Jailhouse Hora
By Michelle Albert
These days, to have a truly memorable bar mitzvah, it has to be somewhere special. Like jail.
According to the New York Times, New York City's Department of Investigation is pursuing an inquiry into how an inmate held in a jail in Lower Manhattan could have arranged a bar mitzvah party for his son last year. The party, held in the gymnasium of the Manhattan Detention Complex, featuring Orthodox singer Yaakov Shwekey as the night's entertainment, boasted 60 guests and lasted six hours. It seems a good time was had by all.
The problem, according to the City, is that the party featured real silverware, including metal knives (not allowed in jail), and that the guests brought their cellphones with them (also not allowed). The city is also flummoxed at how Tuvia Stern, the inmate...