Michigan State Hillel

Day 7 - Saturday, December  22th

               Today was a very special day for numerous reasons. First, today’s breakfast was the only optional meal for the group. Although most of the group slept in, some of us did enjoy the breakfast that the hotel served. Following breakfast, there were two optional sessions. The first was meditation/ yoga and the second was bar/bat mitzvah review. I attended the bar/bat mitzvah review, so I cannot speak about the yoga/mediation session. Nevertheless, during the review session for the ceremonies we rehearsed the Aliyah Blessings, learned about the logistics of the ceremony, and talked about what should be in our speeches. After those two optional activities, the group had Shabbat lunch.

               After lunch, in a mad dash since there were long lines for food at the hotel dining hall, we all spilled into a room with the other bus from Ohio. Lizzie, Nathan, Jeremy, and I sat in the front row because we were the members of our group to have a bar/bat mitzvah today. I was nervous as ever since this was my first bar mitzvah ever.  Emmy helped me along with some Israeli soldiers for the proper reading of the blessing since my Hebrew is not the best. During the speeches from the Ohio State kids, they kept doing their chant, Oh-io. I knew that the first member of our group would have to do the Michigan State chant, Go Green-Go White. Nonetheless, I did not think that the first member of our group would be me.

               Before I put on the talit, I jokingly whispered to Felix “I was not suppose to be the first person from our group to be called up,”  and he just shrugged with a smile on his face. His calm demeanor brought a calm over me before I spoke the blessing that I had just learned how to say a few hours ago.  While I was doing the blessing for the talit, Maya the Israeli soldier who I chose to read the Torah portion came up. I read the first line of the blessing while shaking and speaking Hebrew very slowly. The congregation responded and I repeated the second line of the blessing and read the third  line of the blessing speaking very slowly and sometimes with help from Ester, the Hillel Birthright director. Nonetheless after Maya spoke from the torah, the Vayechi, I finished with the last portion of the blessing and went to stand in front of the Torah.

               Two members of the Ohio bus made their speeches directly before me and then I spoke. I had started to write something on my iPhone before lunch but I did not pull out from my iPhone, I wanted to speak from the heart. I started with a joke: “I’m glad you guys came, even though this was not optional.” I continued with my speech by mentioning that I am glad I had this amazing opportunity to have my Bar Mitzvah in the holiest city of Jerusalem.   I again made a joke with stating that Ester in the review session had said that we would say amazing so many times if we did not write out our speech and I proclaimed “that I had only said it once, well then twice.” But then the next sentence I began started with “amazing.” The room filled with laughter. I continued with my speech pledging to be more involved with Hillel and do more community service in my community. And of course I had to complete my speech with a “Go Green” chant.

               Lizzie, Nathan, and Jeremy had their bar/bat mitzvah following mine and did a wonderful job! Nathan and Lizzie had very sentimental speeches while Jeremy had a very funny but sincere speech; matching his personality. Following the ceremonies we had an activity run by the soldiers. We played dress up games and had dance offs between the boys and the girls. Following their activity, we did Havdallah.

               Succeeding Havdallah, Reuven Hazan gave an excellent speech regarding politics in Israel. He explained the differences between the American two party system and the Israeli five cluster groups that are composed of twelve individual parties. Although I find this quite interesting, some of the readers of this post may not, as some of the members in the audience were falling asleep, so I will spare the details. Following the speech we hoped on the bus and went to downtown Jerusalem and enjoyed our last night with our Israeli soldiers. Shopping bags, fun memories from the night, and sleepy faces piled onto the bus and headed back to the hotel. I will remember this day for the rest of my life and I am sure that Lizzie who had her first Bat Mitzvah today will as well. Nonetheless, our entire bus will remember this night as the last night with our great Israeli soldiers who have become a part of our family.

Aaron Walden