My Personal Cantor

Wedding Officiant -Debbi Ballard

Follow Me on Social Media

FB icon Twitter Icon Instagram Icon YouTube Icon Google+ Icon
  • About Me
  • Let Me Marry You
  • Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah
    • Bar Mitzvah in Israel with Cantor Debbi
  • LIFE’S PRECIOUS MOMENTS
  • Watch Me
  • Around The World
Home » Holidays

Sharing the Light – Preparing a Young Boy for His Bar Mitzvah 1,000 Miles Apart

December 24, 2008 by Debbi Ballard 2 Comments

What an amazing, heartwarming experience I had tonight.  I cannot wait to share this awesome story.

When I performed Yelena’s wedding in the DR last month, she couldn’t wait for me to meet her friend, Sharon, who I wrote about in a previous blog entry.  Sometimes, you meet someone, and you know the connection is soooo strong, but you just don’t know how or why, and that was the story with Sharon.  We truly were like soul sisters, and we both knew that had 1000 miles not been between us, we would be best friends forever.

Well, last month, Sharon asked if she could refer me to someone, and of course I said “YES”!  Her intention was to connect me with a family who had a young, Bar Mitzvah-aged boy, without previous Hebrew education.  The Mom also had a Holocaust-survivor mother, who had been ailing, and wasn’t sure exactly how long she would have the privilege of enjoying time with, and wondered if there was anything that could be done to give her son a Bar Mitzvah in time for the grandmother to celebrate with him.

Normally, I would consider this a request for a drive-through service – an excuse to throw an audacious party, and would generally not oblige – but Audrey’s family was different.  Last night was proof.

There is no big party involved.  There is no other purpose- other than for Max to share his Bar Mitzvah with his Grandmother, and have the memory of a moving, Jewish experience, in spite of his lack of traditional Hebrew education.  This will be an interactive family experience, and Max will absolutely recite the Maftir blessings, write a D’Var Torah, and know clearly what it means to be a good Jew in the eyes of G-d.

Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting Max, Audrey, Rob, and Grandma.  It was 14 degrees outside their home, 75 outside mine.  I was sitting on my living room couch, they were sitting in their den.  We put our headsets on, dialed through Skype, and were connected in an instant.

But, that’s not the beautiful thing.

Max and I had an opportunity to share with each other, talk about what it meant to become a Bar Mitzvah, and get to know each other a little better.  He’s a precious, outgoing, happy young man, eager to have this special experience with his Grandmother.

I met Grandma, who couldn’t have been sweeter, herself.  She was so excited that we would all have this connection, and couldn’t wait to meet me.  The feeling is mutual. She is a Holocaust survivor, an Eastern European Jew, and a beautiful woman.  I cannot express how excited I am to be able to share this experience with her.

But that was not the beautiful part, either.

While we were on video chat, enjoying each other, Audrey and Rob brought out the Hanukkah Menorah, and 4 candles.  They placed the candles in the Menorah, Max lit the candles, and together we said the blessing over the Hanukkah lights.  Then, we sang Maoz Tzur, the Hebrew song titled Rock of Ages, and we truly shared an incredibly profound moment together, 1000 miles apart.

THAT was the beautiful thing.

I’ve never done this before, and I was moved beyond belief.  Words just cannot describe this experience, but the memory will last in my heart forever.  Technology is amazing.  It connects us in incredible ways, if we use it properly.  (That’s a whole other blog entry – I think it’s definitely overdone) But when it can be used to enhance our connection with people, to deepen our relationship by bringing personal moments together such as last night, when distance separates us, it is an amazing tool.  And, it changed my outlook on life, just a little…

I’m not sure what I’m more excited for – the actual Bar Mitzvah, or getting the chance to see Sharon and celebrate another simcha with her, and meet her family, but, I think the combination of the two is so exciting, I can hardly wait.  Max, I can’t wait to get to know you better, and share an incredibly meaningful simcha in your life, and your family’s lives.  Welcome to my world!  I’m so happy to be part of yours!

See you in Jersey!!

signature Cantor and Rabbi Debbi Ballard

Filed Under: Bar/Bat Mitzvah Adventures, Jewish, Interfaith, LGBTQ Weddings Tagged With: Bar Mitzvah, Celebration, Hanukkah, Holidays

Watch an Interview with Debbi

Categories

  • About
  • Baby Namings
  • Bar/Bat Mitzvah Adventures
  • Debbi's Deep Thoughts and Musings
  • Destination Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah
  • Events
  • Featured Content
  • Funerals
  • GLBT
  • Holidays
  • Jewish
  • Jewish, Interfaith, LGBTQ Weddings
  • Judaism
  • Let's Eat!
  • Slider
  • Thoughts
  • Wedding Vendors
  • Weddings
  • worship

Contact Me

717 Shotgun Road,
Sunrise, FL 33326
954-646-1326



~ Officiating Jewish & Interfaith Weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, Funerals, and any other Jewish Lifecycle Services in Florida, USA – Destination Weddings in North America, Mexico, Caribbean & Worldwide ~

Follow Me On Twitter!

Tweets by @jewishweddings

What They Say

"Working with Cantor Debbi
made our event more amazing
than we hoped for! She is warm
and wonderful!"

Events Calendar

January 2021
MMonday TTuesday WWednesday TThursday FFriday SSaturday SSunday
28December 28, 2020 29December 29, 2020 30December 30, 2020 31December 31, 2020 1January 1, 2021 2January 2, 2021 3January 3, 2021
4January 4, 2021 5January 5, 2021 6January 6, 2021 7January 7, 2021 8January 8, 2021 9January 9, 2021 10January 10, 2021
11January 11, 2021 12January 12, 2021 13January 13, 2021 14January 14, 2021 15January 15, 2021 16January 16, 2021 17January 17, 2021
18January 18, 2021 19January 19, 2021 20January 20, 2021 21January 21, 2021 22January 22, 2021 23January 23, 2021 24January 24, 2021
25January 25, 2021 26January 26, 2021 27January 27, 2021 28January 28, 2021 29January 29, 2021 30January 30, 2021 31January 31, 2021

Upcoming Events

  • 10:00 am – 11:15 am, September 19, 2020 – High Holy Days with Cantor Debbi Ballard on ZOOM
  • 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm, September 27, 2020 – High Holy Days with Cantor Debbi Ballard on ZOOM
  • 10:00 am – 11:15 am, September 28, 2020 – High Holy Days with Cantor Debbi Ballard on ZOOM

Copyright © 2021 · Outreach Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in