Demonstrating that Jewish life will continue during the coronavirus crisis, the first livestreamed Bar-Mitzvah was held in the UK.
The bar mitzvah boy, Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue member Naftali Arden, and Rabbi Alex Chapper took part from their respective houses and the ceremony was shown on Facebook and the Shul’s website.
Flanked by his parents and two siblings, Naftali also gave a short speech, saying he was “really thrilled” that so many people could view the ceremony from around the world, among them family and friends from London, Manchester, Israel and America.
“I can’t see you but I hope you are all wearing the smartest party clothes,” he said. “No fluffy slippers and absolutely no Arsenal dressing gowns.”
Rabbi Chapper complimented the bar mitzvah boy on a “fantastic” haftorah and speech. “And it was really wonderful to hear it in absolute silence.
“I’m just sorry that it isn’t quite the bar mitzvah you were working so hard in preparation [for]. But it is so impressive how mature your response has been to current events and it’s amazing how enthusiastically you’ve embraced the opportunity to mark your bar mitzvah in this way.
“I hope that, if shul is closed for a long time, this might be some sort of option for all sorts of events to bring people together remotely.”
Naftali said it was “really important” to involve those who in normal circumstances would have attended the ceremony.
