All eyes on Meir Shlomo Goldman

All eyes were on Meir Shlomo Goldman last week as with one snip of the shears, his curly chestnut hair was cut for the first time in his life.

Meir, 3, and about 100 family members and friends marked the beginning of a his formal Jewish education Sunday at his Upshernish, a traditional Jewish ceremony in which a boy leaves behind the baby years and begins to learn prayers and the Hebrew alphabet.

The traditional ceremony is usually celebrated at home, but being the center of attention didn’t seem to bother Meir, who is used to socializing.

“This is a personal family celebration, but because of the involvement we have with the community, a personal celebration includes everyone,” said his father, Rabbi Berl Goldman, who co-directs the Lubavitch-Chabad Jewish Student and Community Center with his wife, Chanie.

Guests greeted Meir with “Mazel tovs,” or congratulations in Hebrew, as he wandered around the temporary quarters of the center on Northwest Fifth Avenue.

Dressed in a navy blue vest and matching yarmulke, the toddler took a seat at the front of the room and with some words from his father and a prayer from his mother, the ceremony began. CONTINUE READING...