The centerpiece decoration at some Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebrations might be an ice sculpture of a swan, or maybe a large number 13, or a religious symbol.

But not many people can say their ice sculpture was a glacier.

To mark his 13th birthday milestone, Evan Vale asked his parents if his Bar Mitzvah could be more of an adventure and more relaxed than the traditional big affair that’s over in a few hours. 

His parents, Nancy and Larry of Framingham (MA), liked the idea and turned to travel consultant Ellen Paderson, founder of Bar Mitzvah Vacations (barmitzvahvacations.com), to turn that dream into reality. Ellen suggested a trip to Alaska that would combine sightseeing in Juneau (the state capital) and Whittier (fishing and shipping port 60 miles southeast of Anchorage - their first stop), plus a cruise to the awe-inspiring Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

The trip would be of special interest as it would give the Vale family an opportunity to meet congregants at one of Alaska’s few synagogues.  Only 300 of Juneau’s 31,000 residents are Jewish, and there are just 3,500 Jews in the entire state.

In all, six family members traveled the 2,880 miles for their ‘Last Frontier’ family adventure. Ellen coordinated the bar mitzvah service and refreshments with the temple Rabbi and its president. Ellen says that Alaska’s weather is most comfortable from May – August. “July is the month I recommend,” she notes. Alaska’s nickname is the Last Frontier. Ellen says, “Some of us are old enough to remember when Alaska became the 49th state in 1959.”

Evan’s bar mitzvah ceremony was held at Juneau’s Temple Sukkot Shalom with many members of the congregation in attendance. They were eager to welcome guests who traveled  so far to mark the simcha (Hebrew for ‘joyous event’), when a child takes his/her place in the community as an adult, as described in the Bible. The bar mitzvah was big news in the capital where it was featured in the next day’s Juneau Empire newspaper.

The family was pleased with the decision to make the traditional ceremony into a journey according to Nancy Vale.  “This suited Evan very well,” she said. “The small gathering in an adventurous place was just his style. It was a lovely ceremony.” In the fall, Evan will enter seventh grade. He plays baseball and hockey and is involved with Boy Scout.

Larry Vale said, “This has been a journey for all of us, literally and figuratively.”

This year, Ellen expects to orchestrate about a dozen destination and cruise bar or bat mitzvahs for clients from across the U.S. and Canada. “The concept came to me about 7 years ago when a family explained they wanted something different and a more intimate experience then a large party close to home."

Among her more popular bar and bat mitzvah destinations have been St. Thomas (Virgin Islands), San Juan (Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Aruba, and Curacao. Ellen has visited each and has built close ties with local Rabbis, event planners, caterers, and tour guides. She also has close ties to an American-Italian Rabbi and has contacts in Israel when families ask about those options. Some families opt to have the bar or bat mitzvah aboard a cruise ship while at sea between ports of call. Ellen coordinates all the details with the cruise line’s event staff, and has a cantor who conducts the service onboard.

Ellen also plans cruise and destination weddings and honeymoons wherever people want to go. It's definitely a travel trend, to celebrate and mark important life events with family travel adventures.

“For trips like this, there are a million details travelers can leave to me.  That gives them peace of mind so they can relax, enjoy the time and create lasting memories with friends and family.”

For more information, please see: barmitzvahvacations.com