Our Trip to Israel - Sukkot 2024 Celebrating Aly’s Bat Mitzvah

“CELEBRATE WE WILL ‘CAUSE LIFE IS SHORT, BUT SWEET FOR CERTAIN”

We came to Israel to celebrate Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and my daughter Alexandra's Bat Mitzvah. Many of our guests who were supposed to join us canceled, and although I was extremely sad about it, I knew we had to go on this trip and make it that much more meaningful.

Our trip started with the flight attendant welcoming all the soldiers on the plane going to fight in Lebanon, praying for them to return healthy and complete, and praying for the return of the hostages- all in Hebrew and English!  

Every trip we take to Israel is amazing- every time we leave, it's hard to leave. This trip was different for me, as I felt we gave back as much as possible, and more than ever before. 

We went to 3 shivas during our trip- each with its own story, and one more heartbreaking than the next. We didn't personally know the mourners, or their loved ones who had died, but it is clear to me that we are all a part of Am Yisrael, the nation of Israel. Each soldier gave the ultimate sacrifice of themselves, for us to live a better life. For me, going to their shiva and paying our respects, is the least I could do.

We made welcome baskets for our guests including the representative 7 crops of Israel. We also purchased items from people who have lost a lot of business due to the war both in Judea and Samaria, and the North.

We started off with a stop at Pantry Packers, where as a group, we packed about 1000 bags of food to give out to people all over Israel, and had fun while doing it. On the way home, we stopped at a gas station, saw some soldier coming home for the holiday, and bought him whatever he was buying at the cash register- just a small way to say thank you for what he does for us. This was the start of our amazing trip to Israel.

The holiday of Sukkot just felt right, as Sukkot truly is meant to be celebrated in Israel.  Sukkot is the end of the date harvest- where the Schach and Lulav (parts of the palm tree) come from.  It’s also our ‘fall,’ signaling the transition from summer to winter. We pray for rain at the end to move from the dry season where we harvest to the wet season where we plant. In Miami for example, Sukkot is celebrated during hurricane season, and praying for rain seemingly makes no sense- this is what I mean when I say Sukkot is meant to be celebrated in Israel. The weather during Sukkot in Israel is always perfect. 

My daughter led a tunnel tour at the Western Wall. Here, you feel the significance and importance of being able to openly celebrate as a Jew. She participated in an archeological dig where they regularly find remnants of our Jewish history, connecting us to our Jewish heritage and homeland almost daily. My father celebrated his bar mitzvah in Israel in 1973, right before the Yom Kippur War. 51 years later, his granddaughter celebrated with him in the same place. 

WE Shabbat dinner and lunch, followed by a walking tour, not too far away, where we continued to learn the history and heritage of the Jewish people. We are a part of something bigger than just us. 

We invited other Bat Mitzvah girls who had lost a brother or father since October 7. We packed special gifts for them, and wanted them to come and enjoy a Bat Mitzvah celebration. There were so many stories to be told at this party. Many of our local friends came alone with their children, as their husbands serve in the reserves. Some people there had come back from fighting in Lebanon the night prior. We had new and old friends, people of all ages, from different stages of our lives, all together in one place, with one purpose: to come together and celebrate. It felt, as they mingled and blended, they told the story of Am Israel. We must celebrate the good times- the bad times always come on their own. It’s important to take a moment and celebrate the good. 

The last day of the Bat Mitzvah tour, to me, was the most significant. It was a visit to the south, “Otef Aza.” This was my 3rd trip since October 7, and this one felt a bit more hopeful. This one had the feeling of- we are here, we recognize and thank those we lost. Our spirit is stronger than anything, and we will not be broken. 

We started our day just driving to the south, understanding geographically where we were and what happened on that awful day. We stopped in Sderot and visited a lookout point called Givat Koby. From here you understand geographically what happened on October 7, as well as see the actual proximity of Gaza. We continued our drive south through many of the kibbutzim that were targeted on that day, as well as the Car Memorial, and the Nova Festival. Not for one second do we forget the hostages still being held in Gaza. But what was different than last time, is this specific day carried on that hope to rebuild, understand the agriculture here, and continue to support our brothers and sisters in Israel. 

