Five years after Ari Goralnik ’24 Bar Mitzvah, he decided to relive the moment and celebrate his bar mitzvah again with friends in honor of his five year anniversary . Ari printed fliers and hung them up around the school as word spread about a bar mitzvah celebration. Some fliers were even found in the girls bathroom. 

Juniors, seniors, teachers, and even Ari’s mother showed up to participate in celebrating Ari’s bar mitzvah. Ari brought candy, and had seniors pass it out to throw at him after reading his portion.  Students and teachers sang and danced around the bar mitzvah boy. His mother brought donuts for a special treat after the bar mitzvah. Why should bar mitzvahs only be celebrated in middle school anyway? What started off as joke fliers hung up everywhere around school ended in an epic bar mitzvah event that caused laughter. This bar mitzvah was a reaffirmation of Ari’s Jewish identity and it brought much needed light into our lives. “I think Ari’s Bar Mitzvah was a great idea. It brought a lot of light to the school in such a small amount of time, and it was especially meaningful when there’s so much suffering,” said Moriel Weitzner ‘24. This experience lightened up our week and turned an uneventful regular davening into a morning filled with dancing and laughter. 

Five years ago, Ari’s bar mitzvah took place the same morning as the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. The simcha was cut short by Jews rallying together amidst the horrific crime, but it did bring light into a dark time. Now, at a time of discomfort for the Jewish people, this full circle event is exactly what students needed to plaster a smile on their faces. Amidst dangerously high antisemitism, what we needed was a hilarious and ridiculous event to keep our spirits high and reaffirm our Jewish identities. In a time when many Jews are uncertain and uncomfortable with their Jewish identities, we need sprinkles of joy in our lives, even if it is celebrating a regular Thursday morning leining. A normal morning at a time of crisis erupted into a celebration of a Jewish identity, saying that no matter what, we will remain proud of our Jewish identities. “I had a really fun time, I am so thankful to all the rabbis and students who helped me organize this.”