Twinning Stories

My name is Racheli and I had a Zoom Bat Mitzvah due to coronavirus. At first, I was very upset because I thought I wouldn’t have the full Bat Mitzvah experience.

Jordan celebrated his Bar Mitzvah on 29 August 2020. He had a zoom with family and friends from London and all around the world on Thursday 27 August 2020. He was lucky enough to lein in Shul on Shabbat morning 29 August 2020.

Lockdown didn’t stop Noah Salahi from making his Bar Mitzvah special. He was ‘twinned’ with Jakob Tondowski, Tondowski being the surname of his great grandparents.

Joshua twinned with Josua Boesenach who was born in June 1931. He was deported age 12 to Auschwitz and murdered in a gas chamber. He never got to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah. “As I celebrate my Bar Mitzvah he will be on my mind."

The Rabbi did an amazing sermon in shul incorporating all the information I had researched about little Arnold and his family. It was so touchin…

As part of my Bat Mitzvah, I decided to twin with a young victim of the Holocaust who tragically was unable to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah. Hanna Florsheim was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1932,

I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to have found Malinka’s relatives and know that she will be with me on my Bat Mitzvah journey

The Yad Vashe…

Maisie and I researched everything we could and tracked down a best friend of her 'twin'.

I took part in Yad Vashem UK’s Twinning project.…

Our daughter Emily Maia Lenchner had her Bat Mitzvah ceremony at Chigwell & Hainault Synagogue on 21 July 2018. 

I had my Bat Mitzvah in July 2019. For my Bat Mitzvah, I twinned with Yad Vashem UK Foundation. They twinned me with a girl named Alice Chana Grunwald, a surname that my family also used. Sadly, Alice Chana did not survive to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah, as she perished at Auschwitz.

I was very happy to meet you at my home and that you wish to commemorate my sister Ruth. For your Bat Mitzvah, you have chosen a project to remember a young girl of about your age who perished in the Holocaust

I have decided to twin with a young victim of the Holocaust who, tragically, was unable to celebrate this milestone in Jewish life, and who happens to be a distant relative of mine.