Star-struck bar mitzvah boy meets his idol…

Max Osterman may only be 13 years old, but he has already realized a dream. He met–and hugged–one of his personal heroes, Hoda Kotb, co-anchor of Today.

Max celebrated his bar mitzvah this year. But his rite of passage looked a little different than most-he was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes insatiable hunger. In addition, he has special needs and studies in a self-contained classroom at Northwood Junior High School in Highland Park.

But Max is extraordinary because of who he is. “He is so charismatic, and people are just drawn to him,” his mother said. “Like many kids with special needs, he does well with adults. But relating to his peers is more challenging.”

Through an incredible amount of love, determination, and hard work on the part of Max himself, his family, teachers, and community, he thrives. However, his parents–Heather and Steve Osterman–knew that celebrating his bar mitzvah was going to be unique.

Not long before Max turned 13, Heather and Steve reached out to Keshet, a JUF partner serving people with disabilities. Keshet’s President and CEO Jen Phillips assured the Osterman family that she and her team would be there to support their family.

Phillips connected his family with Rabbi Benyamin Herst–a beloved music teacher in the community, who has worked with Keshet in various capacities for almost two decades.

“I cannot say enough about how kind and funny Rabbi Herst is. He and Max hit it off immediately,” Heather said. “He would come over once a week, and they would talk about the Jewish faith, and what it means to become a bar mitzvah.”

Temple Beth El in Northbrook also opened their doors to the Osterman family for his bar mitzvah ceremony–and this past summer, Max stood on the bimah (pulpit) and marked the milestone with his family.

Then it was time to have some fun. The Ostermans didn’t want to throw a typical bar mitzvah party–Max had a better idea. Ever since he was very young, he an Heather spent a lot of time at home. The Today show was always on, and Max loved it. “He said that one day he wanted to go there and meet Hoda,” Heather said. “Max was crazy about Hoda!” Through a friend of a friend who knew an NBC producer, they were able to get onto the Today plaza.

“Meeting Hoda was really cool…and I [got] to meet [my] favorite anchor,” Max said, still on cloud nine after the experience. “It just feels so cool to have that feeling, and to go on TV. The Today show is a special show. And that makes me really happy because I really wanted to meet her.”

Max and Hoda’s meeting went viral on social media. “It kind of felt like Hoda threw a big party for me,” Max said.

To learn more about Prader Willi-Syndrome, visit fpwr.org or tinyurl.com/OneSmallStep2023 .

Rochelle Newman Rubinoff is a freelance writer living in the northern suburbs of Chicago.