Eliot and I were invited to a Bar Mitzvah in Miami Beach last Saturday.  We really wanted to attend but we had to be in New York for a work-related event. We made that commitment months ago so there was little we could do to change it. The Bar Mitzvah was for Dawson, the grandson of Judge Philip Bloom, a former Circuit Court Judge for the State of Florida (18 years on the Bench and now a consultant to Squire Sanders) and Elaine Bloom, a former State Rep for 18 ½ years and a Speaker Pro-Tempore of the Florida House of Representatives. We became friends with them almost 10 years ago when we joined the Miami Chamber of Commerce. We see them frequently, especially when Joe’s Stone Crab is open for business. When we join the Bloom’s there for dinner, we are escorted past a 100 hungry people waiting to get in and wonder who we are.

While I would love to talk more about Elaine and Philip, the royal couple of Miami Beach, this post is really about the unique experience Eliot and I had when we  watched Dawson’s entire Bar Mitzvah via a webcam.  G-d bless technology. I first witnessed a webcam in progress years ago when my nephew Sam showed me how he monitored a law class. I was amazed then and I’m still amazed today even though I have watched hundreds of webcam events.

The entire set up is very easy thanks to digital camera technology.  Sometimes the cameras are stationary and only shoot one scene, and other times a cameraman directs the camera or cameras to different settings, so you really feel you are a part of the audience. Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach uses webcams for all their services, so we are talking a much better production. The webcam service is really a “mitzvah”  (Yiddish for human kindness) because no one is left out. Everyone can join in no matter where they are located.

I have to say they know what they are doing. Dawson’s Bar Mitzvah was like watching a major stage production. Eliot and I had the best seat in the house (okay, being there would have been better) as we sat in our NY apartment witnessing Dawson’s big day. He did a marvelous job and we will forever feel a part of this joyous occasion. The cameras did close ups of his parents, his younger brother, the Bema,, the Torah, the congregation, the Rabbi, the Cantor, and of course Dawson. We even got to see a lot of Dawson’s friends.  The entire family looked so happy I kept tearing.

Because of our travels, like so many others, we sometimes miss major events.  Our first choice is to be right next to family and friends at milestone events, but when we can’t, this is a wonderful alternative.

Elaine, Philip, David, Damian, Dawson and Donovan