Two boys, both Bar Mitzvah age. One has grown up in Zurich, Switzerland, the other in Israel. Their lives have taken very different paths but recently they shared a wonderful, memorable, exciting day as Bar Mitzvah “twins”.
Menachem Mendel Slutzkin of Zurich and his family had made the decision that they wanted to enhance his special coming of age by twinning with a boy in Israel whose family had been deeply impacted by terror.
They consulted with Rabbi Menachem Kutner, Director of Chabad Terror Victims Project, and together they decided that Roy would be Menachem Mendel’s twin.
Roy’s father was very seriously wounded when he was a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces’ elite Golani Brigade. He was in the dangerous town of Nablus when a terrorist shot him in the head at very close range.
It has taken a long and painful rehabilitation but thankfully Roy’s father is doing well. His recovery has been called a medical miracle. He and his wife are raising a family together and have three wonderful children, Roy one of them.
Before the moving ceremony at the Western Wall, Menachem Mendel gave Roy a beautiful tallit and set of tefillin, both as a Bar Mitzvah gift and to recognize the great sacrifice Roy’s father has made for Israel and the Jewish people. Then together the two boys celebrated their Bar Mitzvah. They and their families danced and sang at the Western Wall with a joy and thankfulness that radiated from all of them.
With the guidance of Rabbi Kutner, both Bar Mitzvah boys rejoiced with the Torah. Then the families marched together in a joyous procession, accompanied by trumpets and drums, to the Tzemach Tzedek Synagogue in the Old City where there was a festive meal.
During the meal, Menachem Mendel’s father spoke, thanking CTVP for the wonderful opportunity for their family to participate in this meaningful joint Bar Mitzvah.
Then Roy’s father spoke about the circumstances of his injury at the hands of terrorists and the extraordinary rehabilitation process he has gone through. He thanked both Chabad Terror Victims Project and the Slutzkin family for this beautiful day, for their recognition of what his family has gone through, and for their wonderful solidarity with Roy, with him, and with his whole family. He thanked CTVP as well for all the help and support they have provided since he was wounded.
when i said “see u soun” i ment “see u soon”
i was on COL live on chole hamoid and i was amazed to se you i am right now in my computer class see you soun in Zurich
Two Shaffer grandsons celebrated bar-mitzvah at the same time. Mendel’s cousin, Eli Simon, had his awesome bar-mitzvah celebration in the Chabad House into which he was born. Rabbi Ephraim Simon and his wife Nechamy Shaffer Simon celebrated this occasion as the Rebbe’s shluchim do – with their entire Chabad House mishpocha, who came to daven with Eli, hear kriyas haTorah as he ‘lained’ and sang and danced at a beautiful kiddush.
From Teaneck to Eretz Yisroel: two celebrations of bar-mitzvah with the complete and total emphasis on mitzvah. Mazel tov to both of them!
Such a beautiful simcha and idea! Mazel Tov to both families.
slutzkin we missed u this year in montreal for simchat torah
That a Shaffer grandchild would celebrate his bar mitzvah in such a giving and thoughtful manner. It’s always about the “other”. Not about themselves
Kol hakavod and much yidishe chasiddishe nachas
Wow, wow, wow! What else can I say. So moving! Mazal tov Devory, Doron, and the Shaffer and Slutzkin families!
The Slutzkin family are amazing people, with tremendous sensitivity and Ahavas Yisroel, so suits them to have done this.
mazel tov Dvori ,Doron and Menachem Mendel.
You do our family proud.
Continued nachas from all the children
What a wonderful way for a bar-mitzvah to celebrate this milestone in his life! Would that all bar mitzvah celebrations were to be that of sharing. Mazal tov, mazal tov to the parents who saw fit to teach their child how to celebrate a family simcha!
what a beautiful SImcha
May there be no more wounded Yidden though, no more tzar
mosiach now
Kol Hakavod to Doron and family.
May Hashem continue to shower you with goodness.
wowwow!! go menachem mendel!! is this like an organization or an original idea?