Yom Bar Mitzvah - Chelek 1 (Bar Mitzvah Day - Part 1)

On Wednesday night, it rained very hard. I mean, it poured like I don't know that I have seen in Israel. It rained all night, with thunder and lighting. We woke up many times from the sound and the bursts of light, and each time I worried that the day would be more difficult because of the rain. My hair would look crappy, even if I blew it dry and used hair spray; I would have to walk to synagogue in my old tennis shoes and carry my new open-toed navy pumps; pictures would be terrible because of the dark clouds in the sky. We were awake before the alarm went off, and Pentheus went to turn on the water heater. (This is very common in Israel; during the day, the sun heats the water using solar energy, and you turn on the water heater when there is little or no sun, like first thing in the morning when it is raining.) At any rate, when Pentheus went to turn on the water heater, a fuse blew and we had no electricity. Pentheus and my brother-in-law tried fiddling with the fuses but there was no way we could have hot water if we wanted electricity. So Pentheus showered in the cold water and I washed my hair with cold water in the sink. Then, when I drank my natool for the morning, we found out the hard way that the milk was spoiled. (While I had only taken one sip, I was so tired and cold that I couldn't figure out why my natool tasted so terrible until my bro-in-law mentioned that he thought there was something wrong with the milk…) Add that to my concerns about the day. However, we decided right then that we would concentrate on the joy of the day -- it didn't matter what else happened, as long as the WK had his Bar Mitzvah. And he did!

As we arrived at the synagogue, the rain stopped and the sun started to peek out. According to the photographer, it was perfect weather for taking pictures, and we took advantage of the beautiful courtyard next to Shir Hadash. The photographer, Andrea Brownstein (Photoli Photography) took a bunch of pictures of the Bar Mitzvah boy, our family, and all sorts of combinations thereof. The videographer (Daniel Sass of Sass Video) shot footage as the guests arrived, and between Andrea and Daniel, they definitely captured the day! (We saw a preview of the pictures but can't wait to see the rest and the video!)

We set up the room for the Bar Mitzvah service, which included some logistics. We had to figure out where the mechitzah (the divider between men and women during the prayers) would go. I had to make sure that I could see everything from the women's side, and we wanted there to be enough seats for everyone. Before the service started, my sister presented the WK with a gorgeous needlepoint tallis (prayer shawl) and case. My sister told the WK the story behind the tallis: that my Mom z"l had started the needlepoint work for the WK's Bar Mitzvah many years ago, but passed away before she could finish it. Mom started working on the WK's tallis 7 or 8 years before his Bar Mitzvah. In her last few days of life, Mom asked her good friend to complete the tallis and bag, and her friend agreed. My sister told the WK how happy and proud his Nana would have been to be there when the WK read from the Torah (although Mom would not have liked the mechitzah!). My sister also told the WK how happy and proud his Zayde (Pentheus's father, who died in April 2014) and his Papa (my father who died in June 2014) would have been. Although we missed them terribly, we felt their presence on Thursday.

After the tallis was presented, it was now the WK's turn to show his stuff. The service was lovely, and the WK read Torah beautifully. Pentheus was up at the bima (dais) the entire time the WK read, and it was moving to see them together. (If I can figure out how, I will add the picture to this post!)

Thursday was also Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) and we paused in the service for the 2 minute siren that sounds everywhere in Israel at 10 am on this day. Although some people were concerned about the Bar Mitzvah being on Yom Hashoah, we found it appropriate somehow - mourning the 6 million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust while celebrating in Israel a milestone that proclaimed the continuity of the Jewish people. When the WK finished reading from the Torah and we returned the Torah to the Ark, we threw candy at the WK to shower him with sweet blessings and to note the sweetness in learning.

Following the service, we walked to Katamon Hayeshana Café, about which I have written several times. Once everyone had arrived, I did the motzi (blessing over the bread) to start the meal. The food was excellent! There were quiches, pasta with different sauces, many salads, and more. Not surprisingly, the only things on the WK's plate were toast, rolls, and foccacia! (If the WK is anything, he's consistent!) Before desserts were brought out, the WK gave his dvar Torah (words of Torah) during which the WK presented his ideas and thoughts on the Torah he had read earlier in the day. (For those of you who are curious, yes, "Divrei Wek" (the name of this blog) is a play on words - instead of words of Torah, the blog is words of Wek).

After the brunch, the boys wanted to go to the park to play soccer, and we gladly let them go out for a few hours. Pentheus and I napped! Following a few hours of sleep, Pentheus and I divided up the remaining tasks for the day. Pentheus took our laundry to be done, and my sister and bro-in-law helped me bring some things to the post office, so that I could ship them back to Cambridge (and not have to shlep them around for the rest of the trip). My sister and I wandered around for a while and did some shopping and poking around until dinner.

The celebration continued that evening at Roza, one of our favorite meat restaurants in Jerusalem. When we lived here in 2012, we went to Roza all the time, and the WK wanted to go back. No complaints from us! There were 21 of us at Roza and we had a wonderful time with lots of good food! We didn't get back to the dira until after 10:30, at which point we all went to sleep. It had been a great day!