TEMPLE ISRAEL SISTERHOOD

relies on her experience to help her
students.
"I clearly remember telling my
mother how quickly (the service) was
all over," prompting her to tell her own
students to "enjoy it while it's here."
While the b'nai mitzvah is usually
a time to be the center of attention,
for some that is not an option. Rabbi
Leonardo Bitran of Shaarey Zedek
B'nai Israel in West Bloomfield not
only shared his Torah portion with
his twin brother, but also with his
cousin. As the eldest, he read first,
with his brother Claudio last, and
their cousin Jaime Bitran in between.
They decided not to read haftorah
because they didn't want to divide the
portion.
The service was in his homeland of
Chile. "We were in such a competi-
tion," he recalls, "that we learned
each other's portions better than our
own, so we could say, 'I'm so cool, I
know yours better you do.'"
But learning by heart Parsha Shmini,
with its discussion of the laws of
kashruth, "came in handy as a rabbi."
Rabbi Bitran has officiated at
about 120 b'nai mitzvah services in
his nearly eight years at Shaarey
Zedek B'nai Israel. He has yet to lead
a service for twins, but has started to
meet with a set of triplets scheduled
for a September service.
If the caterer remembers the food
and a rabbi remembers the service,
what does the owner of a boys' and
men's clothing store remember?
Marc Shindler is owner. of Brody's
Boy's and Young Men's Wear in West
Bloomfield, which has outfitted some
15,000 bar mitzvah boys in its 30
years. What Shindler remembers
about his May 17, 1968 bar mitzvah
is the suit. It was blue, shark-skin-and
double-breasted.
At the time of its purchase, Brody's
was not yet owned by his family, and
he shopped at Jack's Place in Oak
Park. When he discovered, two weeks
before his bar mitzvah, that he had
outgrown the 16 regular suit and was
in need of a 16 husky, he found the
store did not carry the size. So, he
ended up at Brody's.
His tip for boys who are 5'1"
when they are 13 is to buy a bar
mitzvah suit. He says, "As soon as
they do, their hormones kick in"
and they grow.

❑

Visit our expanded gift shop

featuring:

• Custom invitations and stationary
for weddings and Bar/Bar Mitzvahs
• Large selection of Judaica including Rosenthal
• Personalized Ketubahs
• Wide variety of gifts for all occasions
• Discounted prices

5725 Walnut Lake Road

West Bloomfield

Call Temple office at:

_ours and appointments
248- 661 -5700 for hours

gift registry available

David Bierkamp, owner of Visual
Memories Photography, captures
and documents family memories
with a combination of photo-
journalistic and classical styles.

Whether you like vivid color,
classic black and white, or a
combination, David can give you
just the right mix.

3/31
2000

MAK

C23

