Family Rolls Out Red Carpet for Emily’s Bat Mitzvah

After a ten-month postponement, Emily Tavani was finally scheduled to have the bat mitzvah of her dreams at Congregation Dor Tamid, and everyone was ready. Rabbi Jordan Ottenstein and Cantor Mike Zuspan oversaw the service portion of the simcha.

Photos by Revelry Photo House// Emily, reading from the Torah scroll.

According to Emily’s mother, Tracy, “Emily started studying for her bat mitzvah in January 2020, the original date being October 17, 2020. We postponed Emily’s bat mitzvah for ten months due to the pandemic, so it was very special for all of us when she finally showed everyone how she was so well-prepared, poised and confident on the bimah. Masks were required throughout the service, and we were not able to have a kiddush luncheon. But most importantly, we all came together in person and saw Emily lead the service flawlessly and demonstrate all her hard work.”

Tracy said, “We had a smaller group attend than we originally thought as some out-of-town guests didn’t feel comfortable traveling during COVID. The temple spaced out the seating into smaller groups at the service and Emily was able to take her mask off while she was alone on the bimah, as she was behind a clear plastic barrier. When groups of people were on the bimah, they did wear masks. There was a Zoom that the temple set up for the service, although most of the guests attended in person.”

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“Thirteen-year-old Emily turns 14 in September,” the proud mom added, “which is why we wanted to have her bat mitzvah before then. She is an 8th grade honor roll student at River Trail Middle School and has been playing soccer since she could walk. Also interested in acting and drama, she enjoys spending time with friends, family and her brother Brian, who is ten and in the fifth grade.

“Emily loves animals, and for her mitzvah project, she volunteered at Planned PEThood helping take care of the cats. She helped clean out their cages, fed them, and most importantly, gave them much-needed love. Emily has always wanted to help animals that have been abandoned or are in need and recently got a guinea pig named Bumble as a pet.”

Photos by Revelry Photo House// Emily and her family pose to welcome their guests.

The Tavani family is a recognizable name in the community. Tracy said, “I am originally from South Florida and have been in Atlanta since graduating from the University of Miami. My husband Gregg is basically an Atlanta native, after moving from New Jersey at the age of four. Gregg is a social studies teacher at Duluth High School and the academy director and soccer coach at Atlanta Fire United Soccer Club. He’s also directed the Tavani Soccer Camps for the past 18 years, with three locations in metro Atlanta. Emily’s brother, Brian, is a fifth grader at Findley Oaks Elementary.”

The Alpharetta Marriott where the evening’s celebration took place was decorated according to the theme “Emily-wood,” since the bat mitzvah loves movies, acting, and entertainment. Her dream is to visit Hollywood one day. Tracy gave credit to the party planners and vendors: “All our vendors worked with us to change the date once we knew we wanted to postpone it. Total Lunacy did our décor, and Luna was so creative in envisioning Emilywood and bringing it to life. Atlanta Fever was our DJ and kept everyone on the dance floor, which helped Emily feel like the star of the show. Zach Porter at Revelry House worked with us to take amazing pictures, and Jack Winch of Dreampost Films filmed the event and created an amazing montage of Emily that we showed at the party. Robin Zusmann at Paper Matters worked with us to design the beautiful invitations, Emilywood themed presents, and Dan Rosen at DJR Photography did the greenscreen photos which everyone enjoyed taking throughout the evening.”

Photos by Revelry Photo House// The bat mitzvah girl is lifted up, chair and all.

Emily recalled, “My favorite part of the service was that everyone got to watch me accomplish something important in my life. My favorite part of the party was that a lot of my friends and family that I don’t get to see that often came together and had a good time, and I enjoyed dancing with my friends.”

Photos by Revelry Photo House// Emily Tavani lights the candles.

Tracy added, “We are so proud of Emily and how hard she worked throughout this whole process. She led the service confidently and chanted the blessings and the Torah portion beautifully. We are thankful for the support of our family and friends, and so happy that we could celebrate this important milestone with them after a year of not really being able to celebrate much together.”