Robert Zimmerman, who would later become known worldwide as Bob Dylan, was born and raised in Hibbing, Minnesota. Zimmerman played in several bands as a teenager, and one of the places where he performed was the Androy Hotel in his hometown.
Bob Zimmerman’s Bar Mitzvah (בר מצוה) celebration at the age of 13 was at the Androy Hotel, 502 East Howard Street, Saturday 12 June 1954 (not Wednesday 22 May) with 400 guests. This was large for a Bar Mitzvah in Hibbing.
Many relatives were present. They had old country names like Zigman Zimmerman, Chana Greenstein, Shabsie Solemovits, and Lybba Edelstein.
Bob had prepared for his Torah and Haftorah readings with Reuben Maier, an Orthodox rabbi from Brooklyn.
- Torah: The Torah, also known as the Five Books of Moses or Pentateuch, is the central reference of the Jewish religious tradition. It consists of five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Torah contains a mix of narratives, laws, and ethical teachings. It is written in Hebrew and is traditionally believed to have been given directly to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. The Torah is the primary document of Judaism and is read in its entirety in a cycle throughout the year during weekly synagogue services.
- Haftarah: The Haftarah is a series of selections from the books of the Nevi’im (“Prophets”) that is publicly read in synagogue as part of Jewish religious practice. The Haftarah reading follows the Torah reading on each Sabbath and on Jewish festivals and fast days. The Haftarah is typically thematically linked to that week’s Torah reading, offering further insights, interpretations, or context.
The Androy Hotel was built in the 1920s and was a hub of social life in Hibbing for many years. Zimmerman performed there several times in the late 1950s, before he left Minnesota for New York City, where he would soon make a name for himself as Bob Dylan.
Performing in places like the Androy Hotel was part of Dylan’s early musical journey, where he was exposed to a variety of musical styles and gained valuable performing experience. These early experiences would help shape the artist he would become.
