By Stacey Dresner
SIMSBURY - In March, when Daniel Miller of Simsbury celebrated his bar mitzvah at Chabad of the Valley in Simsbury, Rabbi Mendy Samuels called up to the bimah Jacob*, the 15-year-old foster child that has been living with Daniel's family.
Although he is Jewish, Jacob didn't have a Jewish education and hadn't had a bar mitzvah. But Daniel honored his foster brother in his bar mitzvah speech and presented him with a tallis.
"It was a very special moment," said Lynn Rynar, Daniel's mother and Jacob's foster mother.
Rabbi Samuels commended Rynar and her husband, Monte Miller, for taking Jacob in to their home.
"There is no greater mitzvah than to take in a child who unfortunately does not have a home or is having difficulties at home, especially when people already have their own children," said Rabbi Samuels. "I think it is a tremendous act of kindness."
Jacob made his way to the home of Rynar and Miller last December.
SIMSBURY - In March, when Daniel Miller of Simsbury celebrated his bar mitzvah at Chabad of the Valley in Simsbury, Rabbi Mendy Samuels called up to the bimah Jacob*, the 15-year-old foster child that has been living with Daniel's family.
Although he is Jewish, Jacob didn't have a Jewish education and hadn't had a bar mitzvah. But Daniel honored his foster brother in his bar mitzvah speech and presented him with a tallis.
"It was a very special moment," said Lynn Rynar, Daniel's mother and Jacob's foster mother.
Rabbi Samuels commended Rynar and her husband, Monte Miller, for taking Jacob in to their home.
"There is no greater mitzvah than to take in a child who unfortunately does not have a home or is having difficulties at home, especially when people already have their own children," said Rabbi Samuels. "I think it is a tremendous act of kindness."
Jacob made his way to the home of Rynar and Miller last December.
Miller had learned about Jacob - who was living in a shelter at the time -- through a friend who heard the child needed a home.
"This person said there was a Jewish boy in foster care and that they were really trying to find a Jewish family," Lynn said. "They said that he was really a great kid, with a lot of potential, and people were working very hard to place him in a home, and ideally, a Jewish home.
The Rynar-Millers seemed like the perfect place for the 15-year-old foster child. With three teenagers at home -- Ben, 17; Jourdan, 16; and 13-year-old Daniel - "We were living in an adolescent world," Lynn laughed.
"We were open to it and said we would meet him," she said.
The whole Rynar-Miller family went to a dinner at the Klingberg Center to meet Jacob and they all agreed, after meeting him, that they would give it a try.
"We hadn't really thought of doing it before this," Monte said. "But this seemed like a great opportunity. We wanted to feel like we were doing something good with our lives," commented Monte Miller.
The family became a respite care home first, because it was a quicker way to get the boy out of a shelter and into their home - and they then completed formal foster care training.
Since moving into Lynn and Monte's home, Jacob has gotten along well with the other kids - especially Daniel.
"They get along really well. They are constantly either playing together, or bickering together. They bonded almost immediately, which was nice and that is what I think encouraged us to think of this as a positive experience."
Lynn describes Jacob as "a good kid, honest and intelligent." He hates drugs and smoking and loves the New York Yankees and heavy metal music.
Before coming to live in Simsbury, Jacob's grades had suffered. But his latest grades have been all "A's" and a "B".
"He has a lot of potential and I think it would have been devastating if he had to stay in a shelter," Lynn said.
Monte said that Jacob is welcome to stay with them as long as he can, and that after he leaves, they would welcome other children as foster children.
Rynar said that she would encourage other Jewish families to become foster parents "if you have a strong, grounded family and if you are able to deal with some issues, and you have a good support system and good training, it can be a very positive experience."
*The child's name was changed to protect his privacy.
"This person said there was a Jewish boy in foster care and that they were really trying to find a Jewish family," Lynn said. "They said that he was really a great kid, with a lot of potential, and people were working very hard to place him in a home, and ideally, a Jewish home.
The Rynar-Millers seemed like the perfect place for the 15-year-old foster child. With three teenagers at home -- Ben, 17; Jourdan, 16; and 13-year-old Daniel - "We were living in an adolescent world," Lynn laughed.
"We were open to it and said we would meet him," she said.
The whole Rynar-Miller family went to a dinner at the Klingberg Center to meet Jacob and they all agreed, after meeting him, that they would give it a try.
"We hadn't really thought of doing it before this," Monte said. "But this seemed like a great opportunity. We wanted to feel like we were doing something good with our lives," commented Monte Miller.
The family became a respite care home first, because it was a quicker way to get the boy out of a shelter and into their home - and they then completed formal foster care training.
Since moving into Lynn and Monte's home, Jacob has gotten along well with the other kids - especially Daniel.
"They get along really well. They are constantly either playing together, or bickering together. They bonded almost immediately, which was nice and that is what I think encouraged us to think of this as a positive experience."
Lynn describes Jacob as "a good kid, honest and intelligent." He hates drugs and smoking and loves the New York Yankees and heavy metal music.
Before coming to live in Simsbury, Jacob's grades had suffered. But his latest grades have been all "A's" and a "B".
"He has a lot of potential and I think it would have been devastating if he had to stay in a shelter," Lynn said.
Monte said that Jacob is welcome to stay with them as long as he can, and that after he leaves, they would welcome other children as foster children.
Rynar said that she would encourage other Jewish families to become foster parents "if you have a strong, grounded family and if you are able to deal with some issues, and you have a good support system and good training, it can be a very positive experience."
*The child's name was changed to protect his privacy.
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