Teaching Team
Never Too Late
Surely nearly everyone is familiar with the rite of passage in Judaism for young boys and girls in which each enters into the stage in life where he or she is reckoned as an adult. This of course is known as a bar mitzvah (for boys) and a bat mitzvah (for girls). Upon reaching the age of 13 years (12 years for a girl), a boy will be considered as an adult and will henceforth carry all such responsibilities. A child may spend months preparing for this rite; he will learn to chant the Torah and Haftarah and will be taught to lay tefillin. Such an experience is definitely a hallmark in a young man's life.
Next month Arieh Czeizler will be able to make this rite of passage. What makes Czeizler unique is that he is no longer 13 years of age but rather he is 78! He is a Holocaust survivor who currently lives in the south of Haifa in Moshav Kerem Maharal. After having told his story to several youths of his community, they helped guide him in his path that would result in a return to Europe to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland as well as helping him return to the Torah. Among the children was the son of a senior Air Force commander who invited Czeizler to participate in the "Witnesses in Uniform" program, a group that brings a military delegation "to visit death camps and other Jewish points of interest in Europe, accompanied by a Holocaust survivor. It also maintains the sites."
Cziezler noted how he felt victorious upon entering Auschwitz these years later. His return to the very camps Hilter (may his name be destroyed) once used to murder innocent lives proves the triumph of the Jewish people and their will to survive. Upon further discussion, Czeizler noted that he was taken by the Germans just before he was to complete his bar mitzvah. He was taught how to lay tefillin and to chant the Haftarah by his grandfather but his capture by the Germans prevented him from performing the rite.
Now, 65 years after his 13th birthday, Czeizler will be stepping up to perform the ceremonial rites of a bar mitzvah. The local synagogue in Moshav Kerem Maharal will assist him in this momentous endeavor. Czeizler's family and members of the delegation are all planning to attend this wonderful event. It just goes to show that it's never too late to perform a mitzvah!
*This post, and all quotes contained therein, was based on an article written by Hana Levi Julian for Israel National News which can be found here.
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Visitor Feedback:
What a great story. I had read this article just yesterday and was discussing it with my mom. We are part of a small congregation in Arizona. We have 3 young people who are preparing for their special day this fall. I was thinking that we could have a special service were our adults could have their Bar/Bat Mitzvah's since we haven't had any in our congregation yet to do this. I think it would be great for our young people to watch and encourage them as they prepare for theirs. If you have any recommended resources on this important mitzvah please let me know. We would very much appreciate it.
Blessings and Shalom,
Kimmy
Kimmy Mashore | August 20, 2008 2:23 PM