Jakes Bar Mitzvah

We spent majority of the week trying to get Jake out of the house so we could work on something great for his Bar Mitzvah on Thursday. It was quite easy when he wasn't around, 'cause he was with family, but eventually we had to just make him sit outside for a while.

Theme Night 4 April 2012

We got the whole flat together throughout the day, so stealthily, without Jake suspecting anything and recorded him a song that Emily, Rebekkah and I had stayed up really late the night before to write. Everyone had a few lines to sing, and we put it as the back track of a slideshow presentation that we showed at his Bar Mitzvah. We also wrote and performed a short play about Jakes Shnat life with the help of his little brother, Milo.

Jakes Barmitzvah Slide Show

ALL the Borsuks!

Milo made us delicious dinner and we all dressed up like him. We're all under the Milo Cuteness Spell, but we still wouldn't trade anything in the whole world for the real Jake.

Yom Gadol 5 April 2012

BIG DAY!

Everyone is getting dressed up for the first ever Shant Bar Mitzvah. There is an air of rising excitement on the flat, but if you look closely you can see Jakes hands shaking a little more than usual and his normally chilled air of calm is slightly warped. He cant decide which pocket to put his speech in and has only just found his shirt. The girls are all doing their make-up while the boys are finding yamalkahs and complaining about the girls taking so long to get ready. Naomi is making everyone lunch, and I cant sit still. I'm excited for Jake. Bursting with pride that one of my best friends is doing something so amazing and that he wanted all of us to be a part of it too. 

We all joke and reminisce about the last time we all went to Bar or Bat Mitvahs. Those times when we all stood around awkwardly because we were still in our awkward puberty stage and didn't wanna dance at all, let alone with the boys.

It is a beautiful day. Warm for the first time in Jerusalem. People are wearing dresses and smiling in the sunlight. soaking up the much needed Vitamin D.

We walk as a group to the southern wall. Everyone is laughing and congratulating Jake. Everyone is happy.

The ceremony takes place under a shady bit of Rock. Jemma, Josh and Jeff lead a service they put together especially for Jake, and the congregation all join in clapping and singing. 

Siman Tov! 

Mazel Tov!

He reads his Torah Portion like a true man, and His fathers speech brings me to tears as he says the words that could only have come from the deepest, most proud parts of a fathers heart.

Rebekkahs speech makes us all laugh and "Aww" at the fond memories we have of our Jake.

We had dinner at a fancy restaurant and I got to bond with Jakes Mom over dessert. We talked about how she felt that Jake was having his Barmie and that she has always known that he is one of the most amazing people in the whole world. We spoke about how we forget that our parents are real people sometimes and that it took her a really long time to realise that about hers. We spoke about Jake when he was little and she shared all her hopes and dreams with me. She told me about how she wanted to be a photographer and travel the world, and she asked me to email her all the pictures from the day. 

I think she is the luckiest women on earth to have two beautiful children and that I finally understand why Jake is who he is. His parents are amazing and they love him so much.

Mazel Tov Jake!