the bimah, on that religious equivalent of a pitcher’s mound,
essentially all alone, yad in hand, looking down at these foreign
marks on an ancient page ... and just blanking.
Th is kind of unadulterated terror transcends age, which just
goes to show maturity and fear of public speaking are by no means
mutually exclusive concepts. It’s even reasonable to surmise that,
for many, the dread of public speaking actually gets more acute
with age.
School-age kids, like it or not, have to give reports and
presentations in class all the time. But, depending on one’s
profession as an adult, one’s public speaking chops, not to mention
nerve, can atrophy.
Th at may be why, more than anything else, Cove thinks it’s
pride in conquering that fear and standing before their commu-
nity, chanting Torah and leading the service, that becomes the
most lasting memory for many of his adult bat mitzvah students.
“Th e fact that these women in their 40s, 50s, and 70s get up
in front of the congregation, when they’ve never before had an
opportunity to do this ... these are the memories they take with
them that excite them to this day.”
Loath to admit favoring one demographic cohort over another,
Cove concedes that it does feel diff erent to work with the adult
groups and see them succeed.
“Th ere is a recognizable, heightened sense of joy and accom-
plishment for me to have a group of adults fi nish the process, as
opposed to me just standing with an individual child.”
Of the adult classes Cove’s shepherded all the way to bat
mitzvah, there’s a special kind of pride: “I was proud as a peacock
to be able to introduce these women to the congregation.”
Over the years, Cove has lost touch with some but kept up with
several of his bat mitzvah groups’ alums.
“I know if they thought about it, (the bat mitzvah) would be
one of the top fi ve to 10 accomplishments in their lives, which is
pretty cool.” ❤
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Melissa Berk ....................................................... 23
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Compassionate Caregivers 365 ......................... 23
Congregation Tiferet Bet Israel ........................ 20
Development Corporation for Israel ................ 15
Franky Bradley’s ................................................ 14
Gabrielle ............................................................... 9
Gladwyne Pharmacy ............................................ 4
Goldstein’s Men’s and Boy’s Apparel ............... 18
Hebrew Helpers ................................................. 22
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JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
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Hot Foot ............................................................. 13
House of Kosher Supermarket .......................... 19
Irma Brookstein ................................................. 23
Israel Guide Dog Center.................................... 14
Jan’s Boutique .................................................... 17
Rabbi Larry Sernovitz ........................................ 23
Rabbi Rayzel Raphael ........................................ 23
Sew Rob ................................................................ 8
Springfi eld Country Club .................................... 2
Th e Cynwyd Club .............................................. 24
Th e Mens and Boys Store .................................. 11
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Woodcrest Country Club .................................... 7
SIMCHAS OCTOBER 24, 2019
23