Since Jeff Witt, a resident of Jericho, was 13 years old, he has wanted to have a bar mitzvah, but, he said, the thought of being in front of a crowd had intimidated him. At the age of 52, Witt's dream finally came true thanks to Rabbi Anchelle Perl, who is the executive director of the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education. Witt, who has developmental disabilities, finally had a bar mitzvah.

Witt resides with his wife Mary Ann in an apartment program managed by Nassau Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC) in Jericho where they receive support services from the organization. In recognition of National Friendship week (Jan. 14 - 21), Witt was 'called to the Torah' by Rabbi Perl, who sponsored the occasion.

Rabbi Perl coached and tutored Witt before the ceremony, which took place at Congregation Beth Shalom Chabad in Mineola, enabling Witt to recite the traditional blessing on the Torah. Friends, family and members of the community came to support Witt at his bar mitzvah. Philip Witt, Jeff's brother, joined him at the celebration. Unfortunately, their mother, Vivian, lives in Florida and could not attend. Rabbi Perl called Vivian on his cell phone during the ceremony so she could share in her son's joy.

Rabbi Perl did an excellent job in making Witt feel comfortable and also explaining to everyone in attendance everything that was happening during the ceremony. He informed Witt's family and friends when to stand and sit throughout the service. "There are two reasons why we stand and sit," explained Perl. "One is to keep us awake! The other is that when we stand, we are closer to the angels and when we sit and pray, we are closer to Earth."

During the service, Rabbi Perl handed out candy to everyone in attendance. Once the rabbi gestured, everyone tossed the candy at Witt. "We throw the candy to symbolize sweetness and we have just showered Jeff with sweetness and kindness," said Rabbi Perl after the candy was thrown.

At the end of the service, a "cup of life" ceremony was performed which, according to Rabbi Perl, "adds more Yiddishkeit to a simcha." Thirteen people presented a blessing to Witt and poured a cup of wine into a large 'cup of life' that all participants sipped. A party, including a buffet brunch and music, followed the ritual in the synagogue. Rabbi Perl will also present Witt with a free video of his bar mitzvah.

"My wife Mary Ann and I are very excited about this," said Witt. "I figure, if Kirk Douglas can have a bar mitzvah at 82, I can have one at 52."

In spite of his disabilities, Witt is highly motivated. He claims to have read the entire Americana encyclopedia and, in addition to being a history buff, he also collects coins, and paper money. Witt always celebrates Chanukah, the high holy days and Passover. Witt has worked for about 30 years first as a messenger and now as a porter at Waldbaums in Jericho.

"We appreciate the rabbi's generous gift of a bar mitzvah for Jeff," said Michael Mascari, Nassau AHRC Executive Director. "He has always shown his determination to achieve, and it is great that he celebrated this traditional event with family and friends."

Nassau AHRC, a non-profit organization, is in its 50th year of service. They serve 2,000 individuals from children to seniors with programs that help people with developmental disabilities live as independently as possible. AHRC is the largest provider of group residences in the state.

Rabbi Perl spent all week reaching out to people of all walks of life to encourage acts of kindness and good deeds to further help build a world of good. In addition to his generous donation to Witt, the rabbi presented "Recognition Ribbons" to schools and the community. The ribbons are decorated with the inspiring message, "Who I Am Makes a Difference". "In this simple, yet meaningful way, we will learn how important it is to stop what we are doing and thank people for being who they are," said Rabbi Perl.