Bar Mitzvah of Rami Laifer
R
ami Laifer ‘s Bar Mitzvah celebration took place on Superbowl Sunday 2009. To make sure that the Bar Mitzvah boy would attend, Rami’s mother scheduled the party for 11 am (just to be on the safe side). Rami’s mom, Chani Laifer, and his two older sisters, Tamar and Aliza, as well as his younger brother, Isaac, were thrilled to dance with Rami and celebrate this milestone with him. Teaneck Jewish Center was the site of this energetic and warm party. Rami did an outstanding job layning and davening mussaf on shabbos. But he especially impressed everyone with his witty and funny speech at the party. Friends and family kept the dancing going all day. Rami’s aunt and uncle from California, Stefanie and Yaakov Friedman, and their two red headed little girls, flew in for the weekend. Rami’s other aunt and uncle, Miriam and Alan Greenspan, and their four children, did not have to travel far since they live around the corner from Rami. (Rami’s grandmother, Shifra Friedman, unfortunately could not attend since she was sitting shiva that week for her brother z’l). Everyone was bursting with pride over Rami’s accomplishments. Rami, a gifted athlete, showed another side of himself as he became a Bar Mitzvah. The Superbowl theme was prominently displayed at the party. Petals Premier transformed each table into a different NFL team, with a unique team foam head as the table’s centerpiece, and each
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table color coordinated to match its team’s colors. The grass covered place card table with admission tickets and electric football player ornaments added to the Superbowl feel. Five Star caterers supplied a scrumptious dairy buffet, with soup, omelet, pizza, and waffle stations, as well as an array of salads. Cheesecakes, warm chocolate chip cookies, a fondue fountain, and cotton candy were just some of the decadent desserts. After watching an amazing montage of Rami’s first 13 years, Rami and his siblings, cousins, and friends spontaneously ran up to the stage and joined the incredible BaRock Band in singing and more lively dancing. The enthusiasm and affection felt in the room were contagious. Nobody wanted this party to end. Nexus Marketing supplied the bright red sweatpants with neon blue football logos as the give-aways for each child. Rami’s mom, Chani, said that making a Bar Mitzvah was a very different experience for her than making her two daughters’ Bat Mitzvahs. For the Bat Mitzvahs, the party was the main event. For the Bar Mitzvah, Shabbos was most meaningful. Once Shabbos was over, Chani was able to relax and just enjoy the beautiful party. Being able to celebrate with their incredible friends from Teaneck, as well as with family and friends who traveled from as far away as Israel, was very special for the Laifers. Chani said that she will never forget the smile she saw plastered on Rami’s face throughout the party. She feels grateful that she and her children are blessed with such wonderful friends and family. Photography by Jerry Meyer Studio