Madonna’s youngest daughters, Stella and Estere, celebrated at their Bat Mitzvah this past weekend. The 12-year-old twins participated in the traditional Jewish ceremony with the help of their big brother, David Banda, and their famous mom.
On Sunday, Madonna shared a series of photos from the event on her Instagram Stories. One such image showed the iconic singer alongside her daughters at the bimah, observing a man read from the Torah.
Madonna’s 18-year-old son, David Banda, also played a significant role in the ceremony. He was photographed wearing a tallit and holding an open Torah above his head during the Hagbah, a tradition where the Torah scroll is lifted and dressed.
The Bat Mitzvah took place shortly after Stella and Estere’s 12th birthday on August 24.
To mark the occasion, Madonna posted a touching tribute on Instagram, writing, “Happy Birthday to my Twin Virgos! Estere and Stella!!! I blinked and you are almost teenagers.. Time is a ferocious Beast!! You are both SO FIERCE -talented-opinionated-and full of LIFE. Can’t wait to read the next chapter.. LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH !!”
The twins joined the Madonna’s family in 2017 when she adopted them from Malawi at the age of 5. In addition to Stella and Estere, the Material Girl is mom to Lourdes, 27, from her relationship with Carlos Leon; Rocco, 23, from her marriage to Guy Ritchie; and her adopted children David and Mercy, both 18.
Madonna has long been an advocate of Kabbalah, a mystical branch of Judaism. Back in 2013, Madonna’s son Rocco had his bar mitzvah at the Kabbalah Center in New York City.
In a 2015 interview, she discussed her spiritual beliefs, stating, “Am I Jewish? I mean, some people would say, well, you do a lot of things that Jews do, but I would say I do a lot of things that people did before Judaism existed. And I believe what I practise has to do with something deeper than religion, that it embodies all religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.”
