Abroad
ISRAEL Continued from Page 23
BAR-BAT MITZVAH
FAMILY TOURS
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Israel.] It was my dream or commitment to have his Bar Mitzvah
there since he was a baby.”
Ames had the help of a rabbi in Israel, Peretz Rodman, who has
experience helping Americans plan for this ceremony in Israel.

Rodman organized the ceremony for them, so the Ames family
basically just had to show up.

All three boys had their Bar Mitzvah ceremonies at the Kotel.

Rodman led the ceremony for the Ames family, while cousins in
the Lindenberg and Miller families who work as cantors or singers
led their respective ceremonies.

Elijah Ames had his ceremony at Robinson’s Arch, the south-
ern excavation site of the Kotel, where they could have an egalitar-
ian service. Both Uriel Miller and Ilan Lindenberg had theirs in
the men’s section.

Lindenberg did a lot of research going into this Bar Mitzvah, so she
knew that they needed to get there early, at about 7 a.m., to reserve a
table, which are on the men’s side for placing the Torahs. The Kotel gets
especially crowded on the days when Bar Mitzvahs can occur there —
Mondays, Thursdays, the first day of the Hebrew month and the inter-
mediary days of Sukkot and Passover. Having an early service also
helps avoid Israel’s heat. By 8:30 a.m., they had finished the service.

Between the warm weather and making sure her guests found
the right spot, Miller thought planning the ceremony at the Kotel
was the most difficult part of the Bar Mitzvah. She was prepared
for that, though, which was key to making sure it ran smoothly.

Lindenberg and Ames both went out to eat at a restaurant after
the ceremony with their families.

Lindenberg’s family also held a Shabbat event that Friday evening.

Again, figuring out the logistics for that from the Philadelphia area
was difficult, but having family in Israel helped. Her family arranged
for a space to hold the event at a local hotel, even though they weren’t
staying at the hotel. (Lindenberg and her family stayed in apartments
through sites like Airbnb.com and Homeaway.com, a cheaper alter-
native to hotel rooms that also gave them the option of having a kitch-
en and saving on meals.)
For Ames, planning a Bar Mitzvah in Israel was easier than
anticipated. Part of that ease came from the relative smallness
of the celebration. They only had their close relatives at the Bar
Mitzvah, for a total of 11 people.

“There are certainly a lot of ways to celebrate a Bar or Bat
Mitzvah, but it just seemed that that would be something that
[Elijah] and the rest of the family would remember forever,” Ames
said. “It would just be a great experience for all of us.”
After Uriel Miller’s Bar Mitzvah ceremony, Isabelle Tahar Miller
arranged transportation to Olmaya, an event space “with an absolutely
mesmerizing view,” she said, where they held the celebration. She visits
Israel about once a year, so she had picked out the Olmaya on a previous
trip there. About 120 people attended the Bar Mitzvah.

Olmaya helped put Miller in touch with a photographer, DJ
and decorator for the celebration.

And, of course, while they were in Israel, all three families spent
some time traveling through the Jewish state.

“The experience and the memories are totally worth is,”
Lindenberg said. “I wouldn’t change it for a thing. You got to do
your research. Everyone, especially with networking and social
media and everything, you can always post questions. There is
always advice out there.” ❤
RRayzel@Shechinah.com szighelboim@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0729
24 OCTOBER 25, 2018
SIMCHAS JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



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Asya Zlatina and Sam Nemirovsky celebrated their marriage at
the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront.

CLASSIC PHOTO AND VIDEO
JOSHUA NEEDELMAN | JE STAFF
F or young couples, honeymoons are an opportunity to explore
the world, leave behind the grind and enjoy the early days of
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25