FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 7, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 55
VICTORIA’S A moment to last a lifetime
vschneps@gmail.com
For the last year, I had been
anticipating the bar mitzvah
of my grandson Blake.
It was finally here, and it was
a weekend of celebrations that
made me feel “over the moon.”
That’s the thing about a major
life event — so much planning,
so much energy is spent to get to
the big day. I realized years ago
that the actual event was just one
piece in the puzzle to its actual
completion.
But let me back up. I think my
daughter Samantha began planning
Blake’s bar mitzvah right
after his bris. That’s the service
that welcomes a boy into the
Jewish faith by being circumcised
eight days after his birth.
Blake’s birth was the biggest
deal to me because he was my
first grandchild, and he’s never
stopped being a “big deal” to me.
As an educator, I’ve always
wondered about the balance
between nature, my DNA and
nurturing, the family upbringing.
As I watch my six grandchildren
grow, I recognize the power
of both.
From infancy, there was a loving
nature in Blake. I rate that
partially by how many kisses he’s
always been willing to give me
before he slowly moves away.
He’s always been fast to smile
and fast to offer help. His teachers,
his camp counselors, his
friends and his parents attest to
his uniqueness.
It takes a year to prepare for a
bar mitzvah, a right of passage
into manhood that entails reading
a portion of the Torah, the
first five parts of the Jewish bible
written on scrolls of parchment
by a scholar’s hand. The portion
read is based upon the calendar.
Since Blake’s birthday is March 5,
his portion of the Torah is about
the exodus out of slavery of Jews
from Egypt.
Surprisingly, before the
Hebrew prayers began, Blake
explained his Torah portion. He
talked about how his grandfather
Murray and I had helped “liberate”
5,400 people from the infamous
Willowbrook State School
and who now live with dignity
in group homes in the community.
He surprised and delighted
me with his commentary and
eloquence.
It taught me that Blake had
understood our struggle to free
the people in that infamous
institution without our talking
a lot about it but he saw our
actions — me creating Life’s
WORC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization whose is to provide services people
mission it
for peoand
with disabilities and and
winng
-
the autism spectrum, Murray fighting and winning
the life-changing
federal class action lawsuit
that forced the government
to change its
in
delivery of services for
people with special
needs.
I never realized,
before his bar mitzvah,
what an impression it had
made on Blake.
There he was standing tall,
speaking seamlessly as his Torah portion in Hebrew to
the over 350 people in the synagogue,
an enormous achievement
by itself.
The weekend had begun with
services Friday night at Temple
Sinai, led by the powerful
wee
Fr
le
inspir
par
inspiring team who prepared
Blake for his bar
mitzvah, the learned
Rabbi Michael White and the
beautiful voice of Cantor Sergei
Schwartz. The service featured
a children’s choir of girls who
gave a dynamic rendition of the
prayers. What a joyous way to
begin the sabbath.
My children are my legacy and
Blake through his birthday celebrating
his 13th year brought our
family together to share in the
joyous moment.
At Blake’s celebration, his
father proudly told the gathering
of their friends and family that
from the moment of his birth,
he was a child with an infectious
smile and grew into a person
who lights up a room drawing
people to him. After all, he had
130 kids at his bar mitzvah party
because doing the right thing is
in his DNA. I’ve seen how people
gravitate to him because of
his good spirit and kindness.
How blessed I am and grateful
for him. May he achieve his
hopes and dreams, he has made
me gloriously proud!
I must salute my daughter
Samantha and her husband
Spencer, who with grace, inspiration
and love created a magnificent
weekend of celebrations
for Blake.
And now it’s a memory for the
ages that I will cherish forever.
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
tweet me @vschneps
ETS
m
The Schneps clan
m
My grandkids Ben and Addy dancing the night away
, h,
had
ng he read
Blake reading from the
Torah with his parents
My grandchildren, my legacy The rabbi introducing Blake
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