By COLlive Reporter
Photos: Boruch Ezagui
13 year-old Lubavitch bochur Menachem Mendel Rubashkin celebrated his Bar Mitzvah Monday evening, but his father was not among the many guests.
Though hundreds of guests filled the room, the joy of the occasion, held at the Chabad Center of New City, NY, was marred by the one guest who was not in attendance: Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin.
Rubashkin, a father of 10, is currently jailed in the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Otisville, NY, after being harshly sentenced to 27 years on bank fraud charges.
The only way his father could participate was through a phone call, from which he addressed the crowd of his family and friends.
Present at the event were Mendel’s mother Leah Rubashkin, siblings, grandfather Abraham Aaron Rubashkin, and uncles Moshe Rubashkin and Heshy Rubashkin.
Also arriving to add to the joy of the occasion were singers Lipa Schmeltzer, Yehuda Green, Michoel Schnitzler, and Chazan Yanky Lemmer.
Their performance comes after the launch of the much anticipated “Unity for Justice” song that united tens of music artists in a tribute to the release of Rubashkin.
The French Acrobatic Twins performed as well.
MAZEL TOV!!!!!!!!!
MAY YOU GROW UP TO BE CHOSID OF THE REBBE
AMEN!
bsurot tovot sooooooooon
a very big mazel tov
Chazan Levi Yitzchok Coleman couldnt make it so they asked Yankel Lemmer.
sorry cod not be there:)
the correct spelling of the person who made the cake is Michal Rimler, from monsey.
Soo much achdis! B”H
Actually, not only Benny was there, but his father Rabbi Manis Friedman from MN also came in specially for the Bar Mitzvah.
benny sang for a long time at his best. anyone that was there truly felt that it was full of heart and love. it was probably a mistake his name was left out. he was a real natural and added immensely to the simcha.
thank you benny and much hatzlocha in your career and the rubashkins surely appreciated all you added. get ready for a big one for the seudas hoda’a!!!!
Beutifal bar mitZva reb shalom mordechai is a tzadik and he should come out of jail now The buchur Mendel is a great boy now a man maybe he grow to be a chassid of the rebbbe
The Rubashkin and Friedman families lived 5 doors away from each other for the few years Rubashkin lived in Minnesota. For all the years that Benny attended yeshiva in Postville, he was a ben bayis by Sholom Mordechai and Leah Rubashkin. Benny loves the Rubashkin boys like his own brothers and that is the only reason he was at the Bar Mitzva. May they be zoche to experience the simcha of reuniting with their father very soon.
Moshiach now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
may will we see his father back!! OMEIN!!!!!!
Retzoneinu lir’ois es Reb Sholom Mordechai !!!!!!!!!.
Echod mai’Anash d’Montreal.
may u bring ur parent much nachos and imy’h the next simcha should be with ur father!
u r very lucky to have such an amazing bar mitzva!
looks like they all had a blast and we are thinking of ur father and ur family the whole time!!!!!
may we be zocher to have moshiech here really soon!
May we all celebrite the next rubashkin simcha with shalom mordicha in person g-w.
haa he should be free
my father nose sholom for 40 years
it was catered by L’chaim caterers -Abe Kis- of monsey (gratis) and the cake made as a gift by Michal Rimlerr
amazing! i wish i couldve been there! 🙂
Anyone know which bakery it came from? Who catered the food?
Beautiful simcha!
To those who asked about Benny please stop using this event to publicize him. I would hate to think that this is the reason he showed up in the first place. Besides there are a few pictures of him in the article so what’s the problem?
May we only hear good news.
A lavish party is very nice but the only thing the kid really wants is his father.
Dov Ber Bryski, the joy and chayus you bring to the bar mitzvas that you attend are amazing, You keep the up the camp spirit thru out the whole year. YOU really care about the campers. I saw you this week at another bar mitzva and if you were not there then the bar mitzva would not at all be as chayusdik. Keep up the great work inspiring the young kids of crown heights. You are truly a shliach where it is most needed , right here in Ch.
may we dance to the redemtoin of his father!
hey dovy, lookos like you had fun!
beruchnius and gashmius amain vamain !!!!!!!!!!!! to that
May Sholom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivka have a geulah immediately. Like with Yosef- they rushed him out of prison..
What a bittersweet celebration.
Sweet because the community rallied to bring this adorable boy true Simcha on his Bar Mitzvah. Amazing what they put together!
Bitter, because no kid deserve not to have his father next to him.
Let us all write to our congressman to speak out about this grave injustice that is happening in America 2010 – that they should investigate the irregularities and bias that laced this entire case from beginning to end.
G-d bless America that it do the right thing and stand up against perversion of Justice.
Give SMR a new trial!
may sholom mordechai rubashkin haleivi ben rivka be redeedmed bimheira beyameinu mamosh!!
may sholom mordechai rubashkin haleivi ben rivka be redeedmed bimheira beyameinu mamosh!!
amein!!
May the Bar Mitzvah boy
continue to give His parents Nachas!
i feel so bad the bar mitzva boy must have been one the saddest
i saw some people i know in there why did yhey barely show or mention benny
to 2: why do you think they made it so fancy???
How come Rabbi Kotlarsky is not in the pictures?
mazal tov!!
May this be the beginning of only good news for the Rubashkin family…
The BarMitzva was amazing!
may smr be zoiche to be with his family right away.
MAZAL TOV MENDEL AND TO THE WHOLE RUBASHKINS………ONLY SIMCHOS!!!!!!!!!!!
used to work in postville
Wow! Mazel Tov!
So nice to see that the SGP Chayolei staff all came to the Simcha!
especially since SMR is in jail…..
many more simchas!!!
Nu kook Riboinoi Shel Oilom oif Daine kinder. Kiddush Hashem, hub Rachmonus. Moshiach Now!!!
really, but so sad
it is so nice taht all these stars came to be mesameach but unfortunateley there is no substitute to a father being at his son’s bar mitzvah. it really hurts. Hopefully the simcha will be pooiel L’maalo. Omen
Gershon S.
that looks amazing!!!!! i would have loved to be there!1
lots of yiddishe chassishe nachas
we love you
i see all the staff
go pif your the best
go chayolei go
BENNY FRIEDMAN
May we all dance to the greeting of Moshiach soon!
If you weren’t there you can’t imagine what it was like. The last time I danced like I did was by my wedding. The simcha was indescribable. May the simcha of the bar mitzvah bring about SM’s redemption now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
beautiful
looks like an amazing simcha!
may we hear good news soon.
mamosh!
may his simcha be complete by being re-united with his father immediately!
MAZAL TOV!!! MAZAL TOV!!! Very sad and heart breaking!!! Impossible to comprehend anything!!!I want to Bentch the family:At the next simcha bekarov mamesh with the Rebbe and the father and all klal yisroel BESIMCHA
it looks like a wedding!! that is amazing
Gorgeous barmy! like a wedding!
Who made that cake?
I’d like to hear that.