Page 24 - Discover Israel Magazine - 2017 edition
P. 24
The Torah is passed from generation to generation
L’Dor v’DorMultigenerational Bar and Bat Mitzvah Celebrations in Israel
By Tova Gilead
Photos: Moshe Barazani
The first Bat Mitzvah celebration I try to make the rite of passage an event Shemer, performed for the first time by a
in the US was held on March that involves the child, the parents and the young Israeli soldier, Shuli Natan. I promised
18, 1922, when Judith Kaplan, grandparents.” Katie that when she turned twelve, I would
the daughter of Rabbi Mordecai take her to Israel to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah
Kaplan, founder of the Reconstructionist Our family trip to Israel turned out to include in Jerusalem of Gold. The image captivated
movement, turned 12. not three, but four generations, as my mother her, and she counted the years until she
in-law, Ruth Weiss, 93, decided to come turned 12 in 2008.
Sixty-eight years later, in August 1990, along for her great granddaughter’s Bat
Judith Kaplan and her husband Rabbi Ira Mitzvah. Ruth was born in New Haven, CT in Katie’s Bat Mitzvah took place at Robinson’s
Eisenstein, along with their daughter Ann, 1915 to immigrant parents who escaped the Arch, in the Archeological Garden of
celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson pogroms in Lithuania and came to the US at Jerusalem, amidst the stones of the
Aaron on Masada. They were one of many the turn of the century. In those days, it was Second Temple The service was moving
three-generational families who have not customary for girls to read from the Torah, in both its depth and simplicity. At the end,
travelled to Israel on my tours for a Bar or and so Ruth never had a Bat Mitzvah. Rabbi Boyden handed the Torah to great
Bat Mitzvah celebration. Since becoming a grandma Ruth, who transferred it to us, the
tour operator in 1982, my slogan has been: Ever since my granddaughter Katie was little, grandparents, then to the parents, and finally
“Three generations are my specialty, and I used to tell her about “Jerusalem of Gold” to the Bat Mitzvah girl, Katie. Rabbi Boyden
and play her the song of that name by Naomi then said, "A multi-generational Bat Mitzvah
24 D I S C O V E R I S R A E L
