Sonia Saltzman
Sonia Saltzman was born in Santiago, Chile, in 1956. Her father’s family fled Russia during the revolution and came to Chile via China. Sonia’s mother moved to Chile from Germany just after Kristallnacht. In 1968, Sonia was among the first women to be bat mitzvahed in her community in Chile. The boys were taught Hebrew, but girls were not given a chance to learn, so she used transliteration. At seventeen, Sonia came to the United States to attend Tufts University. She also has graduate degrees from Columbia University and Brandeis University in International Affairs and Bible and Jewish Thought, respectively. Sonia worked for the Bank of Boston's Project Finance Department. She taught in its Loan Officer Development Program before getting into the field of micro-finance at ACCION International as head of its Financial Services Department. She is married Ned Saltzman, a urologist, and they have two sons. After her adult bat mitzvah, she went on to become a rabbi, receiving ordination from Hebrew College.
Sonia discusses her childhood in Santiago, Chile. At twelve, she decided she wanted a bat mitzvah and approached her rabbi with the idea. The rabbi assumed Sonia’s motivation for the bat mitzvah was getting presents. She was disappointed but persevered. Sonia invited her sister and two other Jewish girls to join her study group. Since nobody knew any Hebrew, they learned everything in transliteration. Her father wrote her “sermon,” which was about being a Jewish woman. Sonia mentions the close relationship with her grandfather, an observant Jew, who significantly influenced her life. In 1971, her family left Chile to live in New Jersey. Sonia enrolled in Tufts University, and experienced culture shock since Chilean children didn't typically leave home to go to university. She recalls her younger sister’s bat mitzvah as a proud and emotional moment in her life. Sonia recounts her date with her husband-to-be, which was during Simchat Torah. They celebrated with the Somerville Chavera, “publicly” dancing in the streets. She found the experience “amazing” since Judaism in Chile is personal and cautious. With her son attending Solomon Schechter Day School, Sonia became aware of her lack of knowledge and background and was eager to learn. A teacher offered to teach several parents Hebrew at the beginner level. She always felt like an outsider with regard to her Hebrew skills and that she could never pray with the community. Her son’s bar mitzvah motivated Sonia to prepare for her own adult Bat Mitzvah, so they studied together. His was in November, and hers was the following April. Now Sonia’s 74-year old mother is enrolled in a three-year program, studying for her own bat mitzvah. She reflects on the power of the Torah and is considering becoming a rabbi. Sonia’s bat mitzvah was part of a spiritual journey that continues today.
