In the beginning ...

We are sisters. Judy lives with her family in Israel; I live with mine in the United States. When Judy's children reached the age of Bar and Bat Mitzvah, the whole family flew over to Israel and joined their friends in marking the events. We liked the low key atmosphere of religious observance and receptions in Israel. We liked feeling connected to the land, its people, and especially, the emotionally-moving ordinariness of Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations. These are events that most families in Israel enjoy, not the minority of families, as in the United States.