ANDOVER - The 12-year-old boy sat in the synagogue, looked out at the congregation, and waved. On a day when Jewish tradition marks the transition from boy to man, Matthew Emmi smiled often and moved his hands to the music of the Hebrew songs. When it was time for him to say a prayer before the Torah, he touched the screen of an iPad. Matthew is severely autistic and cannot read, write, or speak sentences. Several months ago, Suzanne and Michael Emmi decided their son’s autism would not prevent him from having a bar mitzvah.
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Comments
Absolutely beautiful! Congratulations to Matthew and his parents.
What a great story! Congratulations to Matthew and his family! Mazel tov!
Such a sweet story of accomplishment over what seems like huge odds. Congratulations and mazel tov to Matthew! Today you are a man and you showed others when it can sometimes can take to be a man and you are a child of God.
Where technology meets religion, meets compassion, meets love, meets happiness. Wonderful story.