SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 997
         WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
  recognize the members of the Temple Emanuel confirmation class of
  2009 on the occasion of their confirmation from Temple Emanuel in
  McAllen on Friday, May 29, 2009, corresponding to the Jewish date
  of 6 Sivan, 5769; and
 
         WHEREAS, The members of the confirmation class are Julie
  Berger, daughter of Diana and Bob Berger, Chelsea Freed, daughter
  of Paula and Jack Freed, Nick Hanemann, son of Patty and Pat
  Hanemann, Johnathan Simcha Weisfeld-Hinojosa, son of Rosalie
  Weisfeld and Senator Juan J. Hinojosa, and David Woloski, son of
  Mayra Woloski and Herman Woloski, and their teacher is Rabbi
  Steven Rosenberg; and
 
         WHEREAS, Confirmation at Temple Emanuel in McAllen is the
  celebration for Jewish students completing their religious
  school studies at the end of 10th grade after 12 years of Jewish
  education; and
 
         WHEREAS, The confirmation ceremony celebrates the
  students' graduation from high school Jewish studies; and
 
         WHEREAS, Bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies focus on an
  individual child becoming a Jewish adult at the age of 13; the
  confirmation ceremony focuses on the entire religious school
  class of young adults confirming their commitment to Judaism and
  Jewish living at the age of 16; and
 
         WHEREAS, Confirmation is an additional, rather than an
  alternative, ceremony to the bar and bat mitzvahs celebrated by
  the students on their 13th birthdays; and
 
         WHEREAS, Confirmation studies teach young adult Jews that
  they are entering "a sacred community" in which they can
  question, challenge, and debate Jewish questions without being
  judged; the confirmation model encourages youth to work together
  as a community to contribute to the world around them; thus,
  confirmation emphasizes the importance of communal participation
  in Judaism; confirmation studies give Jewish young adults an
  opportunity to confirm their commitment to Judaism and to Jewish
  life; and
 
         WHEREAS, During the confirmation ceremony, the students
  will assist their teacher, Rabbi Steven Rosenberg, in leading the
  Shabbat service, including the Torah reading; each student in the
  confirmation class will deliver a speech on one of the four major
  movements of Judaism, Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and
  Reconstructionist, and the history of Jewish immigration into
  the United States; the religious discourse is the culmination of
  their yearlong studies, which included a trip to San Antonio to
  actually experience and learn firsthand more about the different
  Jewish movements; and
         WHEREAS, The confirmation ceremony is held on the festival
  of Shavuot, which celebrates the anniversary of receiving the
  Torah; the graduating class stands in front of the ark just as the
  Israelites once stood at Mount Sinai, a parallel between the
  Jewish people's acceptance of the Torah at Mount Sinai and the
  Jewish confirmation students accepting the role of Judaism in
  their lives; and
 
         WHEREAS, The students' accomplishments are worthy of
  recognition and respect; now, therefore, be it
 
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st
  Legislature, hereby congratulate Julie Berger, Chelsea Freed,
  Nick Hanemann, Johnathan Simcha Weisfeld-Hinojosa, and David
  Woloski on their confirmation; and, be it further
 
         RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
  them as an expression of esteem from the Texas Senate.
 
  Hinojosa
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        President of the Senate
     
        I hereby certify that the
    above Resolution was adopted by
    the Senate on May 25, 2009.
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        Secretary of the Senate
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
         Member, Texas Senate