April 14, 2007 was the date of Ben's Bar Mitzvah. I didn't take pictures of the actual event, but once home, the tent was ready with tables and balloons with a laptop ready to show the Ben video and glasses, plates, ... as we measured the location of the video stand while the wait staff arrived and we admired this pole that would support us as Jane and Ben watched the video and Ed moved the shirts to where Sarah sat and the music stand was set as Jane gave her final approval for the video and the staff kept setting things up as Jane caught the end of the video and more setup was done both inside and outside the tent. Inside the house, there was setup and in the kitchen, there was much preparation

as the bartender lit the lanterns and we admired the entry with Sarah and Ed standing between the 2 sides of the steps the tent in back and the path down the driveway in the process of being lit so that guests would find the entry even as the Main Street truck had brought all the food and Ben and Sarah awaited the first visitors.

And soon enough, some of Ben's friends arrived led by Andy Ie and Jeremy Sordan who were facing the camera followed by Ann and Stan Jeff Nunokawa Ray and Andrea Sachetti Dan and Nancy Rubenstein and Adam and Nate Ash at which point, Stan took a picture of me before Lewis Siegel Ed and Claire Percarpio David Gespass Emily Shea and Carol and David Brown arrived. Next came the Kramer -- Josh, Renee Rory and Seva. And the neighbors, Doris Shea and Carol Mason followed by John Shea and Paul Dimaggio and then Carol Mason, John Shea and Paul Dimaggio who were followed by the Gespass family of Pittsburgh Janet and Erin Dobkin and Erin and Greg Dobkin then, Eric Dobkin Paige and Larry Dobkin and Peter Kramer who brought flaming torches for juggling. Next, there came Tony Klockenbrink Joel Straus and some friends of Ben, led by Kurran and Parker delivered by Audrey Straus.

While Will Dobbs-Allsop and Nate Ash stood outside Alan Straus emerged from the dark and in came Larry and Kathy Klockenbrink discussing whether I was or was not good at the NCAA pool which was interrupted when Harry Cummins and Carol Alter entered and talked to Kathy. Then we were back to relatives led by Dansyl Dick and Fran and Henry Leonard Gruber Ellen and Brian as Toba entered and then Toba was here paving the way for Carol Dembe and Stephen Field and Polly Strauss while Robert Levin took a call in the driveway. Richard and Lizzie Just arrived and then I captured the whole Just family before heading to the tent for the party. There Sarah and Ed were watching the proceedings as the other photographer worked and Ben was lifted into a chair and brought down. Next, Sarah was lifted and twirled around and finally, Jane was lifted and twirled as Josephine watched in the background and Jane and Jeff enjoyed their meal and spoke with Sylvia.

Next, Ed appeared (but not with flaming torches) and this movie followed ../../../Sabbat/2007/04.14-15.07BenBarMitzvah// before a final juggle which set me off to see the Mexican station and the person who was looking after it as Andy, Katy and Danny gathered and then Andy, Katy and Danny were joined by Debbie as Larry posed with Rory and then the Cummins/Alters were there and Larry talked to Michelle as Janet spoke with Erin and Tony Klockenbrink seemed to be enjoying time in the tent before Ann and Stan departed as did Adele and Vera while Alan Straus and the Percarpios chatted in the family room until it was time for the Percarpio family picture. This gentlemen in blue then arrived to remind us that it was near to 11PM and time to wind down the music, though he let us finish the hokey pokey that was going on. Bill Slaughter still had time to pose with Kurran and many of Ben's friends gathered near the basketball hoop to inhale helium before the last 2 artistic shots that told us it had been a long (and wonderful) day.