![[caption below]](agop1.jpg)
|
Hana, Eyal, and Reuben Bor
|
It was inevitable our son Reuben would have his Bar Mitzvah in Israel, since Hana and I are both Israeli. On December 26, 2003, friends and family gathered in a Conservative synagogue in Netanya for an extended weekday morning service. We began the celebrations with music, singing, and prayer; I led with the clarinet. The Israelis were fascinated by the service. One friend said to me, "For over 50 years my wife hasn't come with me to synagogue because we couldn't sit together. Today she is here and we are sitting together!"
Hana and I thought how best we could thank our guests for making the trip to Netanya in Reuben's honor. One way was to give each of them a unique gift; a gift of the Mikdash M'at Shabbat morning siddur. We felt it conveyed the message of Reuben's Bar Mitzvah—that the American service is beautiful and inspiring. Mikdash M'at embodies this with its eye-capturing illustrations, insightful commentaries, and English translations that are interesting and inspiring. It brings to life the blessings we receive every day.
![[caption below]](agop2.jpg)
|
Bookplate in Mikdash M'at thanking guests for coming to Reuben Bor's Bar Mitzvah
|
"Some people give chocolate, towels, or t-shirts to guests at their b'nai mitzvah," said Reuben in his speech, "but I wanted to give you something very special. My parents found the perfect gift to honor each family and to thank you for attending my bar mitzvah."
This unique gift turned out to be the perfect keepsake of Reuben's Bar Mitzvah in Israel. How do we know that? Later in our trip when we visited several different friends, we saw they had placed their siddurim in a place of honor on their coffee tables!
Eyal Bor is Director of Education at Beth El Congregation, Baltimore, MD, and a renowned clarinetist. Hana Bor is Assistant Professor of Education and MAJE Coordinator at Baltimore Hebrew University.
|
![[Spread from Mikdash M'at]](agop3.jpg)
![[Next]](../next.gif){kind=small}
