It also helped that guests at the celebrations were from around the globe, including Portugal, France and America.

Manchester Grammar School pupil Benjamin, who was barmitzvah at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, is the son of Giselle and Robert Williams, of Prestwich.

Also present were eight-year-old sister Natasha, brother Max, six, and grandparents Muriel Douek and Joe Douek.

Benjamin, a keen Monopoly player, also enjoys rugby and swimming.

Close cousins make it a double celebration

Picture: Phil Witcomb

FIRST cousins Sophie Berson and Lucy Adler celebrated their batmitzvahs at Beth Hamidrash Hagadol Synagogue.

Proud mums, sisters Tracey Berson and Helen Adler, are married to Julian Berson and Jonathan Adler.

Both families live in Alwoodley and the girls are pupils at the Grammar School at Leeds.

Sophie's hobbies include hockey, netball, shopping and socialising, while Lucy enjoys playing the piano, drama, hockey and netball.

Sophie and Lucy's great grandmother, Lila Philips, and grandfather, Michael Blac, together with Lucy's other great grandmother, Irene Edwards, and grandparents, Pamela and Michael Adler, attended the joint simcha.

Family from outside Leeds included Gillian Heron and Alex Daulby from Israel, plus family members from London, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Birmingham and Manchester

Sophie's brother, Sam, 10, attends the Grammar School at Leeds as does Lucy's brother, Max, 9.

Hayley was hypnotic for love-struck Steven

Picture: Howard Barnett

STEVEN LEIGH was hypnotised the first time he set eyes on Hayley Miles.

And he fell further under the clinical hypnotherapist's spell as he married her at Leeds' Etz Chaim Synagogue.

Hayley, daughter of Elaine and Raymond Miles, of Leeds, is a co-director of the Jewish Advice Service in Manchester, while Steven, a product supply planner, is the son of Hilary and David Leigh, of Whitefield, Manchester.

The couple are honeymooning in Thailand and settling in Whitefield, Manchester.

Jonathan's Ohio wedding

AFTER first meeting on Jewish dating site JDate.com, JONATHAN MISTOFSKY and AMY STEIN have tied the knot.

Jonathan, son of SHARMAN and ANTONY MISTOFSKY, of Glasgow, and Amy, daughter of BONNIE and JEFF STEIN, of Beachwood, Ohio, were both working in New York when they first got together.

They were married at the Beechmont Country Club in the bride's hometown of Ohio.

Best man was ANDREW BARNETT and groomsmen were HAL LIVINGSTONE and PETER SARSBY, while JENNY STEIN was maid of honour and LOIS MISTOFSKY a bridesmaid.

Guests travelled from across Europe and America. Joining in the celebrations were grandparents DAISY and GERALD WOBER and NORMA MISTOFSKY.

After a honeymoon in Hawaii, the couple are now living in New York.