The First Haircut
All eyes were on Meir Shlomo Goldman last week as with one snip of the shears, his curly chestnut hair was cut for the first time in his life.
Meir, 3, and about 100 family members and friends marked the beginning of a his formal Jewish education Sunday at his Upshernish, a traditional Jewish ceremony in which a boy leaves behind the baby years and begins to learn prayers and the Hebrew alphabet.
The traditional ceremony is usually celebrated at home, but being the center of attention didn’t seem to bother Meir, who is used to socializing.
“This is a personal family celebration, but because of the involvement we have with the community, a personal celebration includes everyone,” said his father, Rabbi Berl Goldman, who co-directs the Lubavitch-Chabad Jewish Student and Community Center with his wife, Chanie.
Guests greeted Meir with “Mazel tovs,” or congratulations in Hebrew, as he wandered around the temporary quarters of the center on Northwest Fifth Avenue.
Dressed in a navy blue vest and matching yarmulke, the toddler took a seat at the front of the room and with some words from his father and a prayer from his mother, the ceremony began.
The parents each cut a strand of their fourth son’s hair — the biblically-mandated side-locks called the “peyot” left intact.
His mother smeared honey on a poster with Hebrew letters to symbolize his scholarly future.
Then guests, following tradition, took turns snipping Meir’s hair. In addition to having shorter hair, Meir will begin wearing the yarmulke and a tzitzit, a traditional garment with four tassels.
Many University of Florida students, like junior Brittany Siegel, consider the Goldmans to be part of their family, often sharing daily kosher meals and conversation together.
“Everyone is so warm here,” said Siegel, who has been attending Friday night Shabbat dinners with the Goldmans since 2009. “It’s a great place to come home to and let go of your stress.”
Siegel came with her twin sister, Jaclyn, to celebrate Meir’s big day and waited in line to cut a strand of the birthday boy’s hair.
The Upshernish was also a celebration of Meir’s birthday, which fell on 12 Shevat, 5772, on the Judaic calendar.
Guests were invited to a hot buffet lunch as they celebrated the toddler’s debut into Judaism.
The Lubavitch-Chabad center is open to anyone wanting to learn about the Jewish faith and culture. More than half of the guests on Sunday afternoon were UF students.
“It’s a momentous occasion,” Goldman said. “It’s a part of our work to welcome others to share that with us.”
