CCAR RESPONSA
New American Reform Responsa
35. Bar Mitzvah on Massadah
QUESTION: A family scheduled the Bar Mitzvah of their son at the synagogue on Massadah. When they and their guests arrived, they found that another group was using the synagogue for a Bar Mitzvah and two others were waiting to have services there. Rather than spend hours waiting for each of the private services to be completed, they decided to have their Bar Mitzvah at another spot on Massadah. Is there a special sanctity to the entire area? Would there be an extraordinary sanctity to the synagogue on Massadah? (Dorah Aaronson, Denver CO)ANSWER: Massadah was the last fortress in the Judean Desert which fell to the Romans three years after the destruction of the Temple. It was turned into a virtually impregnable fortress by Herod with large amounts of grain and water stored there. The garrison remained defiant until the Romans, through a massive effort, raised the level of a neighboring hill and began their attack. At that point the garrison committed suicide rather than fall into the hands of the Romans (Josephus Bel Jud 8, 1-7 ff). The site played no subsequent role in Jewish history or in the memory of our people; it became important only with the rise of Zionism and the establishment of Israel. Since then it has been frequently visited by tourists; it has also been used for special ceremonies by various Israeli military units and Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremonies have been held there. The ruin on Massadah which has been tentatively identified as a synagogue may also be something else (Y. Yadin “The Synagogue at Massadah” Ancient Synagogues Revealed (ed) L.I. Levine pp 19 ff; G. Foerster The Synagogues at Massadah and Herodium pp 24 ff). The identification remains uncertain. It is based primarily on the orientation of the building and its general design. However, there are no mosaics, inscriptions or decorations which would clearly establish it as a synagogue. It is also possible that the synagogue building was used for a secular purpose during the siege itself. A Bar/Bat Mitzvah on Massadah is intended primarily to celebrate the bond with modern Israel and with our ancient history. Although it is appropriate to celebrate this Bar Mitzvah within the ruins of what may have been a synagogue, any other site on that mountaintop would be equally appropriate. After all, any place where ten Jews meet constitutes a synagogue. So the presence of a minyan in another location would also serve the purpose. I faced the same problem when I traveled to Israel with a family which wished to have a Bat Mitzvah on Massadah. Although we could have waited for the synagogue to be vacated and then had a very hot service at high noon, we chose instead to select a beautiful shaded spot and have our service there. This was practical and fulfilled the requirements of tradition as well as the family.June 1989
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