October 22, 2003

A Young Man’s Rite of Passage to Be the Centerpiece of a Sabbath Weekend:

A Very Special Bar Mitzvah: Teens to Flock to Binghamton as the OU’s National Conference of Synagogue Youth Gives Mike Toujiline the Ceremony he Feared he Would Never Have

A Bar Mitzvah is always a special event in the life of a young Jewish male, but when Mike Toujiline is called to the Torah for the first time on Saturday, November 8, his big day will be the focus of activities for many young teenagers – both boys and girls – not only from his hometown of Binghamton, NY, but from Albany to Buffalo, and south into Pennsylvania, who will be flocking to Binghamton for the ceremony.

Mike’s Bar Mitzvah will be the centerpiece of a Shabbaton – a weekend celebration of the Sabbath, consisting not only of religious services but of socializing and educational programs as well. The Shabbaton is being organized by the Upper New York Region of the Orthodox Union’s highly successful National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY), which provides Jewish enrichment in an informal atmosphere to both Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jewish teens across the United States and Canada. The Upper New York Region – also known by its Hebrew name as Har Sinai, Mount Sinai – covers all of New York State north of Westchester County.

The story of how the Bar Mitzvah/Shabbaton came about is the story of how NCSY responds to the needs of Jewish young people and deepens their love for Jewish observance.

Mike Toujiline was born October 5, 1990 in Perm, Russia, deep in the heart of the Ural Mountains. Mike was fortunate that his family left the Soviet Union when he was only one, and settled in Binghamton, a city of 47,000 in southwestern New York State. But Mike did not have an easy childhood. His biological father abandoned the family, as did his stepfather after his mother remarried. Then, three years ago, when Mike was in the fourth grade, his mother died. He is being raised by his 80-year-old grandmother, Frieda Baytman, who speaks only halting English and who is overwhelmed by having to raise a Jewish teenager in the United States. There is no way she could hope to arrange a Bar Mitzvah for Mike.

Mike was deeply troubled that unlike boys his age, he would not have a Bar Mitzvah. Recognizing this concern, a number of families in the Binghamton Jewish community contacted Rabbi Aminadav Adamit, a teacher at Mike’s school, the Hillel Academy in Binghamton, seeking assistance. Rabbi Adamit instinctively turned to Shira Reifman, a Binghamton native who is Director of the Upper New York/Har Sinai Region and a former member of the Region herself.

Ms. Reifman, married and the mother of two young children, now serves in a national capacity for NCSY as Director of Operations at the OU’s national headquarters in New York, but she spends much time on Region business and returns often to Binghamton. Like Mike, she too was a student at the Hillel Academy. Rabbi Adamit, whose son is President of the Region’s Senior High School Division, has close ties with Har Sinai.

It was only natural for NCSY to get involved on Mike’s behalf. The youngster has been a devoted member of the Har Sinai Junior Division since the fifth grade. Ms. Reifman and Rabbi Adamit immediately conceived of the idea of building a Shabbaton around the Bar Mitzvah and inviting Region members from far and wide to attend the weekend’s festivities at the Beth David Synagogue in Binghamton. The theme of the weekend will be “Life Cycles,” Ms. Reifman reports, in order to incorporate the Bar Mitzvah into the entire set of activities.

“I was surprised at first when I heard that NCSY was going to arrange my Bar Mitzvah, but then when I thought about it, I wasn’t surprised at all,” Mike reports. “That’s the way our Region does things. It makes me very proud that NCSY would do this for me.”

Mike characterizes himself as being “very excited” about his Bar Mitzvah but “a little bit nervous” about doing everything right. Rabbi Adamit, who is studying with Mike and preparing him for his Bar Mitzvah, says that he’s learning his responsibilities very well. Mike will read the final segment, called Maftir, of that week’s Torah portion, Lech Lecha -- verses which describe the circumcision of Abraham and his son Ishmael when Abraham was 99 years old. Mike will then chant the weekly portion from the Prophets, or Haftorah, which will be verses 40:27-41:16 from the Book of Isaiah. The reading includes this message, which should resonate with Mike and his fellow NCSYers: “Youths may weary and tire and young men may constantly falter. But those whose hope is in God will have renewed strength, they will grow a wing like eagles; they will run and not grow tired, they will walk and not grow weary.”

Mike will also give a speech, which he describes as “how everyone is helping me in my life.” Following the service there will be a gala kiddush (luncheon) in Mike’s honor, followed by games and programs.

Besides the synagogue service Saturday morning, there will be Friday night program – an Oneg Shabbat – consisting of a festive meal, singing, and camaraderie among the young teens. Saturday night, after the restrictions of the Sabbath are lifted, there will be dinner and dancing, with music from a live band, perhaps following an outing to a local arcade.

The visiting teens will be coming on buses from Albany, Buffalo, Ellenville, New York City, Rochester, Schenectady and Syracuse, with a delegation from nearby Pennsylvania as well. The weekly Sabbath attendance at the synagogue, will double to about 160. Among the many gifts for Mike are his tefillin, the leather straps and boxes containing Biblical verses Jewish men are required to put on during weekday morning prayers, a gift from Congregation Beth Abraham-Jacob in Albany. In addition, Mike’s classmates and fellow Hillel students are presenting him with his tallit, or prayer shawl.

Even in the years leading up to the Bar Mitzvah, NCSY has had a profound impact on Mike’s Jewish life. Although Mike goes to a Jewish day school, his family is not observant. NCSY reinforces what he learns in school and provides an environment in which his love of Judaism can flourish.

“Given his background, it’s very important for Mike to belong to a group like NCSY,” Rabbi Adamit says. “I think that consciously or subconsciously he’s been drawn into this group for the friendships and the Jewish observance it makes possible.”

The Bar Mitzvah will add to NCSY’s impact on Mike’s Jewish life. “Since he knows that he’s going to be Bar Mitzvah his confidence is growing together with his commitment to a traditional Jewish lifestyle. I see important consequences from the Bar Mitzvah for years to come,” Rabbi Adamit declares.

The work of NCSY should create a Bar Mitzvah weekend that neither Mike nor the participating teenagers will quickly forget. As Ms. Reifman explains about Har Sinai, “We are large enough to be a Region, but small enough to be a family.”

In this case, Mike Toujiline’s family.

The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of North America and beyond, is a world leader in community and synagogue services, adult education, youth work through NCSY, political action through the IPA, and advocacy for persons with disabilities through Yachad and Our Way. Its kosher supervision label, the , is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 275,000 products manufactured in 68 countries around the globe.

www.ou.org

Comments? Requests? Questions?

Orthodox Union Department of Communications and Marketing David Olivestone Director Stephen Steiner Director of Public Relations Main Office: 11 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 Phone: 212.613.8318 Fax: 212-613-0763 E-mail: steiners@ou.org  |  media@ou.org

OUPR Archives Recent statements to the press: 2002  |  2001  |  2000  |  1999  |  1998