38 | APRIL 27 • 2023 

On one occasion, the family had planned 
to drive to Cincinnati together. Bayla was 
going to take Dovid to his doctor there, 
while Sruly was going to fly with Zevy to 
a family wedding in New York. But there 
was a huge snowstorm, the flight was can-
celed, and Sruly and Zevy were stuck in 
Cincinnati. 
“It was during Zevy’s winter break,
” 
explained Bayla, who is extremely sensitive 
to her older son and the often-overlooked 
role of a sibling with special needs. “We 
didn’t want Zevy to just tag along with us 
to Dovid’s appointments; that’s not fair. On 
a whim, we decided to randomly drive to 
Kentucky … It was great! One of our best 
family vacations ever!”
After three years of ups and downs with 
Dovid, including multiple stressful hospital 
stays, Sruly and Bayla realized that their sec-
ond son’s upsherin should not be a typical 
affair. 

CELEBRATING THE 
MIRACLE OF DOVID
“We wanted to celebrate the life that Dovid 
has lived so far, and the miracle that he is … 
He really is a miracle! I hope one day when 
he is cognitively able, he’ll look back at these 
pictures and see this early celebration of 
who he is and what he’s becoming,
” Bayla 
said. 
Originally the plan was to make a seudat 
hodaah (literally, a meal of thanksgiving) 
but Dovid had been in and out of the hospi-
tal all winter and they weren’t sure he’
d even 
be there. In the end, the Bermans decided to 
hold a family-only celebration. 
“We had a weekend surrounded by peo-
ple who love us and who love him, who sup-
port us constantly. We wanted to celebrate 
them for celebrating Dovid,
” Bayla said. 
Bayla’s parents, Michael and Bracha 
Hochheiser of Oak Park, were present, as 
were Bayla’s five older siblings, their spouses 
and kids, some of whom flew in from New 
York, New Jersey and Cleveland. Sruly’s par-
ents, Eli and Esti Berman of Brooklyn, were 
there, as well as his grandfather Shmuel 
Goldstein of Brooklyn and Sruly’s siblings, 
who also flew in from New York and New 
Jersey for the long weekend. 
The extended family ate Shabbat meals 

catered by Quality Kosher Catering together 
at Young Israel of Oak Park.
“It was very special,
” Bayla said. “It’s rare 
to have both sides of the family present at a 
calm simchah. Bar mitzvahs and weddings 
are beautiful, but they’re so crazy busy 
sometimes! This was nothing like that. We 
were able to just sit, schmooze and enjoy 
being together.
”
The actual upsherin took place on March 
12. Even more family members flew in for 
Sunday’s party, bringing the total to 70 out-
of-towners who had flown in to join the 
Berman’s at this milestone event. 
Lending a positive spin on life with a 
child with special needs, the Berman’s chose 
a circus theme for the party. Tzivia Bracha 
Blumenfeld of Southfield was the party 
planner, and she went all out to make this 
party into something spectacular. Décor 
was red and white, and a cotton candy 
machine and popcorn machine added to 
the fun. One of the best parts, according to 
Zevy, was the cake. It showed an adorable 
elephant and tiger peeking out from under 
a red-and-white striped circus tent, and was 
supplied with love by Dovid’s grandfather, 
Eli Berman, who owns Strauss Bakery in 
Boro Park. Cookies printed with “Dovid’s 

Upsherin” were designed to look like circus 
admission tickets and tzizit. 
Photographer Anna Frenkel of Frenkel 
Films was hired to capture the beautiful 
family shots, and she delivered. Simple joy-
ful music was provided from their phones.
To add spirituality to the fun, there was a 
station for kids to color tzedakah boxes. 
Sitting inside his wheelchair, the star 
of the hour, Dovid, an NG tube threaded 
through his nose, a relic from his latest hos-
pital stay after a tough winter, smiled for the 
pictures and didn’t bat an eyelid as his hair 
was cut by one family member after another. 
Soon Dovid’s hair was completely cut and 
styled; he is now no longer mistaken for a 
girl!
For the Bermans, this upsherin celebra-
tion was a chance to enjoy their family and 
express appreciation to them.
Bayla gave a speech. “I just thanked 
everyone for being there, for always being 
there. Especially Zevy, the amazing big 
brother that he is. Having a special needs 
kid affects the whole family and especially 
the siblings, much more than we give 
them credit for. This milestone, this party 
wasn’t just about Dovid; it was about Zevy 
as well.
” 

continued from page 36

The Berman 
family: Sruly, 
Bayla, Zevy 
and Dovid 

