Real Bar/Bat Mitzvahs: Samuel Azoulay

For Samuel Azoulay, his bar mitzvah taught him the importance of community and family.

“Having experienced my bar mitzvah in the most unusual of times made me very thankful to have a family that was so supportive and willing to change things up in such short notice. It was amazing to celebrate with family and friends that dropped everything to be with me and especially to have my grandparents by my side,” he said.

While Samuel says it would have been nice to learn face-to-face alongside the other boys in his bar mitzvah program he feels they were all able to overcome the challenges that COVID presented.

But Samuel found himself in even stranger circumstances, having a snap bar mitzvah due to the impending sixth lockdown. “I didn’t believe it until I arrived home and my parents said, ‘It’s on in a couple of hours, so let’s get moving’,” he recalled. “I didn’t have time to overthink it and perhaps that was the great thing of the snap barmi, which made it so special and memorable.”

“It was an extremely proud moment and being on the bimah side-by-side to witness what I thought may not happen will stick with me forever,” his dad Joe said.

Samuel, and his parents Mandi and Joe all said that being flexible was a necessity. They also advise not to sweat the small stuff. “Focus on what is most important and do not stress about the details that do not make the simcha of becoming bar mitzvah any more meaningful. Be ready to pivot and adjust,” said Mandi.

Event details

Shule: St Kilda Hebrew Congregation
Rabbi: Yaakov Glasman
Bar mitzvah program: St Kilda Hebrew Congregation
Bar mitzvah teacher: Rabbi Avrohom Goldberg
Event stylist: Design Africa • 0400 909 213
Caterer: Kosher Classique • kosherclassique.com.au
Photographer: A. R. Thomas Photography – arthomasphoto.com
Videographer: Where the Heart Is – wheretheheartis.com.au
Charity donated to: WIZO • wizovic.org.au

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