Bar Mitzva- family reunion and all around great parties
A good time was had by all in a gathering filled weekend. Starting Friday night at Paul and Janet’s house in Vancouver, WA, most of the family was there, although Laurie, whose birthday it was, took sick and couldn’t come.



Janet, Julie and Ronnie are so busy cooking, they have not had time to get dressed for the party.


Jonathan presents a Tallit to Seb for his Bar Mitzva the next morning



Adie and Seb say the brucha over the bread and wine before we eat



The whole party sang Happy Birthday to Laurie on the phone.

Saturday morning, the great event. Sebastian read the longest Torah section of the year for his Bar Mitzva with family members, participating in the service. Afterward, there was a lunch at the temple and time to visit with new found relatives.
Saturday night was a fabulous party at the wonderful Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland. The food was delicious, prime rib with a wonderful creamy horseradish dressing, more than one delicious green salad, green beans with a wonderful sauce, and lamb chops, a creamy chicken, apple dish. Even the bread was fabulous!
Then, there were four or five desserts. It was so good! There was a wonderful arrangement for a small room with easy chairs for us to have coffee and dessert while the others danced to loud music in the main room.

Sunday morning was a brunch at Jonathan’s house and more visiting. I met Harold and Linda Lee and their son Edwin from Ashland, OR. Harold is Morty’s oldest and I had not met him before. Morty lived in Southern California when we were growing up and we had never visited them. Harold is an ex logger who has an airplane and property that he fixes up and rents. He says he like to work with his hands, so the fixing part it the part he likes.
I hope to be able to visit them in the future, possibly on the way back to Oakland. I later learned that I have twin second cousins in Southern Ca from his sister Terry who died at 30 from cancer in Lake Tahoe, CA where she was living at the time. I have since corresponded with one of them and look forward to meeting them at some time in the future.

All the pictures from this weekend and touring with family after are posted at http://www.elurie.com/family since there are way too many to post here on the blog.