Conference taveng::bagels

    First of all, what you are concerned with is _celebrating_ Joshua's
    reaching the age of bar mitzvah; he becomes a bar mitzvah simply by
    reaching the age of 13.  This does not require certification by
    any religious authority.

    One of the things that means is that he may lead the congregation as
    a shaliach tsibur and/or be called to read Torah.  Typically, what we
    do at a bar/bat mitzvah is celebrate this "first."  For a variety of
    reasons, Conservative/Reform/Reconstructionist Jews tend to do this on
    a Shabbat, while Orthodox/Hasidic Jews do it on a Monday or Thursday
    (when the Torah is also read publicly).

    Thus, what you need is a Sefer Torah and a place where you can gather a
    minyan.  I assume you don't have your own Torah scroll, so you will
    need to make some arrangements with a group in Israel.  If you want to
    do this in a place that is under the jurisdiction of the official
    rabbinate (e.g. the Kotel--the Western Wall), you may or may not have
    problems.  If you can make arrangements with one of the Conservative
    congregations (there is at least one in Jerusalem), you should be able
    to do pretty much what you want, although I suspect that a
    Monday/Thursday celebration will be easier logistically in Israel.

                                        Aaron

Sid,

Aaron makes the most important points about where difficulties might arise.

You should be able to get some information about how to make arrangements
in Israel by talking to your Rabbi.  He should have information about
Conservative organizations in Israel.

Gavriel

    I recall the last issue of the AJC tour brochure listing a Bar Mitzvah
    tour, or at least a tour that included provisions for making those
    arrangements.
    
    /Ed

    	If you can make it fit, another nice day to celebrate a Bar (or
    Bat) Mitzvah is Rosh Chodesh.  You have a Musaf service as well as
    Torah reading, giving more opportunity for honors than at a standard
    Monday or Thursday service.  I went to one once, where the Bat Mitzvah
    did the entire (Conservative) service herself, and it was impressive
    and moving.

    		David

re: .3

I second the AJC approach.  They will make ALL the arrangements for you (as
well as non Bar Mitzvah activities.

Waky

    Your rabbi ought to be able to get you all the information you need -
    the combined celebration sounds like a great family event!  On the
    other hand, there really could be authoritarian problems if you want to
    celebrate the Bar Mitzvah in Jerusalem.  A lot of people (who like
    things less formal) choose to celebrate Bar Mitzvahs in the ruins of
    the old schul on Masadah, which has a deep emotional connection for a
    lot of people anyways; I recall seeing several groups of people lugging
    Torah scrolls up Masadah when we were in Israel (I rode the tram; I was
    sick that day and couldn't manage the hike).
                                           

    I just had my son's Bar Mitzvah at the Kotel as part of our AJC tour. 
    The service was condunducted by the AJC affiliated Rabbii.  It was
    held on last Monday morning.  A few comments.  The cost is negigible
    $100.00 to AJC tour memebers.  The Rabbi has one very strong benefit. 
    He gets there first thing in the morning and gets the back right space. 
    The seperation wall between the men's and women's sections is shorter
    and the mother while standing on the other side can feel part of the
    service.  Otherwise the women have to stand on chairs to see.  I
    thought that the Rabbi laid on the schmaltz too thick, he did try to make
    it meaningful.  What upset me was the total crass commercialization of
    the service by many of the people there.  It was continually being
    approached for video taping, pictues, etc throughout the service. 
    Everyone had their hand out.  Bring plenty of small bills.
    
    Warren 
    

    Time for me to bring this note back to life.  Thanks to all for
    suggestions/ideas/information in the several replies.  I did follow up
    on many of them, but the bottom line seemed to be that since Joshua's
    13th birthday is in late 1993, it is not appropriate to celebrate his
    Bar Mitzvah there in the summer of 1993.  My parents still want to do
    something, and we'll probably fake it one way or another.
    
    However, as we are now a year and half closer to the event (for those
    who don't recall and don't want to go back to read .0, this is a
    celebration of my parents' 50th wedding anniversary and my father's
    75th birthday as well), I have finally realized that it's time to take
    a good hard look at the logistics of getting four families to Israel a
    year from June.  As with many things, finances will necessarily play an
    important role.
    
    My parents have been saving their Israeli bonds specifically to have
    them available to use for getting them to/from Jerusalem/Florida and
    the costs while in Israel, though it will still be very tight for them
    because of low interest rates today and living on a fixed income.  My
    sister, a professor, believes that she can cover (barely) the costs of
    her family (of three).  I have instituted a plan to cover my family of
    four.  Unfortunately, my brother, who is living off of an NSF grant
    right now and has a temporary faculty position at CU Boulder for the
    next year, will have essentially *no* money for his family of four. 
    That means that my sister and I will have to pick up the slack.
    
