Bar and Bat Mitzvah Celebration for Terror Survivors

Recently, our team at Vision for Israel held Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations for young adults who have experienced terrorism. Many of these individuals wouldn't be able to celebrate this major milestone without the support of our generous donors.

There was a lot of excitement ahead of the celebration. The forecast predicted a storm approaching Israel, and we were all nervous to see if the guests would arrive despite the weather. Thankfully, God had pleasant surprises for us that day.

The sky was blue and the sun came out in the morning. It lightly sprinkled later in the day, but that did not interfere with the day's activities. The parents and children were smiling and were so happy to be there--excited for what the day had in store. Some had even been to Vision for Israel's events before, and it was nice to catch up with them.

Slowly, the Bar and Bat mitzvah boys and girls arrived with their parents. They had breakfast before going to watch "Journey to the Past,” and receive a tour of the Western Wall tunnels. At the end of the tour, they experimented with archeological excavations under the tunnels to see if there were any new finds. After this, the boys went up to read the Torah at the Western Wall while the girls sang and heard a lecture at a new archeological facility that opened last month.

Every Bar and Bat mitzvah celebration includes a festive meal, so we treated the children and their families to a lavish lunch. Tables were set up in an ancient area inside the Western Wall tunnels. Lunch was served to the guests while the organizers and donors offered congratulations to the children on this special day.

The day ended at the President's House where desserts and fruit were served. The President gave warm greetings and a special speech to the girls and boys in a special ceremony. One of the bar mitzvah boys, Ya'ir, gave a speech too.

The children were so excited to receive their new iPads and quality backpacks as gifts from Vision for Israel. They thanked us, and their families were so grateful for the special day. We feel so blessed to have been able to do this for them and we thank you, our generous donors, for making this possible. We know that God was looking down on us that day and smiled, as so many young people experienced this blessed ceremony.