Bat Mitzvah Has New Meaning with Mom’s Illness

Daniella Sernovitz, daughter of Hillels of Georgia CEO Rabbi Larry and Becky Sernovitz, thought her April 6 bat mitzvah would flow seamlessly like the waves of the Pennsylvania shore, her party theme. That was before mother, Becky, was diagnosed and hospitalized with leukemia.

Enter party planner Rachel Goldschein, who stepped in to pivot the hospital tie-in and keep the rest intact. She said, “After speaking with the vendors about Becky’s health situation, we collaborated as a team to alleviate as much stress as possible on the family, so their sole focus was on this milestone. I’m really proud of what we were able to accomplish for the family. The level of empathy and care was my top priority and vendors handled it all flawlessly.”

In consultation with close family friend and oncologist Christina Kats, after Becky’s diagnosis, they went forward with the original plan and created a special mini-mitzvah Saturday night at the hospital. They brought a Torah to the hospital floor where Rachel provided decorations. Daniella led the service, and they were able to celebrate together with a home-cooked dinner also by Rachel.

When Becky was diagnosed and admitted to the hospital to start chemotherapy, a decision was made to have a small service with immediate family and a few friends so she could participate in the full service since she would be unable to attend the scheduled Temple service two weeks later. Rabbi Larry officiated at the service in the Mediation Room of the hospital. During the scheduled bat mitzvah, the AV tech from The Temple Zoomed with Becky during parts of the service to offer an Aliyah, bless Daniella, and read a speech to her, which was meaningful for Becky to be able to partake in both services.

Becky said, “I had a smile on my face for five hours straight that night! A few friends joined me in my hospital room to keep me company and have my own little celebration while I was able to be fully present for the service. It was so much fun to be passing around the iPad during the party; and I even broke out some dancing as the night wore on!”

Daniella’s tutor was her former teacher at The Davis Academy, Caroline Goldberg.

At The Temple, Dan Fishman and his team brought Becky to the big screens, allowing her to not only recite the Aliyah, but also to lay the tallit on Daniella’s shoulders and offer personal words of blessing.

Daniella said, “This had extra meaning for me because even though my mom wasn’t there, I still got to see her, and she took part in all of it.”

Outside of having duel bat mitzvahs, Daniella participates in the annual school musical, plays tennis and basketball, and enjoys dancing.

Rachel shared, “The family is originally from Philadelphia and wanted to incorporate the shore vibe. Daniella created her logo which I added to her decor using pinks, purples, and blues.

Hector (Tropics Catering) helped create a Shore theme menu to match. Keith from Horizon Entertainment kept everyone dancing. Brian from Snap and Fun provided a green screen and 360-degree photo area that adults and kids loved. As a planner, all I ever want to do is relieve the family from stress and provide them with a positive memorable experience.”

Rabbi Sernovitz said, “Life is not about how you plan, but how you respond to what comes your way. Becky’s diagnosis came out of the blue, and with Daniella’s bat mitzvah coming so quickly, we had to pivot and adapt … with Goldschein leading the way, all of our vendors became thoughtful partners. We hope this gave Daniella the best bat mitzvah lesson ever: life may not go your way and when it doesn’t, your community will be there for you to lift you up and give you strength.”

Best news: Becky was released nine days after Daniella’s bat mitzvah as she completed her first round of chemotherapy and is continuing outpatient treatment with positive results.