Recently, my father took me to a big event by the Jersey Shore—Birkath Hachamah. Birkath Hachamah is a big event because it happens every 28 years and you have to say a brachah hachama, because the sun and the planets are lined up the same way they were when they were created. The mitzvah cannot be fulfilled if it’s a cloudy day and you cannot see the sun.
At my uncle’s house, where we stayed, we woke up at 6 am and went to shul. At shul we prayed shaharit, then, since I’m a first born, we stayed for the siyum. After that we went outside to say the brachah for Birkath Hachamah. While we were outside, my father told me that he remembers standing next to his father A”H 28 years ago, saying this important brachah.
When we finished Birkath Hachamah we went to the back of the shul, where the parking lot was, to see my uncle Shay start the fire for beiur hametz. We started the fire at 8 am and finished at 11:30 am.
My uncle introduced me to a lot of the rabbis of the Jersey Shore community: Rabbi Diamond, Rabbi Choueka and Rabbi Leon Cohen. There were also plenty of other distinguished rabbis there. We also met Yaakov Shwekey.
During my two-day visit, I had a lot of fun and learned a lot about my religion. In 28 years, I hope to be standing next to my son saying this brachah.
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Elie I. Cohen is 11 years old. He attends Yeshivah of Flatbush Elementar School.
