When Jack Gorman began preparing for his bar mitzvah, the plan was simple and expected: the celebration would take place in Milwaukee, where he lives with his parents and older brother. But as the Jan. 24 date grew closer, life shifted in ways no one could have anticipated—and a 12½-year-old boy made a decision that would reshape the entire celebration.
Both sets of Jack’s grandparents live in St. Louis, a city that has long been the heart of the Gorman family. But travel had become increasingly difficult for them. Jack’s paternal grandfather, Alan Gorman, lives with Parkinson’s disease. His paternal grandmother, Shirley—known lovingly as “Baba”—had been hospitalized in October after a severe reaction to medication following sinus surgery, landing her in intensive care and leaving her unable to walk for weeks. On Jack’s other side, his maternal grandfather, Rick Glassman, was also facing health challenges that made traveling very difficult for him and his wife, Judy (aka grandma Mimi).
From a hospital bed in St. Louis, Shirley received a phone call she will never forget.
“Baba,” Jack told her, barely able to contain his excitement, “I have something important to tell you.”
She braced herself for anything—but wasn’t expecting this.
“I’m going to have my bar mitzvah in St. Louis.”
The decision, Shirley recalls, was Jack’s idea. “He wanted to be with family,” she said. “That was his choice—his decision. And he was so excited.”
Jack’s parents, Debbie and Andrew Gorman, described it as a family conversation rooted in love and respect. They talked through the challenges, considered the grandparents’ health and then brought the idea to Jack. He didn’t hesitate.
“Family means so much to me,” Jack explained. “My grandparents mean the world to me. They are always looking out for me, and they want me to be successful. It’s important for them to be at my bar mitzvah because they care about my Judaism and they have been looking forward to it. For them to show up shows that they love and care for me.”
For the Gormans, St. Louis is more than a convenient location—it’s home. Debbie and Andrew met as seventh graders at Parkway Central Middle School, later becoming high school sweethearts before finding their way back to each other years after college. Much of their extended family still lives in the area, and the city holds deep emotional meaning for them.
“The bar mitzvah is really about being together, having our family together,” said Debbie. “If we could bring it to St. Louis, that was a blessing. We feel very appreciative and grateful we can do this.”
The weekend celebration will include a Shabbat dinner on Friday night for close family and out-of-town guests, the bar mitzvah ceremony and kiddush luncheon on Saturday, and a Havdalah celebration that evening. The events are being held at the Clayton Plaza to accommodate kosher requirements, with three Chabad rabbis driving down from Milwaukee—Torah in hand—to officiate.
Jack’s Milwaukee community remains an important part of the story. Friends and members of the Shul Bayside will be there to celebrate with him, and Jack plans to mark the milestone again back home with a smaller gathering for his friends after hockey season ends.
There’s also a personal touch that makes Jack smile: the theme. A devoted St. Louis Cardinals fan, Jack has long insisted—despite growing up elsewhere—that the Cards are his team and St. Louis is his city. Holding his bar mitzvah there only strengthens that bond.
For Baba Shirley, the meaning is overwhelming.
“This is something we never thought we could all do,” she said. “It shows such compassion and warmth. Tradition is so important to these kids and to their parents. It’s just a happy story.”
