This week, a moving bar and bat mitzvah ceremony was held at the Western Wall Plaza for 20 lone soldiers – men and women who completed their conversion to Judaism during their service in the Israel Defense Forces.
The event was initiated by the “Big Brother” association and held in partnership with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. