Not every family can hold a joint birthday celebration for father and son. This week, the director of Kazakhstan Jewry, Rabbi Moshe David Cohen, celebrated his fortieth birthday on the same day that his son, Schneur Zalman, had his first haircut at the age of three in accordance with a time honored Jewish tradition, known as a chalaka. Schneur was born on Tisha B’Av, which is a very sad day in the Jewish calendar as this is the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple, so he did not actually have his chalaka on his birthday. Instead, the family visited the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron, in accordance with the custom of traveling to this site on a child’s third birthday, during the afternoon of the following day. There, they held a haircutting ceremony for him that was very moving. Rabbi Moshe David Cohen and the rest of the family cut little Schneur’s curls.
By the time the family had returned home to Beitar Ilit, it was already the evening. Schneur now enjoyed a celebration that soon became a birthday farbrengen for his father, whose birthday is on 12th Av, three days after Schneur’s. Many friends and family members came to join the celebrations. The most surprising guest was the Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan Rabbi Yeshayah Elazar Cohen, who is Rabbi Moshe David Cohen’s brother and had arrived from Kazakhstan especially to attend this double celebration. Another honored guest was Ran Ichay, former Israeli ambassador to Kazakhstan, who came to give his personal greetings to the Cohen family. Mr. Ichay has stayed in touch with the shluchim in Kazakhstan even though he completed his tour of duty some time ago.
The annual fundraising drive for Kazakhstan Jewry in the memory of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneerson, the Rebbe’s father, was also launched at the party
Kazakhstan Jewry sends its good wishes to the Cohens and wishes them well on this joint family celebration.
