Rites of Passage: Jewish twins to star in C4 surrogacy show with Grayson Perry

Jewish twins born through surrogacy and now living in Leeds are set to appear in a new Channel 4 documentary presented by artist Grayson Perry, airing next week.

The baby girls, Liron and Maayan, will feature with parents Sara and Kobby Gamzo-Letova, who turned to a surrogate after a ten-year struggle to have children.

The documentary, called ‘Rites of Passage,’ shows the couple meeting the surrogate, Laura, and features the family’s baby blessing ceremony, conducted by Rabbi Oliver Spike Joseph and the Leeds Masorti Community on 29 July.

“Having the honour of naming a new-born baby is phenomenal,” said Rabbi Joseph. “Having the privilege to name two baby twins at the same time is hard to beat.”

He said the surrogacy journey of the twins and the Gamzo-Letova family was “miraculous,” adding: “It was a joy to travel to Yorkshire to represent the Leeds Masorti Community and take part in this auspicious ceremony.”

The couple met Laura through Surrogacy UK. After a series of meetings to get to know one another, the trio decided that they would go ahead. While not all plain-sailing, the journey was well worth it, said the parents.

“The blessing for our twin daughters was a double celebration for us,” they said. “Not only was it an opportunity to welcome them into the Jewish faith, it was the culmination of a long journey for us to have a family.”

They paid tribute to Rabbi Joseph for “helping restore our faith in what it means to be part of a Jewish community,” a point picked up on by presenter Perry.

“What impresses is that you are willing to adapt,” Perry tells the rabbi. “The backbone of any religion is tradition, but there emerges an ambiguity when communities must respond to innovation in the modern world.

“The reed that bends in the wind will survive; if you are too rigid you will snap. Communities that do not show flexibility will ultimately fall.”

Rites of Passage will be broadcast starting on 23 August at 10pm on Channel 4.

The episode featuring the Gamzo-Letovas and Rabbi Joseph will be broadcast on 6 September.