JDA_Magazine_PaperTurn_Sept 2025 - Flipbook - Page 28
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JOSH MALINSKY — THE FIRST DEAF BOY TO SIGN HIS BAR MITZVAH
On Saturday 10 May 2025, Tina Kelberman and Daryl Malinsky were the
proudest parents in the Jewish Deaf community when their son Josh made
history at his Bar Mitzvah — 昀椀ngerspelling his Torah portion using the
Hebrew sign language alphabet.
Mira Goldberg was there and told us: “I felt privileged to be at Josh’s Bar
Mitzvah. The whole ceremony was in BSL and it was amazing to witness Josh
reading the Torah portion using 昀椀ngerspelling, in Hebrew. He did very well!”
Clarisse Allshever writes:
I had the honour of
witnessing a very special
Bar Mitzvah.
Josh, the Bar Mitzvah
boy, comes from a
six-generation Deaf
family in London.
He spent months preparing for this, taught by
Vicki Ashmore, who is a British Sign Language
interpreter. It was a great coincidence that Vicki,
a former Orthodox Jew from New York (and now
living in London), happened to be available —
right time and right place!
Vicki’s deep understanding of tradition helped
guide Josh beautifully. She taught him to read his
Torah portion using 昀椀ngerspelled Hebrew letters.
A powerful journey.
The very captivating ceremony was a seamless
blend of:
■ English (recited by the Rabbi) transliterated into
British Sign Language
■ Hebrew signed into British Sign Language and
signed and mouthed (visually ‘lip’ mimicked) in
Hebrew
What a privilege to see and feel this kind of love
and connection.
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JDATogether — Issue 51 — September 2025
▲ Josh studying his Torah portion with
Vicki Ashmore
