... and from the same story:

American adolescents and their families are increasingly traveling to the Caribbean's historic synagogues to mark the coming-of-age rituals that are among the most significant events in Judaism.

Jewish boys and girls typically participate in the ceremonies when they are 13 years old, when they go before their congregations to read from the Torah.

The St. Thomas Synagogue in the U.S. Virgin Islands has recorded a tenfold increase in celebrants in the last four years -- with reservations stretching into 2009, said Rabbi Arthur Starr. The congregation, which started serving the small Jewish community on the island near the end of the 18th century, oversees about 30 bar and bat mitzvah celebrations each year -- up from just two or three in 2002.

"We've never advertised that we do this. People just hear about it," said Starr, whose synagogue is a National Historic Landmark.

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