NEWTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A 13-year-old in Newton didn’t want to let the coronavirus stop him from officially joining the Jewish community, so he moved the centuries-old ceremony online.
Instead of filling a synagogue with hundreds of friends and family, Allen Gurvits video chatted with his rabbi for his bar mitzvah.
“There were only 4 people there — my mom, myself, my dad, and my sister,” Allen said. “The rabbi was on FaceTime on my computer, so pretty unique.”
It was a proud day not just for Allen but also for his father, Val, who escaped religious persecution in the Soviet Union at the same age his son is now.
“I was the first in many generations to have a bar mitzvah and so, of course, it’s very special for my son to continue that tradition,” Val said.
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