A Bar or Bat Mitzvah in the place it comes from

Who this is for

Families marking a Bar or Bat Mitzvah who want to do it in Israel, with the people who matter to them, and without handing the whole thing over to a fixed package.

Most families want Jerusalem, and most want the ceremony at the Kotel. That part is rarely a surprise — families doing this usually already have a connection to Israel, and they arrive knowing what they want.

What we often suggest is basing yourselves somewhere else and coming into Jerusalem for the day itself. It keeps the celebration set apart instead of blending into a week of being in the same city, and it gives the rest of the trip somewhere different to be.

What a trip like this usually includes

Loosely, these trips have three parts. There is the ceremony, which for most families is a morning in Jerusalem. There is the celebration around it, which is yours to shape — some families want a proper party, some want a long lunch with the people who flew in, and both are easier to arrange than people expect. And then there are the days either side, which is where the trip actually lives.

Those days are the part worth spending time on. A Bar or Bat Mitzvah brings together a group that would not otherwise travel together, often across three generations, and the week around the ceremony is the only time they will all be in one country. So we build it as a trip in its own right rather than as padding: the north, the desert, the coast, the food, whatever the family actually wants to do together.

Practical things we handle as a matter of course: hotels with the kashrut you need and restaurants to match, transport that keeps the group together on the day itself, and pointing you to the right places if you would rather buy Judaica here than carry it over.

Planning the ceremony itself

There is no fixed lead time. We have planned these a year ahead and we have planned them a month out — whichever suits your family is the one we work with.

Bring anything you need for the ceremony itself. If you want to buy Judaica here we can point you to the right places and help arrange it.

Level of observance is not a complication. We find hotels with the kashrut you need and restaurants to match, whatever that means for your family.

Bringing extended family

Grandparents, cousins, and family friends usually travel too, and they rarely all want the same day. Itineraries are built so people can split off and come back together.

Common questions

Is there an age limit on your trips?

No. We plan trips for every age, and often for several ages at once. A single itinerary regularly covers grandparents, parents, and young children, with the days built so people can split off and rejoin rather than everyone doing everything.

How far in advance should we start planning?

Whenever suits you. We have planned trips two years ahead and we have planned them a month out. One practical thing worth knowing: airline tickets usually only go on sale about ten months before the travel date, so if flights matter to your budget, that is the point at which you can actually book them.

Who runs the trips on the ground in Israel?

We do. MY Travel is based in Israel and contracts the hotels, the transport and the guides ourselves, rather than handing your trip to a local operator and stepping back. Every guide you travel with is licensed by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, which is a legal requirement here rather than a courtesy. And Madison meets groups at the airport and travels with them, so the person who planned your trip is the person you see when something needs changing.

Are flights included in the price?

No. Flights are booked separately from the trip itself, so you keep control of your routing, your dates, and any points or miles you want to use. Everything on the ground in Israel — guiding, transport, accommodation, and activities — is arranged by us.

All frequently asked questions