Suzanne Schlosberg

On Saturday, August 15, 2020, at a park in Bend, Toby and Ian became b'nai mitzvah — without our family, without most of our friends, even without our wonderful rabbi, Johanna Hershenson, who was sidelined at the last minute due to a coronavirus exposure. But Portland song leader Kim Schneiderman stepped in magnificently, along with Kathy Schindel, the boys' bar mitzvah tutor. Toby and Ian carried on, nailing their Torah and Haftarah portions, teaching our small audience, and performing other rituals that are part of this coming-of-age tradition.

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We missed you all!

 

We didn't get the raucous, bluegrass-style Hora we'd planned, but we were treated to a rendition of the Sh'ma on the saw, courtesy of violinist/saw player Jo Booser. Click around for videos, photos, and text that capture the ceremony, the culmination of the boys' 5 years of Hebrew and Judaism study with Temple Beth Tikvah, Bend's Reform congregation. Photos by Rob Kerr and videos by Buster Tronolone.

View the ceremony in 6 parts HERE!              Vote for Best Family Video HERE.