Generations

Today’s bar mitzvah was a bittersweet occasion.  The boy’s mother is dying of brain cancer and has given it her all to stay alive until she could see her son celebrate this rite of passage.  

She had been a vibrant, engaging woman in her 40’s just a few years ago when she was in my husband’s adult Hebrew class.  But then her world changed forever.

The boy was the first student to plan his own party, meeting with the Micah Cooks representative himself.  He chose an Italian menu in honor of his father, who is not Jewish but who was definitely there in support of his son today.  We catered the beautiful luncheon as a small token to this family which is struggling with the reality of impending loss.

The boy’s Torah portion was about burying the dead, a little scary given what is ultimately in store for them.  He sang the trope flawlessly, never breaking down as he looked at his turbaned mother in her wheel chair.  

It must have been so difficult for the entire family, but they carried it off with dignity and respect for the mother who was there for her son, her only child.

The choir sang a beautiful piece by Charles Osborne:  L’dor Vador, which translates “from generation to generation.”  It seemed perfectly fitting for a day when generations were such an important focus of the service.  It was a good feeling to add joy to a service that could have been somewhat somber.