Bat Mitzvah Celebration Jerusalem Style
by Yeshayahu Shalom, rabbi & founder of Yesh Shabbat |
| Rabbi Yeshayahu Shalom inspires the next generation. |
Many Jerusalem families that do not need our assistance during the rest of the year find themselves unable manage the extra expenses of the high holidays and life events. In cooperation with the Social Welfare Department, we help pre-screened families meet certain basic needs by providing stipends to stores for qualifying families. This stipend often makes all the difference for struggling families – the “working poor” of Jerusalem. What about children whose parents cannot provide for them for various reasons? In situations like these, we cooperate with organizations like the Love for Israel Relief Fund to help them celebrate holidays and life events.
Springtime we plan to host a bat mitzvah celebration in cooperation with the Love for Israel Relief Fund. We have identified seriously at-risk 10 girls coming of age this year – each wanting to celebrate her bat mitzvah. Our two organizations will provide a bat mitzvah celebration for these girls plus each girl may invite 10 guests for free. The celebration will include over 100 people total. We plan to go to the Wailing Wall with the bat mitzvah girls and take photos, pray and have each girl speak about what she has learned. Afterwards we go to a nearby celebration hall where each girl is going to get a clothing voucher. Of course there will be lots of singing, dancing and food.
We have a tradition that this time of year the nation comes together and is judged both individually and collectively for the coming year, on life, on money, and on Succot for water in the Land of Israel (which we desperately need). As we sit before the Judge asking for favor, the book of our deeds will be examined and the question will be asked “did we show mercy to one another?” Let us take this opportunity to show that we as a people look out for each other and that part of our Yom Tov (holiday) celebration is making sure that the poor and needy in Israel also has the ability to celebrate. Thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts.
Yeshayahu Shalom is a Chassidic rabbi and author of Comfort of Isaiah, a devotional prayer guide for women. He founded Yesh Shabbat as a humanitarian organization to help Jerusalem’s “working poor”. Since its founding Yesh Shabbat has helped provide over 2,500 meals for the working poor in Jerusalem – not to mention events like weddings and bar mitzvahs. He works closely with organizations such as Kol Rina, one of the world’s top Carlebach synagogues, to identify and carry out projects. He has studied under Rabbi Shalom Arush for over 20 years. Rabbi Shalom is inspired to continue the legacy of helping the downtrodden turn their lives around in amazing and dramatic ways.personal gift from us along with a
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