A unique program for families who would like to celebrate a child's Bar or Bat Mitzvah in Italy is available through Bar Mitzah Vacations. Rabbi Barbara Aiello, Italy's first woman Rabbi (and first non-Orthodox one) is a first-generation American from the southern Italy region of Calabria, the toe of the boot, who can perform the rituals and celebrations in a traditional village setting as part of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah vacation package.
Rabbi Barbara restored the synagogue, named Ner Tamid del Sud (Eternal Light of the South), in the village of Serrastretta with the help of residents and turned it into the first active synagogue in the region for several hundred years, an area with a history of Jewish community going back more than 2000 years. The program includes three months of study via Skype with Rabbi Barbara, followed by the Bar or Bat Mitzvah in summer. Other Italian destinations are available, including hotels in the big cities or on board a Mediterranean cruise.
Related reading: What is a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah?
Martha, hello:
Thanks very much for featuring Bar Mitzvah Vacations in your article about Bar/Bat Mitzvahs in Italy. Your readers might be interested in joining our 2013 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Italy Family Discovery tour.
This exciting Italy adventure begins on July 4, 2013; several Bar/Bat Mitzvah families will share both the celebrations in Calabria and a cultural tour of Rome, Florence and Venice.
Those interested can contact me for more information and a complete itinerary.
Ellen Paderson