The tablecloths were black, the napkins grey, the dishes sparkling white. The balloons attached to black lanterns were black, grey, blue and orange. These are unusual colors for a bar-mitzvah setting, but Hadley and Avi Baumol of Efrat are unusual people. Hadley, a tall, elegant interior designer, chose her unusual color scheme for her son’s bar-mitzvah held here in Nitzan.
The Baumols are the first non-residents to hold their simcha in our local meeting hall. The simple prefab structure was turned into a first class catering facility through the touch of Hadley’s decorating skills. The results – a stunning, happy bar-mitzvah bringing not only joy to family and friends, but something more: an event that brought employment to the people of Gush Katif.
The Baumols visited the Nitzan refugee camp several months ago.“We have an idea” they
We want to employ only Gush Katif businesses to do the entire simcha.
said. “We want to do our son’s bar-mitzvah here. More than that, we want to employ only Gush Katif businesses to do the entire simcha. We would also like to raise money for your youth club.”
And so they did.
Local caterer Dudi provided the food and table settings according to Hadley’s instructions. The DJ and photographer were locals. The waiters and waitresses were our own youth serving and cleaning up with a smile. Yehuda Gross hung up his framed photographs of Gush Katif that were for sale. The Orange Gallery was opened and many guests dropped in to purchase handmade artwork and jewelry.
The Legacy Center was opened so guests could see films about Gush Katif.
Invitations and Grace-after-Meals booklets were printed by our own Dekel Printers.
The local sweet shop provided candy for Hadley’s charming ‘candy store’ display.
Vered’s paper-goods shop provided plastic plates and cutlery for the Shabbat Kiddush in Efrat.
Aaron Joshua, called AJ by family and friends, was first skeptical about having his bar-mitzvah party far from home. Would it be as attractive as his friends’ affairs? Would people come? He needn’t have worried.
His class came by hired bus. The people of Efrat, true Zionists, came by car. Grandparents and Great Grandparents flew in from abroad. The joy and pleasure were 
It was not just a bar-mitzvah. It was a sense of identification with the people of Gush Katif. 
palpable. It was not just a bar-mitzvah. It was a sense of identification with the people of Gush Katif.
I started by describing a most unusual color scheme. Hadley and her daughters, too, wore clothes to match – black, grey, with bits of blue and orange. Hadley had ordered a beautiful crystal necklace in blue and orange. Made by our Orange Gallery jeweler, Miriam Yifrach, the necklace fit perfectly on her dress. We gave it to her as a gift, our way of saying ‘thank you’.
According to Maimonides the highest form of charity is providing employment. The Baumols got super mitzvah points, and they and their guests enjoyed a super bar-mitzvah.
Please visit our website – www.operationdignity.com – to get to know us better.