We went to a farm in Moshav Magen, which produces the best carrots and potatoes in Israel. We went to Moshav Tkuma and picked delicious raspberries. From there we went to an amazing artist workshop, where visitors have not been in over a year. If you visit this area of Israel, I cannot recommend it enough. They sang and danced while we all enjoyed the workshop.  We ended the night with a BBQ where we invited soldiers who were fighting on the front lines of Gaza.  It was an absolutely magical day and a perfect end to the Bat Mitzvah celebration. 

The only option we have is to move forward, and look towards a better future. The quotes you see in Israel now are “Ad Hanitzachon,” total victory, and  “Dor Hanitzachon”- the generation of victory. Netzach means eternity- meaning we are not fighting for a momentary win, but ensuring a peaceful future. 

Our anthem is called Hatikva: The Hope, and the end of it reads:

“Our hope is not yet lost,

The hope that is two-thousand years old,

To be a free nation in our land,

The Land of Zion, Jerusalem.”

Those are the words that carry us forward.

We must help rebuild,  and support the resilience of our people.  We must come out stronger. There are a few organizations that currently support many important causes. 

1. South Florida Zionists- This organization directly sends financial support to widows and orphans affected by October 7. 

2. The Ariel Center- We are dealing with a country suffering from PTSD to levels that have never been seen before. We must help them rebuild- “Ad Hanitzachon.”

3. Hayeladim Shelanu- Through hands-on assistance, Hayeladim Shelanu addresses immediate needs, offering essential resources, financial aid, therapy, self-care events, and both community and individual support for widows and families—helping them rebuild and find hope for the future.

4. One Israel Fund- There is so much work to be done in Judea and Samaria and this organization does it all. 

As I sat at dinner with my daughters for the last dinner of our trip, I said to them: if we've learned anything in the last year it's that every day is a gift, so don't take anything in life for granted. Even the smallest things in everyday life are a gift. My Bat Mitzvah celebration in Israel was canceled due to the Intifada, and my second daughter’s Bat Mitzvah was canceled due to COVID. Just the fact that we were able to celebrate Aly’s Bat Mitzvah in Israel is a miracle for our family. Nothing was going to stop us from celebrating this Bat Mitzvah in Israel. It was a one-of-a-kind experience, that I am so grateful for, and we will all remember it forever. 

We did not experience any sirens while we were in Israel, although we did hear the magic of the Iron Dome. Unfortunately, the day I left Israel felt heavier than when I arrived. We lost 24 soldiers just during Sukkot itself, not including the soldiers who were killed the week prior. Over 60 children now don't have fathers- just from these last 2 weeks. It's difficult for the gravity of that to sink in. The price we pay, to be a free people in our land is difficult to fathom. 

Am Israel, the nation of Israel, is unlike any other nation. Our resilience as a people is unmatched. It is possible to feel so many emotions at the same time- happiness, sadness, hope, fear of the unknown, gratefulness, anger, a choking feeling where you can't breathe, a joyous moment where you quickly feel guilty of smiling. The newest gesture I have come to appreciate the most is hugging someone you have just met, and feeling that intense connection of Am Israel.

So many people had dreams and plans of celebrating their happiest occasions in Israel this Fall and so many plans were canceled or changed. Many friends and family members had planned to join us for the Bat Mitzvah we dreamed up but they too made the difficult choice to cancel. I felt deeply that this celebration had to be in Israel, that this right of passage had to continue as planned. I am so happy we did it all, surrounded by love. I am grateful that we had the opportunity to give back to this incredible country in the moment it needs us, even in a small way. And as always, I am counting down the days until we return. 

I’d love to hear from you! Let me know if there are any

specific topics you’d like to explore even further.

Want more?

Follow me on

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | WEBSITE