Collegiate Middle Schoolers Explore World Religions

In the first of four planned assemblies exploring the theme “Coming of Age” in various world religions, Head of Middle School Tung Trinh first asked students the definition of a religion and different examples of religions.

Mr. Trinh said people study these belief systems to gain knowledge about others.

“People learn about different religions to better understand how people live and interact with each other,” he said.

Mr. Trinh then introduced Collegiate 10th Grader Sam Feder and 11th Grader Taly Leibowitz, who explained to students about bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, Judaism’s coming of age ceremonies for 12- or 13-year-old boys and girls, and all the preparation that goes into the events.

“The ceremonies signify a rite of passage into adulthood in front of the whole congregation,” Sam said.

To wrap up the program, the two answered questions from students, and ended by saying that they both would remember their bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah experiences for a long time.