passage that lie ahead.
   In the words of our Morning Prayers, words for parents and our children to recall:  “Blessed are You, Eternal our God, who girds our people Israel with strength.”