From Childhood to Adolescence

A New New-Old Celebration

Nir David

1993

The Bar Mitzvah celebration was adopted officially by the culture committee and the festival committee as a kibbutz festival for all intents and purposes, pursuant to the veteran discussion decision. The nature and the framework of the celebration, and the forces that will prepare it, shall be derived from this adoption and will be different this year from what was customary in the kibbutz in previous years.

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The eve of Succot (Tabernacles) – a party in the kibbutz in the Culture House

On the conclusion of the festival – a joint Bar Mitzvah party with the participation of guests from outside the kibbutz

The main program:

The eve of the festival – a “From childhood to adolescence” evening for the kibbutz, with the Ofarim group in the centre, while indicating the symbols of Sukkot.

For the external party – a selection from the above, customized for the audience some of whom are from outside.

A short explanation about the considerations in determining the date of the celebration:

The eve of Sukkot in the kibbutz has suffered for years from a lack of tradition and instability. From an examination of the situation of the festival in many kibbutzim it transpires that in kibbutzim in which there is a successful first fruits celebration the status of the harvest festival is harmed and vice versa. This is the phenomenon that can be anticipated and explained on the background of the similarity between the two festivals. The magnificent tradition of the first fruits festival in our kibbutz and its absolute supremacy does not need to be discussed further, and therefore we have dared to suggest new content for Sukkot. The opportunity for this arrived when the parents of the Ofarim group, together with the children, took the initiative and suggested preparing an evening for the kibbutz, for a joint celebration of the Bar Mitzvah (“From childhood to adolescence”). This celebration has also suffered in recent years from the “Sukkot syndrome”, mainly since the transition to the joint school and the separation between the end of year 6 in school and the Bar Mitzvah celebrations. In many kibbutzim such a “matchmaking” has already taken place between a festival that has been limping along for years and the Bar Mitzvah celebration, to the satisfaction of both the parties. From now on – it is customary to harvest our babes who have matured, instead of the fruits of the vine and the orchard.

The significances of the change:

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a. Participation of the whole kibbutz in the Bar Mitzvah celebration, which turns it into a kibbutz celebration in its style and content.

b. Change of the content and character of the party on the eve of Sukkot, when the connection with the festival will be expressed mainly by sitting in the Succah and symbolic elements in the evening program, and the main emphasis of the evening will be on the group celebrating the transition from childhood to adolescence (this year – the Ofarim group).

c. The scale and the nature of the rotas and the allocation of work days in organization of the festival and the Bar Mitzvah party which change slightly. The number of rotas and/or allocated work days will (almost?) not increase, but the assignment will be carried out by all the kibbutz, under the responsibility of the culture committee and the festival team. In organization and preparation of the festival we will need, therefore, the help of all the members.

Orientations:

The intention is that this year a tradition will be determined that will continue in the coming years. There is also an advantage to the fact that the celebrations correspond with our partners at the Rimon High School and the institute take place at proximate times, however not on the exact date, and thus it enables the celebrating children to host and be hosted by their friends from school. There is no doubt that the measure of the success this year will have an effect on the continuation.

Good luck to everyone

- The Culture Committee

- The Festival Committee

- The children and parents of the Ofarim group