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B'nai Mitzvah Memories Of Israel
Home And Home
Julie Bleznak
Special to the Jewish News
im
y family and 700 of our newest
friends were lucky to be a part of
Federation's Family Miracle
Mission to Israel. It has been a life-changing
experience for me.
Here in Jerusalem, I was fortunate to
experience a b'nai mitzvah ceremony with
all of the young adults from Congregation
Shaarey Zedek. With the help of Rabbi
Jonathan Berkun and Rabbi Joseph Krakoff,
the ceremony was unforgettable.
The most special part for me was when
the rabbis unrolled the entire Torah and
every b'nai mitzvah stood next to their por-
tion. We danced the hora while our families
and the Torah surrounded us. Beyond the
glass dome, we could see the magnificent
walls of the ancient city of Jerusalem.
I felt a connection to my entire Jewish
community. Even though I was so far away
from Michigan, I felt at home. I
believe the other b'nai mitzvah felt
the same, as did their parents and
grandparents. You could see
smiles and tears on everyone's
faces, all at the same time.
Like most kids, before I came to
Israel I was more focused on the
celebration after my bat mitzvah.
When I arrived, I realized the joy
of being in a place where most of
the people believe what I believe.
I felt the warmth of being in a
place where Shabbat is respected
by everyone and celebrated as a
country. Being in Israel helped me to focus
on the religious ceremony. It helped all of us
to appreciate being part of the Jewish com-
munity ... not just my Shaarey Zedek com-
munity or my Detroit community, but also
the Israeli community and the whole world
of Jewish people.
When I see many of my new friends at
home, I know we will have bonded in a spe-
cial way. I hope other kids will have the
experience I did so that they will be remind-
ed what a b'nai mitzvah is all about. ❑
Julia Bleznak, 12, of Bloomfield Hills is in
the seventh grade at Cranbrook Kingswood
Middle School. She is a member of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek and was in
Israel with her parents, Mitchell and
Michelle, and her brothers Adam, 1Z and
David, 15.
A Heartfelt Experience
Michael Zausmer
Special to the Jewish News
hen I read from the Torah look-
ing out at the Old City with my
family, and with my grandfa-
ther's tallit over my shoulders, I felt proud
to be part of such a beautiful religion full
of history, strength and tradition.
It was even more exciting to share this
moment with my own rabbis from
Temple Israel. I made a pointer out of
paper to help me follow along in the
Torah, and Rabbi Harold Loss used it to
help the other kids with their portions.
Among my favorite things was shop-
liv
ping at the shuk (market) in Jerusalem
and the excitement of bargaining with the
shopkeepers. I loved how all of the shops
were close together along the old stone
streets. I felt like we were transported
back in time.
When we climbed Masada and listened
to our wonderful Israeli guide Rona tell
the sad story of how the Jewish people
sacrificed their lives for freedom, I felt
proud to be a part of such a strong and
courageous people.
I loved riding camels in the Negev with
the bedouins and seeing life in the desert
through their eyes.
Visiting an army base and meeting the
A Family Miracle
Emily Lisner
Special to the Jewish News
G
oing to Israel is a dream of all Jewish
people. Whether in present or
ancient times, Israel has been con-
sidered a very holy and sacred place. I feel
so privileged to be able to say that for my
bat mitzvah, I was fortunate enough to go to
the land of Israel.
I feel that celebrating my bat mitzvah in
Isfael was the most meaningful way to cele-
brate. From the top of Masada, to riding a
camel, to digging for artifacts, I felt that I
was truly a part of history. Having my bat
mitzvah service in Jerusalem will be a part
of my Jewish history. Having a bat mitzvah
in Michigan also was very meaningful, but
having a service in Israel made it that much
more complete.
In my six years of Hebrew school, my
teachers always referred to various places in
Israel. When they would talk about them, I
soldiers that protect Israel was definitely
a highlight of my trip. I was surprised
how young the soldiers were. and yet so
grown up.
Swimming and floating in the Dead Sea,
visiting the Ethiopian Jews, digging for
artifacts from lost civilizations and going
underground at the excavation site of the
Western Wall also were some of the many
things I loved on this trip. Seeing
the people praying at the Wall
made me feel so Jewish.
The trip was awesome and one
that I will never forget. I learned
many things about Israel's different
landscapes, people, culture and tra-
ditions, history and hardships.
My home is in Michigan and a
part of my heart is still in Israel. I
g never really got to plug in
any of my own experiences.
Now, by going on this trip, I
have built memories and
experiences that will last a
lifetime.
One experience that I will
never forget was our visit to
the Western Wall. Standing
next to a wall that was built
about 2,500 years ago was so
incredible.
Another experience that
was very meaningful was
when we went to visit the
Ethiopian Jews that are associated with the
PACT program. It was very nice to see where
contributions from the Federation go and
how it serves families to help them assimi-
late to Israeli culture. A lot of people are not
aware of hardships that the Ethiopians face
when they come to Israel.
I am glad I had this experience. I can now
say I have lived the dream of going to Israel.
Going on Federation's Family Miracle
Mission was truly a miracle to my family
and me.
❑
Emily Lisner, 13, of Bloomfield Hills is in
the seventh grade at Bloomfield Hills
Middle School. She is a member of Adat
Shalom Synagogue and was in Israel with
her parents, Howard and Tracey, and her
sister Alexandra, 10, and her
grandparents, Seymour and Anita Cywiak
of Farmington Hills.
can't wait to return again and again and
again
.
❑
Michael Zausmer, 12, of West Bloomfield
is in the seventh grade at Abbott Middle
School. He is a member of Temple Israel
and was in Israel with his parents,
Mark and Laura, and sisters Nicole, 16,
and Jessica, 15, and his grandmother
Martha Paul of West Bloomfield.