Between picking out invitations, choosing a catering company, and finalizing seating arrangements, planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah can drive you meshuggina! So how ‘bout you avoid all that unwanted stress and treat your precious family to a once in a lifetime experience…in Italy! Our Destination Bar/Bat Mitzvah trip to Italy is definitely a getaway your family will never forget. It’s completely affordable and is the perfect way to celebrate this major milestone. Furthermore, it’s an incredible opportunity for you and your family to create moments that will be cherished for a lifetime.
So what can you expect from this Destination Bar/Bat Mitzvah trip? You’ll begin your travels in Serrastretta- a small town located in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Once you’ve arrived, our favorite effervescent rabbi, Rabbi Barbara, will welcome you with open arms! She will then tour your family around this quaint town, which actually possesses centuries of Jewish history. Dating back to the Spanish Inquisition in the late 1400’s, Serrastretta was founded by Jews who were looking for a safe haven to escape persecution. Many fled to this small town, due to its remote and mountainous location. Till this day, many Jews remain in the area and in other parts of southern Italy. Although some remain hidden in plain sight, some are forgotten all together; as a result of their ancestors being forced to denounce their Jewish faith in order to reside in Italy. So you can see why celebrating a Bar or Bat Mitzvah in this town would be an extremely proud moment for any Jew.
The Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony is held in Serrastretta’s historically rich temple- Congregation Ner Tamid delSud. Now don’t be alarmed if you see strangers attending the ceremony. It’s extremely common for local residents to attend and share in this mitzvah, further enhancing the experience for everyone. Once this rite of passage has concluded, you will then embark on an exciting journey, traveling to renowned cities all over Italy such as Sorrento, Rome, Venice, and Florence (just to name a few). Every itinerary is completely customizable. The possibilities run the gamut from cooking classes to touring historical monuments. This trip is tailored to fit your family’s interests and aspirations while visiting Italy.
So there’s my spiel on why you and your family should take advantage of our Destination Bar/Bat Mitzvah trip. If you’re interested in learning more about this incredible opportunity, please feel free to call me or fill out this form. I just received a testimonial from a family that recently returned from this trip, and as you will see below, they really enjoyed themselves!
Bar Mitzvah boy Tyler, Rabbi Barbara and Emma
Ellen, MariaLaura,
We’re back from our trip and before we jump back into the fray of working, camps, etc. I wanted to send you both a note of thanks for all the great recommendations and assistance. The entire 2 weeks went off without a hitch (except for our missing our train to Florence – our fault), really incredible considering the amount of coordination to get us all over Italy.
We have a number of friends who’ve asked about how we organized the trip and will be sharing your contact information, at least one colleague is planning his sons bar mitzvah for next year and planning to have a lot of family joining them.
One point I wanted to be sure to share is the hotel where we stayed in Sorrento, imperial tramontano; it was excellent. The rooms were spacious by American standards, staff was great and the location was as good as the other you’d asked us to consider. Our view was exactly the same and I think you said it saved us a few hundred dollars. My point is, don’t hesitate to sent your clients there, it’s top notch with excellent amenities.
I could go on and on but call me if you’d like, it was a trip to always remember and we’re thankful to have you on our team!!
mb
