Unexpected Moments From the
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Chronicles
ANDY GOTLIEB | JE MANAGING EDITOR
B ar and Bat Mitzvahs oft en are positioned as a highlight of
childhood (and a bridge to adulthood), but they just as oft en
have some sort of traumatic element as well.

Whether it’s severe stage fright, technical diffi culties, a sud-
den family squabble, a drunk relative embarrassing everyone or a
wardrobe malfunction, a picture-perfect event can be kind of rare.

Although nobody on the Jewish Exponent staff had a horrifi c
experience, some less-than-positive memories do exist, even at
events other than their own — although everything did tend to
work out for the best. Here’s a sampling, starting with my own day.

HOPING FOR RAIN ON MY BIG DAY
As my Bar Mitzvah day (June 30, 1979) approached, I became an
ardent follower of the late Action News weatherman Jim O’Brien.

Every day, I watched the news to catch the weather forecast,
fervently hoping that something would change and the predicted
sunny skies would give way to downpours of rain.

My Bar Mitzvah confl icted with the Newtown-Edgemont Little
League championships — and my team, the Indians, was playing
for the championship. I was the left -handed starting second base-
men on my team; I was a lousy hitter, but I could fi eld and run.

Anyway, I was praying for rain, hoping the game would be
postponed a day so I could play.

It turns out O’Brien’s forecast was spot-on and the weather was
beautiful. My Bar Mitzvah went off without a hitch — and my
team lost 6-0.

But there were even ramifi cations at the luncheon following
the service.

As this was my last year of Little League eligibility, I missed the cer-
emonies for the “graduating” players. One of the things the departing
players got to do was stand on home plate and try to throw a baseball
into a barrel angled where second base normally was placed.

While I couldn’t leave, my friends did — “I’ve waited fi ve years
for this” one told me — so I had a depleted crowd at the luncheon. I
can’t say I wasn’t a bit jealous that I didn’t get a chance at the barrel.

See Unexpected, Page 22
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