Seven girls and a boy: East Bay Chabad welcomes fourth set of twins
(Video: Yaron Brenner)
Chabad emissaries to Castro Valley, California, Rabbi Shimon Gruzman and his wife Chani, have a reason to celebrate as they welcomed a fourth set of twins into their family: The couple now has two new twin daughters, named Miriam and Yocheved (Miri and Chevi).
Other stories:
In an interview with Ynet studio, Rabbi Shimon stated that although this unlikely scenario had repeated itself time and again, it did not dull the excitement at the Gruzman household one bit.
"When the first [set] one was born, we were surprised. And then the second set came, and then the third one and then the fourth – every time it’s as exciting as the first time,” he says.
For the other younglings, however, twin birth is already par for the course.
“The fourth time, I think I was a little less surprised than the ones before, though I was surprised. As my kids say, it was a given for them, they didn’t think twice,” Chani says.
Interestingly enough, Chani does not have any twins in her extended family, whereas Shimon has a younger twin brother and sister. The couple now has seven daughters and one son.
Do you have any tips for parents who find out that they have twins?
Chani: "Yes, my first advice is put your kids on a schedule. It is very important that you have a schedule for your kids. I remember with my first set thinking that this is going to be a breeze and then realizing that I have no time to do anything. And then once I got a schedule in, it made things much easier, so I always tell parents: ‘Put your kids on a schedule’.”
Shimon: "For the kids, as Chani said, it was more natural because that’s what they know. But the family, I could say that this set, it sounded like they were less surprised than the previous ones because it happened so many times."
Chani: "One of his sisters texted me, ‘You didn’t disappoint us’," she chuckles.
Shimon: Have a happy Lag BaOmer, it’s a time about unity of kids – so together all the children of Israel.
Mazel tov to the Gruzmans on the new addition to their family!