Zach Emanuel, the son of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and his cousin Noah celebrated their bar mitzvahs over the weekend in Jerusalem’s Old City, but not at the Western Wall.
Rahm Emanuel and his family began arriving at the Davidson Center in the early morning on May 30 under cover of secrecy. The ceremony, some of it conducted in English, took place before just 50 people. The boys read from the week’s Torah portion and delivered a d’var Torah.
On the scene were numerous security guards. They prevented the press from entering the premises.
Davidson Center officials said the hourlong ceremony went off without a hitch, despite earlier fears that extreme rightists would attempt to cause disruptions.
The Emanuel family held the ceremony on Robinson’s Arch, through which it was possible to ascend to Temple Mount during the time of the second temple. It is located southwest of the holy site, not far from the Western Wall.
Family members visited the wall last week, angering Israeli ultranationalists. A number of them yelled “anti-Semite” at Emanuel, whom they see as a driving force behind the Obama administration’s demand to halt Jewish construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
Israeli President Shimon Peres met with the Emanuel family last week, giving Zach two bar mitzvah gifts: a Kiddush wineglass and a Book of Psalms with a personal dedication. — ynetnews.com