Bar and Bat Mitzvah in Israel: The Ultimate Family Sourcebook, by Deborah Rosenbloom and Judith Isaacson Browse and buy the book! Updated contact information will be sent upon request by e-mail. Main Page Intimate Israel Tour & Learn Portrait Of An Artist Lend-A-Hand Featured Author Hands-On Workshops Bookshelf Whimsical Excursions Whimsical Excursions has been temporarily discontinued after Issue 35 #1#2#3#4#5 #6#7#8#9#10 #11#12#13#14#15 #16#17#18#19#20 #21#22#23#24#25 #26 #27 #28 #29 #30 #31 #32 #33 #34 #35 #36 #37 #38 #39 #40 #41 #42 #43 Subscribe About Us Contact Us Links Awards Double-Pronged Mitzvah 7: Gifts and More Gifts 6: Ben's Teffilin Tiyul 5: Bar Mitzvah Gibush Bar Mitzvah in the Wake of Terrorism 4: The Magic Age of 13 3: Ben's Bar Mitzvah 2: Ben's Bar Mitzvah Lila's Bat Mitzvah. 1 New Online Diary: Ben's Bar Mitzvah Online Diary of a Bat Mitzvah Planning Parent Post Bat Mitzvah Reflections Tell A Friend 24/6 Event Planners in Israel

Diary of a Bat Mitzvah Planning Parent Post-Bat Mitzvah Reflections...

Well, it seems unreal but the Bat  Mitzvah is over and we're back home -- and all agree that the Bat Mitzvah was a success by every measure. Most importantly, my daughter was thrilled with the entire event -- it was more fun, more interesting, and more meaningful than she had ever imagined it would be. The magical time began with the fun of greeting old friends and cousins and meeting new babies. Our delight increased even more when my beloved nephew, in his newly-issued army uniform, arrived unexpectedly just for this occasion. We piled excitedly into the jeeps for a bumpy ride into the desert.  It was a clear and cold night and there in the desert we saw the sun set,  we saw the moon rise and the heavens above us filled with stars lighting up the infinite darkness. The desert air was cold and after an abundance of good food, wine,  roasted marshmallows and matzah we snuggled into our cabins emerging seven hours later for morning prayers. At the women's prayer service it was very interesting to realize how hesitant some of us were in this new role. But we each did our assigned part at leading the service, shook tambourines during Hallel,  threw candy at the Bat Mitzvah girl after she read from the two Torah scrolls, and  listened intently to the D'ivrei Torah delivered by Ruti M. and Judy M. The comraderie that had developed during the previous evening's adventure carried us through the service and raised the level of spirituality to a new height. The following day a small group of us helped preserve the delicate ecosystem of the Coral Reef in Eilat by doing both an underwater - and a beach-cleanup. The beach was filled with families camping out for Pesach. Plastic bags and other garbage that had been carelessly discarded soon filled over seven large trash bags.  While initially our efforts were ignored by the campers, eventually people began putting their own trash into our bags. After two hours, we felt good, the beach was clean, and who knows, we may even have changed a few people's behavior. A perfect Bat Mitzvah that met the criteria we had mapped out several years before: prayer and food, a Torah tie-in adventure and a mitzvah project. This  powerful combination delivers both an unmistakable message of positive values and makes a terrific celebration! Read the article by Judy Labenson To plan your child's rite of passage, contact my 24/6 planners Text by Deborah Rosenbloom

Diary of a Bat Mitzvah Planning Parent Post-Bat Mitzvah Reflections...

Well, it seems unreal but the Bat  Mitzvah is over and we're back home -- and all agree that the Bat Mitzvah was a success by every measure. Most importantly, my daughter was thrilled with the entire event -- it was more fun, more interesting, and more meaningful than she had ever imagined it would be. The magical time began with the fun of greeting old friends and cousins and meeting new babies. Our delight increased even more when my beloved nephew, in his newly-issued army uniform, arrived unexpectedly just for this occasion. We piled excitedly into the jeeps for a bumpy ride into the desert.  It was a clear and cold night and there in the desert we saw the sun set,  we saw the moon rise and the heavens above us filled with stars lighting up the infinite darkness. The desert air was cold and after an abundance of good food, wine,  roasted marshmallows and matzah we snuggled into our cabins emerging seven hours later for morning prayers. At the women's prayer service it was very interesting to realize how hesitant some of us were in this new role. But we each did our assigned part at leading the service, shook tambourines during Hallel,  threw candy at the Bat Mitzvah girl after she read from the two Torah scrolls, and  listened intently to the D'ivrei Torah delivered by Ruti M. and Judy M. The comraderie that had developed during the previous evening's adventure carried us through the service and raised the level of spirituality to a new height. The following day a small group of us helped preserve the delicate ecosystem of the Coral Reef in Eilat by doing both an underwater - and a beach-cleanup. The beach was filled with families camping out for Pesach. Plastic bags and other garbage that had been carelessly discarded soon filled over seven large trash bags.  While initially our efforts were ignored by the campers, eventually people began putting their own trash into our bags. After two hours, we felt good, the beach was clean, and who knows, we may even have changed a few people's behavior. A perfect Bat Mitzvah that met the criteria we had mapped out several years before: prayer and food, a Torah tie-in adventure and a mitzvah project. This  powerful combination delivers both an unmistakable message of positive values and makes a terrific celebration! Read the article by Judy Labenson To plan your child's rite of passage, contact my 24/6 planners Text by Deborah Rosenbloom