On the way--then, what a magnificent day ( day 4-part 3)

We couldn't be more proud of the b'not mitzvah girls!  No one who  knows me will be surprised that I started crying just looking at where the ceremony would take place and then putting on Ariana's talit for the pictures--we were still 30 minutes before the ceremony!  Having Jeff and his family standing together with ours made us so appreciate where we were, and a bit sad that the rest of our family wasn't able to join us.

Our photographer, Noam Sharon (his family goes back 18 generations in Israel!!!) was amazing--he and Steve (well, all of us) hit it off really well.   The same as we felt with the Rabbi last night and Dina when we first met.    We felt like they were all an integral part of our experience--where else but in Israel can you feel such a connection with 'family' you meet for the first time!

We went down and scoped out which part of Robinson's Arch to do the ceremony, and nabbed the perfect spot, just below where the trumpeter would stand and blow the shofar.trumpet on special occasions.  And a special occasion it was!  The atmosphere was electric.   Surrounding us were parades of people who were celebrating just finishing their bar or bat mitzvah, under a type of huppa with a musician playing songs like hava nagila.  And a shofar sounding the long and short bursts of sound like they do on Rosh Hashana.  And fireworks going off for Ramadan, even though it was only 9 am!  And on our left another family, ahead of us in celebration, singing 'Simmon Tov and Mazel Tov' (that is the only time that the Israeli's say MAzel Tov, by the way, instead of MaZEL Tov, which the girls particularly have learned as they have been congratulated and celebrated this whole trip!)

Then our own ceremony began, and the girls did beautifully.  Rabbi Stacey was amazing.  Very insightful and relevant, making the experience all the more meaningful.  In the middle of the service, just before the Torah reading, our cousin Debby (my mother's first cousin, who has lived in Israel since the year I was born), found us and, typically, I cried.  The connection to family and history was beautiful.  Debby is the niece of the girls'  great grandmother (my grandmother) and shares many of her mannerisms.  Her being there to celebrate with us represented generations of our ancestors who I had no doubt were watching and celebrating with us as well.  Soon, we, too, were dancing in a circle singing 'Simmon Tov and Mazel Tov'.

We looked around at the Davidson Archaeological Park area and the Southern Steps, before heading back to change for the rest of the afternoon adventures.