Barmitzvahs aren’t just for the kids

Rhona Lubner (above), Zigi Shipper (left) and Peter Benscher (below) celebrate their simchahs made the move to a flat in Mill Hill. “We thought it was an excuse for having a Kiddush in the shul and a party on the Shabbat afternoon with friends and family.”

Back in 1947, Clive read his portion at Cricklewood Synagogue and celebrated afterwards with a marquee in the garden of his home. “The rabbi who spoke happened to be the Chief Rabbi of South Africa at the time, and he was a brilliant orator. After lunch, he played football in the marquee with my friends,” recalls Clive.

Last month, Rhona Lubner celebrated her second batmitzvah. Her first had been held back in 1947, in South

Africa, in the first Reform synagogue that had been built there.

After moving to England 32 years ago, she maintained her links with South Africa. “When my children grew up and grandchildren were born, the children all joined Alyth [North Western Reform Synagogue] because they were living in this part of London so we moved over here. It was suggested by a young rabbi in Cape Town that I should have a second batmitzvah, which I had never really thought about. Then my grandchildren encouraged me, and I started studying again.”

Rhona worked hard on what was a long Torah portion, learning to read Hebrew again without vowels. “I wasn’t nervous because I had studied hard and practised with Rabbi Mark [Goldsmith] for months. It was very emotional though. All seven grandchildren, who range from 26 to 16, were with me and had parts in the service, and my three children were all up on the bimah with me and my husband.”

Rhona, who turned 83 in September, describes it as “a wonderful journey. I was very happy that I did it. After the service, I was inundated with women who said they had been inspired to think about doing it.”

For Zigi Shipper, a Shoah survivor now 87, the marking of his barmitzvah at the late age of 85 was an emotional milestone. He has spoken to thousands of schoolchildren over 25 years about his early life, and met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Stutthof concentration camp when they visited Poland in July.

It wasn’t the first time he’d been called up to read from the Torah, but, at 13, his barmitzvah wasn’t marked because he was in a ghetto. He was brought up by his grandparents, who were Orthodox Jews and when he eventually had his celebration at Radlett United Synagogue, his thoughts turned to them.

“I thought, it’s really more for my grandparents than for me, if they can hear me speaking… I’m sure if they could see it, they would have both been very happy.”