2012 Bar Mitzvah Celebrations

Bet Shemesh B’nei Mitzvah Ceremony 2012

On 23 April 2012, 15 boys who study at the Bet Shemesh Education Center celebrated their B’nei Mitzvah in a beautiful ceremony overlooking the Judean Hills. Like all of the boys at the Bet Shemesh Educational Center – a residential high school for at-risk boys – these adolescents come from severely disadvantaged backgrounds. Sadly, their parents simply could not afford to provide them with celebrations to mark the important milestone of becoming Bar Mitzvah.

This year, the Center fulfilled the dreams of its B’nei Mitzvah students. The day’s events marked the culmination of a course in which the boys studied the significance of the Bar Mitzvah as an important boundary between childhood and adulthood. The young men began their special day with their family and friends at a beautiful ceremony, which was followed by a luxuriously catered meal. In honor of the momentous event, each of the boys was given a set of teffilin and a tallit, as well as a wrist-watch. They were then taken on an exciting field trip to the Old City of Jerusalem, where they enjoyed several historical tours and ate delicious pizza. The highlight of the trip was a visit to the Western Wall; a poignant occasion which held much meaning for the Bar Mitzvah boys.

We would like to thank the Goldsmith Family and all the other donors who made this special day of celebration possible.

For more information about this year’s celebration as well as footage of the day’s events please click here

To see more photos of the Bar Mitzvah ceremony, please click here