Daily Podcasts Video Research

The first and second Jewish mayors of Providence, Rhode Island, just had a shared bar mitzvah

JL;DR SUMMARY Providence, Rhode Island witnessed an unusual communal and personal celebration as sitting Mayor Brett Smiley and former Mayor David Cicilline participated in a shared adult bar mitzvah ceremony at Temple Beth-El. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

CommunityConversionBar MitzvahTemple Beth ElRitualProvidenceDavid CicillineBrett Smiley

Places mentioned

Providence, Rhode Island, United States
"But last Saturday, as more than 700 people packed the pews at Temple Beth-El in Providence, Rhode Island, thats exactly what unfolded."
Haifa, Haifa District, Israel
"Among those in the audience was a cousin of Smileys on his grandfathers side from Haifa, Israel, who had traveled to the United States a week earlier for another commitment."
Michigan, United States
"the timing of the ceremony took on a special significance following the attack on another Reform synagogue, Temple Israel near Detroit, just days earlier."

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Cairo Item ID 78171
Cairo Source ID 42
Retrieved 2026-03-21 05:31:11 UTC
Curated 2026-03-21 08:30:30 UTC