Now in its eleventh year, the annual Sderot group bar mitzvah project enables the neediest members of the community to celebrate this milestone in a Jewish family’s life with dignity and meaning. This city, situated just over a one hour drive from Jerusalem has been devastated from years of aggressive terrorist activity from Gaza.

The process begins months in advance with the local department of social services recommending the neediest of families for this special program. The social worker meets individually with each boy and his family and later with all the participants in this project as a group, for while these families have each begun the journey independently, they will now embark on a common experience – membership in the adult Jewish community. A rabbi from the religious council works with each individual to prepare him for the significance of reaching the age of bar mitzvah, teaches him about the beauty of our heritage, and instructs the bar mitzvah boy on the mitzvah of tefillin. The process culminates in the morning services when each the young men don tefillin and are called up to the torah for a special blessing. Each one is received with shouts of mazel tov, tears of joy by the family and friends who have gathered, and a showering of taffies wishing them a sweet life ahead.

For some participants, this is the first heartfelt joy the family has experienced in years. For all of them it is the first time they have successfully integrated into a larger group and been accepted for who they are. Imagine how it must feel to be a part of this celebration as you read about some of their stories below.

N. is one of two children living with his mother in a single parent family unit. He and his brother were visiting with their “Big Brother” a few years ago when a Kassam rocket landed in the “Big Brother’s” front yard – just inches away from where the boys were playing. While thank G-d the children emerged without physical injury, the same cannot be said for their spirit and psychological health. Both boys required hospitalization due to the trauma. One of the boys suffered from such severe PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) that he was unable to return to school for an entire year. Needless to say, N. is not a typical bar mitzvah boy and will carry these scars along for life.

D. has also grown up in a single parent family, devoid of a father figure. His own father has been serving a jail sentence for murder ever since D. can remember. Growing up in poverty with the additional stigma of having a murderer for a father has placed a heavy burden on this child. Being accepted and knowing exactly what is considered appropriate behavior are just a few of D.’s challenges.

A. is also the product of a single parent family. In his case, it is the loving and nurturing embrace of a mother that is missing, as his own mother passed away approximately five years ago when he was but eight years old. While A.’s father has insisted on raising him, a local family has also become an “adoptive family” for A. and his father. While this has helped, in some ways it has also highlighted the very things A. misses the most. He also has two brothers, all of whom compete for their father’s time, attention and love. Recently, A.’s father has fathered a daughter with his girlfriend, further complicating A.’s already dysfunctional life.

And this is just a sampling of the boys who participated in this project. Now imagine these young men, all dressed in new white shirts and slacks, escorted into a beautifully decorated social hall to the blasts of a shofar and the beating of drums – a true royal escort! Their family and friends beaming with pride eagerly joined the festivities as the music played.

Words of welcome and blessing and encouragement were offered by Rabbi Oren Milka, head of the local religious council while Mazal acknowledged the unique qualities of each bar mitzvah boy. The local police sent representatives, an important statement where the police play such pivotal roles in one’s life. Of course the various volunteers who spent hours organizing and decorating the space were warmly thanked as well. Adi Friedman, the director of Connections Israel reminded all assembled that while the celebration was taking place in Sderot, it was in fact a celebration for countless individuals, schools and synagogues from the United States who identify with the plight of this community.

Each boy expressed a bar mitzvah thought as he lit the candle and sparkler on his centerpiece: prayers for the safe return of Gilad Shalit; words of gratitude for those who made this dream a reality; wishes for peace in our land and much more. May their hopes and prayers be heard and fulfilled and may we continue to celebrate bar and bat mitzvahs as a global communal family.

Study sessions that enhance Jewish identity, integrate soldiers from different backgrounds, and foster a sense of Jewish pride

The Jewish People is rich with customs and traditions that cover every aspect of life. Having begun as a tribal family from the descendants of Jacob, we feel a filial responsibility toward every other member of our “extended family.” So, just as the young men and women serving in the IDF protect Jews the world over, so too we support them in a myriad of ways.

One such effort is our program “Protecting the Protectors.” While the IDF offers us physical protection, we provide an element of spiritual enrichment which ultimately serves as an added element of protection from above.

Although one can sponsor a study session for any reason, one common practice is to dedicate a shiur in memory of a deceased loved one the occasion of their yarztheit (the anniversary date of death). Our rabbis have taught that once a person leaves this world, their soul lives on and can be elevated by the deeds of their descendants. Sponsoring a learning session on a yartzheit or in time for the recitation of the Yizkor prayer on the holidays, serves as an elevation for the soul, while providing our soldiers with a different form of group integration and Divine protection.

