Benjamin Stoner is about mark a milestone in his life.
Rabbi Shneur reads with Benjamin Stoner, who is wearing the tefillin, which contains passages from the Torah. Photo: Iris Stoner |
In the Jewish faith, turning 13 means the transition from boyhood into adulthood. It’s a significant event known as a Bar Mitzvah, which involves a ritual ceremony that signifies full responsibility both morally and spiritually.
‘It’s a very special event that we celebrate,’ said Rabbi Zalman Shneur who is in Cayman to perform the Bar Mitzvah on Saturday.
It’s thanks to Rabbi Shneur that the ceremony is taking place.
He met Benjamin’s mother, Iris Stoner, a few months ago when he came to the island for Yom Kippur – the holiest day of the Jewish year, on which Jews fast and say prayers of atonement.
Since there is no rabbi in Cayman, he was sent here from New York to perform Yom Kippur services at the request of Jewish students at St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine. Rabbi Shneur is a member of the Chabad branch of the orthodox Hasidic community in Brooklyn.
When he learned that Benjamin wouldn’t be able to mark his Bar Mitzvah, he made all the arrangements for the ceremony and special feast that follows, which has been organized by fellow Rabbi Mendy Bergovoy.
‘I felt it’s very imperative we celebrate it,’ he said. ‘This is a great occasion.’
It also means a great deal to Benjamin’s family.
‘Before meeting the Rabbi at Yom Kippur, I didn’t think we’d be able to celebrate my son’s Bar Mitzvah,’ said Mrs. Stoner.
‘I feel blessed the rabbi is able to come to Cayman to perform Benjamin’s Bar Mitzvah, which is a joyous and significant event in a young man’s life.’
Benjamin said the event will be a moment he will always remember.
‘It is important because this is the moment when I pass from being a child to a Jewish adult, and is a moment I will cherish forever,’ he said.
‘I feel good about having a Bar Mitzvah. I like the fact that I’ll be one of the few people to have one in Cayman.’
The Jewish community is invited to Saturday’s Bar Mitzvah, which takes place at 9.30am at the Marriott Beach Resort.
The ceremony begins with a prayer service in both Hebrew and English and Benjamin will be called to read scriptures from the Torah.
A festive feast takes place afterwards with traditional kosher food – which means it is prepared according to Jewish law.
While the Bar Mitzvah is limited to a certain number of people, Benjamin’s Year 8 classmates at Cayman Prep and High School will get a taste of the event Friday morning when Rabbi Shneur pays a visit.
The Rabbi will explain the traditions and significance of a Bar Mitzvah and conduct a service. Benjamin will also read scriptures in Hebrew.
‘We wanted to do something in the school for Benjamin and his friends.’
There are an estimated 50 to 80 people of the Jewish faith in Cayman.
FYI
For more information about Saturday’s Bar Mitzvah, contact Rabbi Zalman Shneur at 517-5544 or email: [email protected].
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