    Given this, we need to fully understand the costs of staying for a week
    or two in Israel.  I've begun looking at air fares, but I was hoping
    that someone in Jerusalem could give me some idea of what it would cost
    for a group of 13 (8 adults and 5 children ranging in age from 2 to 15)
    to have reasonable accommodation.  Are there alternatives to hotels? 
    If so, how does one find them?  If hotels are the only answer, would we
    be able to find lower-cost hotels than a travel agent would know about?
    How expensive are car rentals and are they even necessary?  I've not
    been in Israel since 1975, and I hitchhiked nearly everywhere then,
    with the occasional Egged ride.  This will clearly not be appropriate
    now.
    
    We are not looking for luxury.  Clean and safe are our primary
    concerns.  Any suggestions are welcome.  If it matters, I am in
    Colorado Springs, so references to places in Massachusetts may not be
    particularly helpful.  Thanks.
    
    Sid

    Let me suggest some alternatives to making your own arrangements and
    paying full fare for each portion (air, hotel, car, etc.) of the trip:
    
    1.	There are some tour agencies who specialize in packages for Israel,
    	including all expenses at a reasonable price.  ISRAM and American
    	Jewish Congress are two to consider.  They buy blocks of airplane
    	tickets and hotel rooms, so the cost is low.
    
    2.	Contact your local Federation about family 'missions' to Israel.
    	You will have to make a nominal donation, but the complete price
    	will be low (the costs of the trip are subsidized).  As example,
    	our local Federation ran a 'first timers' mission for 10 days, all
    	inclusive (air, hotel, tours, meals) for less than $1000 with a $500
    	minimum donation (per family).
    
    3.	There are agents who do bar mitzvahs in Israel, including the trip
    	itself as a tour package.  I know of one here in Northern NJ that
    	does that and will send you the name if you want (I have NO
    	connection with the business).
    
    Setting up your own trip is the most expensive way to go.
    
    	-Barry-
    

    re: .-1
    
    Time to show my ignorance:
    
>    1.	There are some tour agencies who specialize in packages for Israel,
>    	including all expenses at a reasonable price.  ISRAM and American
>    	Jewish Congress are two to consider.  They buy blocks of airplane
>    	tickets and hotel rooms, so the cost is low.
    
    What is ISRAM?
        
>    2.	Contact your local Federation about family 'missions' to Israel.
>    	You will have to make a nominal donation, but the complete price
>    	will be low (the costs of the trip are subsidized).  As example,
>    	our local Federation ran a 'first timers' mission for 10 days, all
>    	inclusive (air, hotel, tours, meals) for less than $1000 with a $500
>    	minimum donation (per family).
    
    What is a local Federation?  I am in Colorado Springs.  There's not
    much of a local anything that is Jewish around here.  We have a schul
    that I won't say much about, given a certain adage I like to observe
    when I can, and a chavurah that is excellent, but hardly a Federation.
    Oh, yes.  There's Chabad, but I don't like the rebbe.  My guess is that
    there's probably a Federation in Denver if there's any in the Rockies. 
    Is there a fuller name I could use to look in the Denver phone book?
        
>    3.	There are agents who do bar mitzvahs in Israel, including the trip
>    	itself as a tour package.  I know of one here in Northern NJ that
>    	does that and will send you the name if you want (I have NO
>    	connection with the business).
    
    All things considered, I don't think is really an alternative now.
        
>    Setting up your own trip is the most expensive way to go.
    
    Sigh.  Given the few places I've called and some personal mail I've
    received (thanks, Malcolm), I think I'm coming to agree with this
    statement.

    Anyway, thanks Barry, and I'll await finding out what these
    organizations are that you refer to.
    
    Sid

I know an American rabbi, now living here in Jerusalem, who has organized many
bar mitzvahs for families visiting from the States.  Based on what he's told me
about this work, I believe that he could organize what .8 is asking for.  (He
officiated at my wedding, so I can vouch for his skills in running a ceremony
of this kind.)

If the author of .8 (or anyone else) is interested in contacting this rabbi,
send me mail.

    Denver Federation-
    
    	(303) 321-3399
    
    
    Israel Board of Tourism (NY office)
    
    	(212) 560-0620
    
    
    check 1-800-555-1212 (information) for
    
    	ISRAM tours
    	American Jewish Congress
    
    
    -Barry-