A $50 donation will enable us to arrange for a rabbi/educator to go out to an army base to deliver a study session to a group of soldiers. When such a class is dedicated in memory of an individual, the teacher will share some information with those present about the person, recite kaddish in their name and organize a small memorial in their honor. Of course, refreshments are also served.

More expanded opportunities for a monthly series, dedicating a library and the like are also available. For more information on this project, please contact us.

To read a little about the recent Jewish identity building shiurim, please see below.

Shiurim dedicated during the month of Iyar:

Adina Margalit – 6^th of Iyar (April 20, 2010) – A shiur was given to unit 890, a division of the paratroopers. Rav Ram Cohen delivered the session to 18 soldiers on the topic of “ Halachic issues relating to interpersonal behavior .” Following the learning, a memorial was held and the kaddish prayer was recited. Refreshments were enjoyed by all of the participants.

May her memory be for a blessing

Nechama bat Binyamin Elimelech ha’Cohen – 10^th of Iyar (April 24, 2010) – A shiur was given to Chativat Menashe where 30 chayalim gathered. The learning was guided by Rav Sod Shacha on the topic of “The laws of Shabbat .” As is customary, a memorial was conducted, the kaddish was recited and refreshments were served.

May her memory be for a blessing

Betzalel Shlomo ben Yosef Simcha – 19^th of Iyar (May 3, 2010) – A shiur was presented to the members of unit 817 – a special forces unit of Duvdevan. Rav Ramo Geliebstein delivered the shiur and 42 soldiers participated in the study session. The rav spoke on the book “ Pele Yoetz,” a mussar type text dealing with moral behavior. This is most appropriate for these special young men who bring a unique spirit of fighter and gentleman to the most elite of army units. In retrospect, it seemed quite fitting that this shiur was dedicated to the memory of a 24 year old(the number in reverse of those who attended)who was described as “ a gentle soul, a man of great faith who loved to learn.” Kaddish was recited and refreshments were served.

May his memory be for a blessing

A sponsored child will receive 2 months of personal weekly training, a brand new set of Teffilin, Talit and a Siddur.

On the special day a new wardrobe will be given (shoes, pants /skirt, shirt) and a group ceremony will take place in the morning.

Later that day, family and friends will attend the festive celebration with food, music, a photographer and more.

Contribute some of your child’s bar/bat mitzvah gift money, or make a donation in his/her honor for this very important program.

Full package for one child: $1800 (includes Teffilin, Tallit, Siddur, new clothes and a festive meal for family & friends)

Festive celebration for family and friends: $700
Teffilin: $ 500
2 months of lessons: $300
Set of clothes and shoes: $250
Tallit: $ 50
Siddur: $ 18

Click here to sponsor

Sderot municipality bar mitzvah project letter

Read the kids Bio and personal stories

Click to read about our 2009 Bar Mitzvah Celebration

Dear Parents & Educators, greetings from Jerusalem !

Connections Israel is proud to announces the premier of our new site.This unique project helps others share & partner their celebration with less fortunate ones in Israel.

Add a Chessed element to your Simcha !

Visit http://www.shareyoursimcha.org and share a part of your special event with others in Israel.

Sincerely,
Adi Friedman
Managing Director
Connections Israel

In Ethics of Our Fathers 1:2 it says: The world depends on three things: On Torah, on Avodah (interpreted as prayer known in Hebrew as avodah shebalev – service of the heart) and gemilut chassadim – acts of kindness. The Sderot group bat mitzvah participants experienced each of these three elements during the course of their specially designed Jerusalem Experience.

On Sunday January 24, 2010 a group of 31 girls from a secular school in Sderot celebrated their bat mitzvah with Connections Israel via the Jerusalem Experience. Who are these girls? They included two new immigrants, one of whom arrived from Denmark just two weeks prior to the celebration who didn’t speak a word of Hebrew. She was the first family member to ever set foot in Jerusalem! Below is a thumbnail sketch of just a few of these young ladies. Each child is a world in their own right and each case presents its own unique set of needs and challenges. But on this special day, these children were “Queen for the Day;” they were allowed to simply be children celebrating their bat mitzvah. One must never take these most basic of rights for granted.

“T”, the oldest of three girls including a one year old baby, lost her father a month ago. He was the backbone of the family; the one who was very involved in the children’s studies and life in general, leaving a gaping hole. In order to support the family the mother has returned to work and so the paternal grandmother now attends to the children after school until the mother returns from work. Each member of the family is struggling with grief, and as the oldest child, this young lady is feeling the full weight of the situation.

