Suffolk, NY - Teens Bar Mitzvah K'NEX Synagogues

Suffolk, NY - A 15-year-old from Suffolk, N.Y., has created models of synagogues from around the world with K'NEX pieces. They are on display at the Watson Children's Museum at the Alper Jewish Community Center.

K'NEX pieces, billed as the world's most creative construction toy, have achieved that distinction in the hands of teenager Jason Gross of Suffolk, N.Y.
As part of a project for his bar mitzvah, Gross used the building pieces to create replicas of 12 various synagogues from around the world, from the Synagogue of Worms in Germany to the Touro Museum in Rhode Island.
The models were shipped from New York to Florida and were on display at the Watson Children's Museum at the Alper Jewish Community Center in Miami.
Last June, Jason knew he would need to undertake a creative project for his bar mitzvah. He went to his rabbi, Ian Silverman of Suffolk City, N.Y., who suggested he construct two model synagogues. Jason was intrigued with the idea and decided to increase the scope of the project after his mother Terri Gross suggested he create a model as a centerpiece for each table at the event.
Ordinarily, the volume of K'NEX pieces required for such a project would be prohibitively expensive. But K'NEX donated nearly 1,000 pounds of construction pieces, and the vision became a reality.