Thousands Celebrate Bar Mitzvah of Rechmastriovka Rebbe’s Eldest Grandson in Jerusalem

Thousands of followers of the Rechmastriovka Hasidic dynasty gathered on Sunday evening to celebrate the bar mitzvah of the eldest grandson of the Rebbe of Rechmastriovka, the firstborn son of his son-in-law Rabbi Shmuel Aba Tversky. The event took place in a large tent erected at the Salanim study hall on Doresh Tov Street in Jerusalem. The location was changed at the last minute from the main Karlin-Stolin study hall in Givat Ze'ev due to threats from extremist groups against the Hasidic leadership.

Despite the tense backdrop, the celebration drew a massive crowd, including the Rebbe of Karlin-Stolin, who honored the occasion with his presence. An anecdote during the event highlighted humility when the Rebbe chose to sit on a simple chair identical to those of other guests, rejecting a special chair prepared for him.

At the height of the celebration, the bar mitzvah boy, Israel Mordechai, named after his late great-grandfather, the Rebbe of Rechmastriovka, delivered a traditional discourse interrupted by the crowd’s singing of "Vera Banim Levanekha." The Rebbe then danced enthusiastically with his grandson, surrounded by a distinguished assembly of rebbes and rabbis offering congratulations.

The event concluded with a moving moment as young Hasidic students presented the Rebbe with dozens of binders filled with good deeds and commitments made by the community members, including those made during synagogue prayers. The Rebbe expressed deep emotion and warmly blessed the Hasidim before placing the binders before him.