“A” is one of three children from a divorced family. The stresses of Sderot manifest themselves in different ways, often resulting in the breakdown of family units. The father has cut off all contact with his family and so the mother is struggling to raise the children as a single parent. Due to emotional and financial difficulties, the family lives primarily with the grandmother, which creates an assortment of other issues.

“N” and her two brothers were forsaken by their father for another woman, leaving their mother to raise all three children on her own. They are fortunate to have a loving mother who is devoted to them, however, she has been stricken by cancer, is unable to work and is in a physically compromised situation. This family lives in utter poverty and is in no position to mark this child’s bat mitzvah. Love is what is keeping all of them going. And love is exactly what came shining through at each stop along the way for these young ladies’ journey to Jerusalem.

Traveling up from Sderot, the day began at the Kotel where the girls melded with the numerous other visitors from Israel and abroad including a significant amount of chayalim soaking in the special atmosphere of the place. After some photo ops, the girls were given their first lesson in what it means to be a member of the adult Jewish community.

They were charged with performing their first “responsible action” by serving as representatives for individuals and some synagogue schoolchildren who are also celebrating their bar and bat mitzvahs and who had written notes for the Kotel. The idea of writing a note and conveying one’s deepest hopes, dreams, requests etc and inserting it into the Kotel was completely new to these girls, but many were so moved by the concept that they too requested papers to write their own personal prayers. And so, these young women joined all those before and all those who will come after them in not visiting but rather experiencing the Kotel.

The celebrants then visited the Chain of Generations Museum next to the Kotel. This is a relatively new museum which uses glass and real depth (one can see down to remains from the Temples) to make the point that our roots date back to Abraham and extend past us and into the future of the Jewish People. The final stop is a magical interview with Reb Yisrael who traces his personal story from the last couple of centuries to us sitting here now. It was a powerful way to sum up the kotel experience for the girls reminding them that we are a link in the chain of the Jewish People and carry responsibility and pride in both directions.

It was now on to part two of the day – a visit to the Bible Lands Museum for lunch, a guided tour and jewelry making workshop. The girls were guided through various exhibits by an engaging young woman: In the process they were introduced to Rachel’s possible reasons for stealing the “trafim” (figures/idols of some sort that were on display) from her father’s home; the majestic and massive palace of Achashverosh from the Purim story and the courage required of Esther to even consider approaching him to save her people and much more. The final exhibit depicted ancient jewelry which helped them move into the hands on workshop where they made their own jewelry.

Part three of the day was meeting some of their partners from across the ocean. Gathering in the Inbal hotel, they were presented with siddurim and candlesticks, rings, earrings and necklaces, and handwritten cards by girls from other countries celebrating their bat mitzvah.

One of the participants was rendered speechless when she realized the ring was real. This is the first piece of jewelry she has ever owned!

The girls saw a brief video in which a group of bat mitzvah girls from the Yeshiva of Flatbush, one of our partners in this project, wished them a mazel tov. The Yeshiva of Flatbush representatives told us how excited their girls were to know they were connecting with and making a difference in the lives of their peers. Finally, it was time to party. The female musicians provided the atmosphere and the girls from the Yeshiva of Flatbush High School chessed mission created the spirit for a true simcha. By the end of the event, not a single girl was left outside of the circle and many had made new friends, some of whom will keep in touch.

According to the Sderot teachers who had accompanied the participants for the day, this was the first time they had experienced such a bat mitzvah. According to the various educators from abroad who had joined us, this was an amazing opportunity to learn about the larger Jewish community and join the adult Jewish community by taking concrete actions in making a difference in the lives of others. In all cases, it was education at its finest as it engaged all the senses and was highly interactive.

Above all else, it epitomized the idea that “Kol Yisrael areivim zeh lazeh – All of Israel is responsible one for another.” Talk has already begun on how to make this an annual event and we invite you to join us. By connecting with Connections Israel you make a difference in people’s lives and forge a connection with the Jewish People!

If you would like information on participating with Connections Israel on the Sderot Bar Mitzvah scheduled for Yom Haatzmaut contact us here.

Coming of age and joining the adult Jewish community is an event to celebrate and a moment to cherish for young women the world over.

In light of our successful Sderot bar mitzvah project, http://connectionsisrael.com/sderot-bar-mitzvah-celebration, Connections Israel has been approached by the Sderot Department of Social Services and asked to create a similarly meaningful program for the neediest of local girls.

