Thursday, October 1, 2026
Attendance at the first Shabbat morning service of the summer was unusually high at Congregation B’nai Sholom-Beth David — and for a very special reason. On June 23 eight adult women, all congregants at the Hempstead Avenue temple, each celebrated her bat mitzvah. The Jewish rite of passage, customarily celebrated when a girl turns 12, literally means “Daughter of the Commandment,” and may be accomplished at any age. It is the moment when a woman becomes privileged to fulfill the commandments and is morally responsible for her own actions.
Maxine Geller, Terri Glass, Alyce Goodstein, Claire Gordon, Nancy Hochhauser, Florence Lubitz, Lisa Mack and Ethel Oppenheimer began their spiritual journey together in November 2010, meeting weekly with Rabbi Howard Diamond for Hebrew lessons. “When I began studying, I didn’t know an alef from a bet,” said Goodstein. But on that recent Sabbath, she read from the Torah. “It was a very emotional, spiritual moment,” she recalled.
Oppenheimer agreed. “As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, it is a moving event… something I have always wanted to do,” she said. Ranging in age from 40 to 80, the women, some of whom did not even know each other before, are now uniquely bonded. “Although I have been very active in the shul”, said Hochhauser, the temple’s Sisterhood co-president, “I have never felt so connected to my Jewish heritage.” Describing the experience, Hochhauser explained that she “never intended to become a bat mitzvah,” but rather joined the group so that she could “learn how to read Hebrew and feel more comfortable during services.”
Speaking for the group, Mack described the hard work and dedication each woman devoted to her studies and thanked the rabbi for his endless patience.
“It has been 25 years since we had an adult bat mitzvah at the temple,” said lifelong member and current temple President Jeffrey Goodstein, the husband of one of the current bat mitzvah ladies. Speaking for the group that was bat mitzvahed in 1987, Phyllis Entin expressed praise for the group and congratulated them on this important milestone. “Being a part of the service today brings back all the wonderful memories from my adult bat mitzvah,” she said. Representatives of Temple Beth David of Lynbrook, which merged with Temple B’nai Sholom in 2011, also spoke at the service, recalling their own experiences as bat mitzvah in 2004. Lenore Isaacs and Judy Perlman described the deep bond and close friendship they formed as they studied together. And New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos congratulated the women and presented each of them with a special citation commemorating their achievement.
“Having witnessed my daughters and grandchildren celebrate this rite of passage, I now, too, feel complete,” said Lubitz. “To reaffirm my Jewish commitment at this time in my life . . . I feel very proud.”
Echoing that sentiment, Geller noted that “this day and the preparation for it is just the beginning. I look forward to continuing my Jewish education and know that I will keep going.” Geller made a special presentation to the synagogue and rabbi on behalf of the bat mitzvah group.
“It is a wonderful day for these ladies, their families, and the entire congregation,” said Rabbi Diamond. “If only we could fill the sanctuary like this each week,” he joked.
