On February 15, 2025, our Aleck Chaim Persin was called to the torah at our congregation, Mishkan Chicago, to be officially indoctrinated as an adult member of Judaism. He read torah, he read haftorah, and he led the entire service. For those who missed it all and are interested, I thought I’d include a few items of note so that you too can feel like you were a part of such a monumentous milestone for Aleck, his family, and all of his friends.
Down below you can find the YouTube link to the service if you want to watch it or just skip ahead to the torah which is just about over an hour into the service.
I’m also including the speeches his dad and I gave for him during the service and at the party immediately following.
Lastly, you can find here the video and the still photography montages which are also now up on his YouTube channel for posterity.
Link to the service on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvIQIArISkQ&t=3s
Craig’s Speech to Aleck at Mishkan:
Iron Aleck Persin
Today is a momentous day. A day you’ve worked towards for years, a day we’ve all looked forward to with pride and joy. Watching you stand here, so confident and poised, fills me with much nachas, that I can barely describe – it’s a mix of immense pride, overwhelming love. And now, here you are, a Bar Mitzvah, a young man ready to embrace the next chapter of your life.
This isn’t just about reciting Hebrew or chanting from the Torah. It’s about something much deeper. It’s about your connection to our family, to our community, and to our history. It’s about taking your place in the long chain of generations that have come before you, carrying with them the traditions, values, and stories that have shaped who we are.
You’ve learned so much these past years. You’ve learned about our faith, our heritage, and the importance of tzedakah, of giving back to those in need. But more importantly, you’ve learned about yourself.
As your father, my greatest wish is for you to find happiness and fulfillment in whatever path you choose. I want you to explore your passions, to embrace new experiences, and to never stop learning and growing. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because it’s through those mistakes that we learn and become stronger.
Today, you are not just a boy. You are a young man, taking on new responsibilities and embracing your place in our Jewish community. I am so incredibly proud of you, Mazel Tov!
I love you more than words can say.
Craig’s Speech to Aleck at the Party
Our dearest Iron Aleck
As we stood here today, watching you become a Bar Mitzvah, it feels like just yesterday we were holding you in our arms, overwhelmed about being new parents to a tiny bundle of joy with lots of physical needs. The doctors gave us worse case scenarios about you not being able to walk or do so many things others are able to do. Boy did you prove them all wrong, and then some. You can walk, and mostly stay on your feet. Although a few floors, metal gates and a large pole know you don’t always stay on your feet. I think there are spots of your blood all over the Chicagoland area, but you always get back up. You are the toughest person I know, able to handle any type of pain and situation, with grace and honour. Now, you’re a young man, wise beyond your years, shaped by all of the experiences you have been through both good and bad. We are filled with such immense pride and love with the young man you are becoming. You rock and should be proud of the person you are, filled with love, empathy, humour, understanding, and deep quest for all knowledge, and the most amazing collection of friends.
You’ve always had a special spark, a unique way of looking at the world. We’ve watched you grow into a young man who is not only knowledgeable but is also such a mensch..
I remember that first time you picked up a book at 2 ½ and started reading. Many told us you were just memorising the books, that was so not the case. Case in point was you asking us why we had “Rold Gold” ketchup instead of Heintz. Not many 2 ½ year olds do that, you were just starting your learning early. You have proved many wrong over and over, and your grit and determination has led the way for you to beat the obstacles you face daily. We couldn’t be more proud of you.
As you embark on this new journey towards adulthood, we hope you’ll always stay true to yourself. Continue to develop and nurture your Jewish identity, to challenge yourself, and to pursue your dreams. And remember, no matter what life throws your way, we’ll always be here to support you, to love you, and to guide you.
Let’s all raise a glass and toast an amazing young man, our Iron Aleck. May you always be blessed, and always look on the bright side of life.
Lynn’s Speech to Aleck at Mishkan:
Aleck, you are doing an incredible job today and I couldn’t be prouder. Watching you prepare for your Bar Mitzvah has been the easiest job I’ve ever had as your parent. You are so self motivated, you have so much self discipline, all I had to do was show up as your mom and support you during this process by giving you the resources you needed to get to this day. You were made for this, so take in all the people who are here to cheer for you today and enjoy every moment of all the hard work you’ve put in to become an adult member of our Jewish community, today and for the rest of your life.
Lynn’s Speech to Aleck at the Party:
Aleck, first of all you did an amazing job today. I think they almost ran out of torah and prayers for you to lead and read. You held yourself with such poise and confidence, I couldn’t take my eyes off of you, and I didn’t want to. Mazel Tov on becoming a Bar Mitzvah in front of our community, our friends, and family.
Someone recently commented to me that being your mom must be hard. I laughed, because being your mom is the easiest job in the world. You bring joy, light, and laughter wherever you go. You are quick with a joke and a smile and a warm greeting to all who meet you. At the Mishkan office they’ve had entire meetings where the staff has sat around and swaped stories about the interesting conversations they’ve all had with you. You treat everyone with respect, like an equal, and are genuinely interested in what they have to say.
And just like with your Bar Mitzvah practice, you are self motivated at school as well. Checking your grades, following up with your teachers, and letting them know what you want to work on to better improve yourself in their classrooms. You are a teacher’s dream student.
Yes, you have struggles that are a bit different from your peers, but what we’ve learned the most as we’ve navigated this journey is that everyone has a challenge they are facing. You can’t always see it from the outside, the way we can see your brace on your leg or know that you need help getting dressed every day for school. So in this life, I would choose your condition for you each and every day. It’s made you resilient; 10 surgeries, 7 broken bones and a host of equipments and treatments under your belt. It’s made you empathetic; as a preschooler you once approached a girl who had just fallen on the playground. You sat next to her and told her that you knew just how she felt at that moment because you fall all the time. And it’s forced you to develop your brain and your use of language to get what you want and what you need in various situations, you’ve learned to avocate for yourself at a very young age and that’s going to take you very far.
Aleck, you are who you are because of your condition, you are who you are despite your condition, and I wouldn’t change a single thing about you because being your mom has been and continues to be the greatest experience of my life.
Link to the photo montage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egx5Kf1VM6U
Link to the video montage: https://youtu.be/fZ2VpMmYgfc
