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Larry Feinstein of Flint, center in a tallit with his hand on Rafael's shoulder,
and the other bar mitzvah boys at the ALEH facility in Jerusalem
Never Too Late
Flint man, 80, twins his bar mitzvah
with Israeli teen with special needs.
S
ixty-seven years after
his 13th birthday, Larry
Feinstein decided that it was
finally time to have a bar mitzvah. It
was an email from ALEH, Israel's
largest network of residential facilities
for children with severe physical and
cognitive disabilities, that inspired
80-year-old Feinstein to go through
with the transformative Jewish ritual.
The email he received described the
many ways an individual can assist
ALEH in its important work, among
them the organization's bar mitzvah
twinning program. The program pairs
bar mitzvah boys from around the
world with a child in one of ALEH's
four residential facilities who is also
becoming a bar mitzvah — their
"twin" — and arranges a joint celebra-
tion in Israel. Those who cannot com-
mit to a trip overseas can simply spon-
sor their twin's celebration. In either
case, the program affords ALEH's
children an opportunity they would
not have had otherwise.
Feinstein, a father of three from
Flint, took his first trip to Israel last
November with a Jewish Federation
mission. When Feinstein found out
that his brother, Don, would be volun-
teering for the IDF through Sar-El this
winter, he decided to return to Israel
so the two could explore the coun-
try together. With his bags already
packed for a sibling adventure in the
Holy Land, Feinstein decided that the
timing was perfect for a bar mitzvah
celebration.
"I decided I'm 80 years old, so
maybe it's time to have a bar mitzvah:'
joked Feinstein following the bar
mitzvah bash at ALEH's Jerusalem
facility. "Knowing that my brother
would be by my side, and that we had
the chance to help a child with special
needs, I knew that this was the ideal
setting for my long-awaited bar mitz-
vah:'
Feinstein was paired with Rafael,
a bubbly 13-year-old who resides at
ALEH Jerusalem. On Jan. 7, the bar
mitzvah twins, along with two other
bar mitzvah-aged boys from ALEH
Jerusalem, received special siddurim
(prayer books), put on tefillin and
recited the morning prayers togeth-
er. Feinstein's brother and his close
friends, Janet and Jonathan Ifferlin,
looked on.
"I had tears a couple of times:'
Feinstein said. "Rafael, my twin, was
just fantastic. I just can't say enough
about the experience. It was the most
fabulous thing I have ever been a part
of:'
After the ceremony, the bar mitz-
vah boys made their way to the main
room where 30 other ALEH residents
and 35 volunteers, along with staff,
teachers and parents, were wait-
ing for them. A band played as the
crowd danced around the bar mitzvah
twins. The lively singing and danc-
ing died down for only moments at
a time when parents and teachers
would interject quick speeches and
words of blessing.
"Larry had an incredible time; you
could tell that it was a mind-blowing
experience for him:' said Dov Hirth,
ALEH's director of marketing/develop-
ment and the coordinator of program.
"The party lasted much longer than
anyone thought it would. Thanks to
Larry, Rafael had a real bar mitzvah:'
ALEH strives to provide its residents
with the kinds of opportunities and
experiences had by their "normal"
counterparts.
"I just can't get over it; I will remem-
ber this day forever:' said a very emo-
tional Feinstein. "A lot of bar mitzvah
kids have a skewed idea of the mean-
ing of the day; all they think about is
getting presents. In that regard, I'm
glad I waited until now for the perfect
opportunity. This is the way a bar
mitzvah should be celebrated. It was
just so genuine:'
111
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