10 Reasons Israel Is a Meaningful Place for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah

December 31st 2013

The eternal homeland of the Jewish people, Israel has unparalleled emotionally arousing appeal as the place to be for any family planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. A meaningful ceremony and celebration can be matched with a tour of the Holy Land that includes equal parts Jewish spiritual heritage, ancient history and family vacation fun.

A Bar or Bat Mitzvah tour is a great way to help your child forge a lifelong connection with Israel and the Jewish people, at a formative stage of life when one’s identity is established. Why, you ask? Here are 10 different reasons to keep in mind when making your plans!

1: Any coming of age ceremony held in Israel, whether at the Kotel in the Old City of Jerusalem, at Masada, on a hotel rooftop or any other venue, helps make your child’s Jewish heritage come alive experientially.

2: While you’re touring the Holy Land, you’ll be exposing your rapidly growing youngster to the miracles of the modern State of Israel, as well as to the abundant antiquities that can be seen here.

3: You’ll be helping your child step out of the pages of the Bible and the history books. Their education will come alive here.

4: A Bar or Bat Mitzvah trip to Israel, where our history as a people came into its own, is the place where Jewish people connect most powerfully to our origins and traditions.

5: Your children will hear the Hebrew language, which they may already be studying, spoken on the streets and in the marketplaces.

6: Your child will be exposed to the rich and dynamic cultural life of Israel, including music, theatre, festivals and cuisines of all kinds.

7: In Israel, you child will meet Jews from all over the world who blend together in a rich array of cultures.

8: You’ll be able to sample dozens of varieties of kosher food (including kosher McDonald’s and Pizza Hut!) that simply aren’t available anywhere else in the world.

9: You’ll experience the widest possible range of choices in synagogue worship, widening your group’s perspective on global Jewish identity.

10: Whether you’re here for just one Shabbat or a major Jewish holiday, in Israel, your child will witness firsthand the way in which living according to the Jewish calendar is intertwined with Jewish life.

Whatever social cause speaks to your child, you’ll be able to integrate it with a mitzvah project to benefit Israeli society.

Bring your Bar or Bat Mitzvah child, your family and other guests to Israel – the place where Jewish life is at its most compellingly vibrant.