Most everyone’s life has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic over the past three months. Businesses and their employees have made adjustments for remote work, birthdays are celebrated from afar, and relatives have gathered virtually for holidays.
For Great Neck resident Jacob Podwall, his bar mitzvah celebration was one that unfortunately fell victim to the pandemic’s restrictions.
“Several months ago, all he could talk about was his bar mitzvah weekend and the exciting party that was being planned and his special trip,” Jacob’s father, David, said. “This pandemic put a pause on it all as he had to experience a new reality.”
Not only the celebration was affected, but so were his plans for his bar mitzvah project.
“Jacob has always loved baseball, and we tried to participate in a program that combines baseball with helping kids with disabilities in the area,” David Podwall said.
David, who is an on-staff physician for North Shore University and St. Francis hospitals, said he and Jacob had to overcome the disappointment and still find a way to accomplish a bar mitzvah project. The project, he said, is something that most teenagers undertake before their bar mitzvah ceremony as a way of giving back to the community.
David, whose family is also part of the Temple Beth-El congregation, said he heard the need for resources that the St. Aloysius Church’s food pantry had due to the pandemic. After talking with Jacob about it, a food drive was set up to aid the food pantry on his birthday, May 23.
“With the support of his family, he organized a birthday celebration that was filled with love from a community of friends and family,” David said. “Car after car drove by and left boxes and bags of food. Everyone had a mask but there were smiles behind them as they felt grateful for what he was doing.”
David said it took two fully-stocked trips in his SUV to deliver all of the goods that people donated. Each donator, David said, was rewarded with cupcakes and candies. He said he was pleased with the support people had not just for Jacob’s bar mitzvah project, but for the people who rely on the St. Aloysius food pantry on a regular basis.
“Despite all of the complications with me and my family [throughout the pandemic], it doesn’t come close to the unfortunate sacrifices and problems other families have endured,” David said. “Being a doctor, I saw that frequently. I lost patients from this pandemic. You have to find a way to move forward. This was our own little way to move forward.”
David said Jacob was able to have his bar mitzvah on Saturday, June 6, with immediate family the only ones present, but with friends and extended family watching via Zoom.
Jacob’s ceremony ended with a surprise from his parents, as his friends gathered outside in their cars to congratulate Jacob on his milestone.
