The bar mitzvah boys’ seventh grade class at Yeshivat He’Atid got to enjoy a surprise bar mitzvah celebration held in their honor this past week. In recognition of the tough year they had due to COVID, with many bar mitzvah celebrations being curtailed or even cancelled, the parents of the grade banded together and developed a plan. One mom, Reena Forst, reached out to the parents, and organized a group of volunteers who helped plan an afternoon of fun for the boys, starting with pizza and snacks after dismissal. The boys donned T-shirts designed by Forst’s seventh grader, Yishai, which had a COVID-based emoji and read “I had a Bar Mitzvah during Covid-19, and all I got was this lousy T-shirt: YH 2020-2021.” After the snacks, the boys headed out on a team scavenger hunt, working together to find everything on their lists. They went on to spend some time at Votee Park, before heading back to school for a visit from an ice cream truck. It was a wonderful chance for the entire grade to spend a fun and relaxing afternoon together, a welcome change from the forced distancing of the past year. Mazal tov to the bar mitzvah boys, and kol hakavod to all of the parents for stepping up to help make the bash a true success!

All surplus funds raised for the bash will be donated by the seventh grade boys to the school in honor of their teachers who exceeded expectations during a challenging year. The funds will be donated to the Fun Run scholarship program which provides tuition assistance for families in need.