Israel Bar Mitzvah Event Planning
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Looking for party ideas for your son's Bar Mitzva or Hanachat Tefillin (ceremony of an almost Bar Mitzvah boy putting on tefillin for the first time) in Israel?
For a traditional weekday celebration, plan tefillat shacharit (morning prayer services) at the kotel with breakfast to follow in the Old City . You can also offer your guests a tour of the Old City or of the Kotel Tunnels. For an educational celebration, consider doing the party through Machon HaMikdash—a tour of their museum, a festive meal in an authentic ancient atmosphere, craft projects, dress-up clothes (for adults too!), and birkonim are all part of the package. Also on the educational track is Mini Israel--in addition to their guided tours, they also offer special children's activities. You can celebrate in one of Israel’s beautiful national parks such as Masada and Tzippori; however, due to the myriad of logistics involved, we recommend hiring an event planner.
For something totally different, consider a desert safari excursion at Ein Gedi. No matter where you celebrate, add fun to your party with game machines and laser tag. We can offer some great entertainment ideas, such as a juggler, musician, balloon twister, magician, or "kosher DJ." Consider bringing your son’s Torah portion to life with characters from the Parsha, who mingle with your guests and engage them in conversation. Or you can re-create a time period in history with an authentic atmosphere and food, dramatic encounters with figures from the past, workshops, etc.
If you are planning a Shabbat bar mitzvah, we can recommend some excellent tour operators who offer terrific pricing on hotels. For larger groups (and of course smaller ones as well!), Ramat Rachel in Jerusalem and Kibbutz Lavi up north are extremely accommodating and pleasant. Make sure that you order hotel room gift baskets for all your guests--tefillin shaped spice boxes, custom bar mitzvah cookies, and custom bar mitzvah chocolates are also great party favors. More ideas are photo lollipops, magnetic party favors , and promotional clothing party favors such as shirts, pants, hats, bottle holders, tote bags, etc.
If you are interested in touring either with your immediate family or with your extended family, we can recommend some great tour guides. To add more action to your trip, you can go rappelling, zip-lining, or jeeping . These activities can also be part of the bar mitzvah party itself for the adventurous at heart. If you are expecting guests from outside of Israel, take a look at our section on places to stay.
If you are looking for bar mitzvah oriented things to do, you can watch a tefillin writing demonstration. You can also arrange a tour of the techelet factory or do a techelet marine tour (summer months only); it is interesting for the young and old alike. In addition, you can tour the factory of Tefillin Beit El, which is a very appropriate Bar Mitzvah activity.
Please feel free to contact us at Celebrate Israel with any questions that you may have and we will be happy to answer them free of charge. If you need more comprehensive event planning help, we also offer reasonable hourly rates on our professional event planning services, so please ask us for a quote!