A Touching Moment at the Western Wall: During a bar and bat mitzvah ceremony for lone soldiers at the Western Wall, soldier Roman Eitan Chakir, who recently immigrated to Israel and converted to Judaism, was surprised and moved to see his mother, Yulia Humeniuk, who was flown in specially from Ukraine to meet him at the event at the Western Wall Plaza.
Yesterday, we celebrated a belated bar and bat mitzvah event for lone soldiers at the Western Wall, organized by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation together with the Big Brother Association for Lone Soldiers, which supports the guidance and integration of young lone soldiers into Israeli society.
The ceremony began with the soldiers marching to the Wall in a joyful musical procession and being greeted by the rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, who blessed and encouraged them for their dedication and contribution to the people and State of Israel.
Afterward, bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies were conducted for the soldiers by guides from the Western Wall Heritage Foundation – the boys donned tefillin and were called up to the Torah at the Wall, and the girls experienced an emotional bat mitzvah ceremony that included a personal prayer at the Wall.
Following the moving ceremony, everyone participated in an archaeological dig in the Western Wall Tunnels and saw the new “Gateway to Heaven” exhibit at the Western Wall, which was recently opened to the public, where visitors are exposed to the secrets of the Western Wall and get a glimpse into the history of the Jewish people.
