4 | JULY 22 • 2021 

PURELY COMMENTARY

for openers
No Israeli Child
Left Behind ...
E

veryone knows how Israelis 
take care of one another as if 
everyone is one big family. Here 
is a story about exactly that.
The invitation culture in Israel is such 
that parents invite friends to their son’s 
bar mitzvah or daughter’s 
bat mitzvah, and no one is 
expected to respond. There 
are no seating cards, so 
when they arrive, everyone 
just sits at any table. 
The problem is that the 
parents have no idea who 
is actually coming to the 
party and who is not.
 Occasionally, things go wrong. 
Maybe it’s a bad date because everyone 
is away at a different event or trip, or 
the child is simply not very liked by his 
peers, and nobody wants to come.
But when this happens, Israelis show 
us their lovingkindness for strangers. 
Someone from the event hall — the 
caterer or the DJ — posts a message 
on large Israeli Facebook groups, both 
local and national, and people from all 
over come to celebrate with the boy or 
girl. They bring gifts, they dance, they 
eat and they simply show up so the 
child doesn’t have to celebrate alone.
Here are four Facebook posts I have 
translated from one such occurrence 
this summer:

#1
Attention residents of Modiin and 
surrounding areas: Currently, there is a 
bar mitzvah happening in the Move-It 
hall in Yishpru [an area of Modiin]. No 
kids came to the event to celebrate with 
Itamar.
Anyone from the area who can come 
over and celebrate with him will be 
blessed. Come make this event the 
happiest it can be!
We are counting on you, please share 
with as many people as you can!

#2
Many kids and parents have arrived 
at the bar mitzvah at Move-It. Within 
half an hour, the hall is packed with no 
more room, and outside it’s also full 
and nobody else can enter.
It’s amazing how quickly everyone 
has mobilized!

#3
The nation of Israel at its best! Simply 
champions and angels!
We are in Yishpru in Modiin at 
Move-It and thousands of people have 
arrived to celebrate with a bar mitzvah 
boy after an announcement that there 
were no guests. 
So very moving! They are already 
blocking the entrance.
Friends, good for you! No one else 
needs to come.

#4
No more posts about empty event halls. 
I am volunteering with a lot of love.
To all the parents who are making 
parties for their children and including 
friends from school: You invite the 
children, and before the event, we will 
make sure to remind the parents and 
get a good picture of the situation so 
we can help solve the issues before the 
event, so that all the children come.
Send me a message, and in the 
coming days, I will give you the phone 
number.
Free, without charge. Just 
volunteering. 

Aviva Zacks is a former Akiva (now Farber) 

Hebrew Day School teacher who made aliyah 

to Israel. She reports from Israel for the Detroit 

Jewish News.

Aviva Zacks
Contributing 
Writer

#4

 

 

 

