My daughter, Barbara, went to her ex-husband's nephew's bar mitzvah in London. Barbara and the child’s parents are very close.
The child was so worried and nervous about reading his Torah portion that two days before the big event he started having stomach cramps and was constantly throwing up. The parents understood his agony to be the reason for his behavior.
I did not send a present to the child. Instead, I sent a hamsa to the family. The hamsa was silver and in the shape of a hand, meant to bring protection. His mother, very smart and understanding, spoke to the bar mitzvah boy, asking him if he would like to keep this beautiful stone in his pocket, holding on to it, while he was reading the Torah. He said yes.
The Torah reading went on flawlessly. Everyone was and is happy.
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