Have your own “virtual Bat Mitzvah Experience” as you enable these young ladies to truly celebrate their Bat Mitzvah! “Travel” to Jerusalem and offer your own personal prayers and wishes at the kotel. Your notes will be inserted into the Wall by the girls who are expressing their own hopes and dreams. The girls and their mothers will tour the underground tunnels and be inspired! After visiting a few other special sites, “join” the party as our girls are hosted in Jerusalem for a celebratory party in their honor.

These girls are hand- picked by the Sderot Department of Social services based on financial, psychological and familial need. Many come from single parent families; all have in some way suffered from the ongoing kassam rocket attacks – directly/and or indirectly; the families are on public assistance and some suffer from domestic violence.

The Bat Mitzvah Experience is an opportunity to break the cycle; to introduce joy and meaning; to create bonds with local young Jewish women in leadership positions who will mentor these young ladies; to build positive Jewish identity through hands on activities and special memories. Be a part of it!

Below is the breakdown of costs per child. Click here to sponsor.

Individual and group mentoring on becoming a bat mitzvah and an adult member of the Jewish community: $150
Candlesticks and a siddur: $150
A new outfit and shoes for the bat mitzvah girl and her mother: $300
A Jerusalem experience – special visits and educational workshops: $250
Group celebration with music, dancing, and a festive meal: $150

Total cost per child: $1000

For more information and special requests contact us.

For just $50, a rabbi/lecturer will be dispatched to an army base where he will bring the unit together for some light refreshments and a class on a timely topic. The Jewish army is a microcosm of the ingathering of the exiles with members serving who hail from Ethiopia, Russia, Canada, America, England, France and every other country in the world! Imagine all of these young soldiers studying together as the People of the Book!

While the evening’s class will end, the memory of the experience will last far beyond that evening, and it will all be in the merit of your family! And in this way, you will have offered these soldiers an added element of protection as they go on their patrols to protect us!

Please note, individual classes can be dedicated in memory of a loved one with the traditional recital of the kaddish for the person’s yartzheit; in honor of a special birthday or graduation; as an extension of a simcha you are celebrating; simply for the mitzvah!

Click here to sponsor !

It may have been warm outside, but the warmth inside, as 15 young men joined the adult Jewish community celebrating their bar mitzvah, was far greater. These young men, who for the past eight years have endured the hardships of ongoing rocket attacks on their hometown of Sderot, have in many cases lived through the dissolution of their families and been forced to trade a normal childhood for one in a war zone. On this special night, these thirteen year old boys glowed as they were escorted into the room under a tallit canopy and to the accompaniment of shofar blowing and drumming. And for many, it was the first time in years that they witnessed the smiling encouragement of their parents and other assembled family members and friends.The mayor of Sderot, David Bouskila, personally congratulated each and every family and the head of the religious council, Rabbi Oren Malka extended a strong handshake to these very strong individuals. Cameras flashed as each child was recognized for his personal accomplishments and in turn recited a special blessing/wish as he lit a candle on the cake.

These youngsters’ wishes further attested to their maturity on the one hand, and their reality on the other. They prayed for the safe return of Gilad Schalit and the other soldiers missing in action or held in captivity; they prayed for peace; they expressed their sincere yearning for a quiet Sderot and health for their families.

Tears of every kind flowed freely down the cheeks of those in attendance as they remembered. They remembered the child they had buried who had never reached the age of bar mitzvah because he was struck by a kassam rocket while playing in his yard; they remembered the now shattered family that was once whole; they remembered the struggles of this particular child as he was sent to a dormitory school in order to find a healthier environment in which he could thrive, away from the violence of his abusive father; they also remembered the joy of the morning ceremony where these boys were called up to the torah as full fledged adults; they remembered the showering of candies that greeted each child as he rose to the occasion; they remembered the singing and cheering of those sharing this special moment with them. And at that moment, each parent offered his or her own silent prayer for this child’s future and a hope of sharing it with them.

On behalf of the children of Sderot, we at Connections Israel want to thank you, our loyal supporters for enabling us to make this happen. Thank you for sharing with people who are both complete strangers and family members at the same time, for we are truly all brothers and “How goodly it is when brothers come together.” Please scroll through our bar mitzvah album and meet your family who hail from the four corners of the earth. As you have provided for them today, know that one day they will be here for you, protecting their extended family, Am Yisrael.

We encourage you to share this with your friends and community and once again consider partnering with us as we celebrate the bat mitzvah of a group of girls in Sderot in winter.