We are hearing more and more about families who are going to Israel to celebrate their child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
Israel Maven Tours is the company that helped organize the trip and Bar Mitzvah for Natalie Weiss’ son Boaz. They are from Los Angeles, California and she tells us, “We could not have predicted how meaningful this experience would be for our entire family. Overall, hosting lone soldiers added tremendous meaning to our simcha. We really can’t imagine the experience being the same without having them join us.”
Here’s more of their experience written by Mitzvah Mom Natalie.
As our son Boaz’s Bar Mitzvah was nearing, we asked our Rabbi to speak to Boaz about a possible Tzedakah Project. Boaz picked Lone Soldier Center (www.lonesoldiercenter.com) in Jerusalem.
Bar Mitzvah boy Boaz Willis
For a while now, Boaz has said he wants to serve in the IDF, so this organization seemed fitting. We contacted Lone Soldier Center and asked if soldiers would be available to chat with us if we stopped by the center during our visit to Israel. That’s when Tziki asked us if we would host soldiers for Boaz’s Shabbat Bar Mitzvah. We could not have predicted how meaningful this experience would be for our entire family.
Izzy, Charles, David and Levi joined us for Friday night dinner at Kibbutz Ramat Rahel. They each sat at different tables with our guests. Toward the end of the meal, all the soldiers addressed our guests to tell them a little about themselves and why they decided to serve in the IDF. This was incredibly moving.
Soldier Izzy Ezagui
Izzy had lost an arm in Operation Cast Lead when he was hit by a mortar. He knew immediately that he wanted to return to his duties. He worked hard in rehab and, incredibly, is now a combat soldier again, despite having only his right arm!
Charles and David had both served approximately 1-1/2 years and Levi was spending his first Shabbat in the army with us. Izzy shared some of the important services that Lone Soldier Center provides including adoptive families, Shabbat meals, holiday celebrations, apartment rentals and connecting them with visitors like us.
David and Levi stayed all of Shabbat. Throughout the evening and next day, we all got to know each other. In fact, we had such an enjoyable time hanging out with David and Levi that we invited them to our dessert reception at Beit Ticho after Shabbat ended. We weren’t sure if they had had enough of us, but they joined us! We traded contact information and already Boaz is Facebook friends with Levi.
Everyone had their own personal story, but all of them had a strong desire to do something to keep Israel strong. Only Izzy had his family in Israel with him—they made aliyah after he started the army. Charles, David and Levi had no family in Israel and came on student visas. They were in the middle of their service and had not made a decision as to whether or not they would remain in Israel when they finished serving. They were all grateful to Lone Soldier Center and Tziki Aud who works so hard on behalf of so many. He is also an inspiration to us.
Overall, hosting lone soldiers added tremendous meaning to our simcha. We really can’t imagine the experience being the same without having them join us.
Thank you Natalie for sharing your experience in Israel with our readers!
For more information on how Israel Maven Tours can set up a similar experience for your family, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
