h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Frank

You appear to have been very quiet lately. I hope things go well with you.
I thought you might be interested in the following:
On Saturday 10 September daughter Debbie drove my other daughter Karen and me to attend the Bat Mitzvah of my niece’s daughter. My niece Diana is the only child of my oldest sister Ruby. She did not get married until she was 43 and had Diana the following year. She had a bit of difficulty during the pregnancy - mainly high blood pressure I think - and had a Caeserean but the baby was born perfectly despite my sister’s age. My sister and her (younger) husband lived long enough to celebrate their daughter’s wedding (to a convert from Islam!) and the birth of their two grandchildren. [In fact my sister died of a heart attack on the same day as I had my heart attack.] It was the older of the grandchildren who had the Bat Mitzvah.
This is the equivalent for girls of the boys' Bar Mitzvah.
It was held in a Progressive synagogue in Woodford, Essex, to the east of London, quite near where we lived in our first house after we married. I had attended one or two weddings in a Progressive synagogue but this was the first time that I had attended a regular Sabbath service. First, the men and women sat together. Then some of the men did not wear a prayer shawl. The rabbi was a woman. Much of the service was in English. And much of the service was conducted by the Bat Mitzvah girl herself. The sermon was also very good, much talk of peace and social justice. Quite an impressive performance all round.
There was a small 'kiddush' immediately after that, ie, a drink or two and some snacks. Then quite a lot of us repaired to the parents’ house for lunch. They lived in a road quite near a statue of Winston Churchill (Churchill was the Member of Parliament for Woodford.) This was a catered buffet (catered by a woman with whom my niece - the mother of the Bat Mitzvah - had once shared a flat). Very good food. Then we went to a local hall in a place called Chigwell, a few miles from the synagogue. 5.30 was the reception, drinks and snacks (too many snacks in view of the dinner to come afterwards). We went into the dining room at about 6.30 then a very loud band played Jewish, mainly Israeli music for half an hour, for people to dance to. The meal was a simple one - melon and grapes to start, then more music and dancing, main course fish with vegetables - then more dancing. Interestingly, of the twelve people on our table only two of us drank any alcohol. Then we were invited to get our sweets. This mean queueing briefly as we processed round a large number of staff all handing out all manner of goodies. Too much for me - I just had some fruit salad and ice cream. One man on our table came back with his plate piled high (six inches?) with all sorts of cakes. And he ate the lot. He was a tall bloke but not fat.
After the meal there was more Israeli music and dancing. Even I joined in briefly, a bit of toe tapping, mainly. My daughter’s husband brought my two grandchildren for the evening meal as they had school in the morning. My nephew and his wife and two of their sons were there from Israel and my younger sister (aged 85) was there with her husband and her son and his wife.
A very pleasant occasion.
Harold

Dear Harold,
The reason for much of my being missing has been my wifes illness. After umteen visits to hospital for tests she now has to go in next monday for a day or two. We hope this is the final time and that they find the cause of her pain.
All else loses importance in such circumstances and many of the projects I was taking part in fell by the wayside. I am sure you will understand and forgive me being lax it will soon be over we both hope and we can settle back to routine.
I know of the Bas Miz-vah or Bat Mitz-vah for girls as you call it. A time for the girls to shoulder their religious and moral duties. We have similar ceremonies when young people become responsible in the eye's of the church not that it did me much good.
Normally a time for a good old family knees up ending in the usual fight between straight laced Aunt Anne and lover of fun Aunt Lizzy as they amuse the crowd with a screaming match. Uncle Bob has his one and a half pints then falls in the horse trough. Cousin Maggy is found round the back knees in the air as usual, all the normal family things.
Family togetherness is the anchor at such times as we are facing right now and is a great comfort to us both. I thank the lord we did something right Harold and the investment is paying off with the love and care being shown. I know we will win and by the numbers of people on the site who have sent us prayers we must have a large family on here as well. Thank you all.
Glad you enjoyed the party Harold and do not worry we will be back.
Frank.

Frank

So sorry to hear of your wife's illness. I hope she recovers soon.

Harold

Frank

I hope I am right in interpreting your messages to Carol, on another thread, that your wife is improving. I wish her well.
Just one thought about your reply to my message about the Bat Mitzvah I went to the other week. I was intrigued that you called it Bas Mizvah. Yours is in the accent of the Yiddish-speaking East European Jews and is still used by the Chassidim eg the Lubavitch people. The spelling I used is that of Modern Hebrew, used in Israel and now adopted by most Jews throughout the world.
I just wondered where you got the 'old' accent from.

Best wishes

Harold