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