American Jewish tourists continue to embrace Masada as a meaningful site for bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies, even as Israeli society has grown increasingly skeptical of the ancient fortress's mythological status. Through ethnographic observation of seven American families celebrating coming-of-age rituals at Masada in February 1995, this research explores how the site transformed from a marginal historical location into a powerful symbol of Zionist ideology. The evolution of the "Masada myth" through influential figures like Yitzhak Lamdan and archaeologist Yigael Yadin created what scholars now recognize as a "state-sponsored cult." Analysis combining participant observation, historical contextualization, and examination of religious-nationalist symbolism reveals that these mountaintop ceremonies primarily serve to integrate participants into Zionist ideology rather than traditional Jewish religious practice. The State of Israel effectively replaces God as the central focus of American Jewish identity in these rituals. While the ceremonies may strengthen participants' commitment to Israel's welfare, they appear unlikely to increase religious observance or involvement in American Jewish communal life, instead representing a form of "privatized" Judaism that emphasizes individual experience over community engagement.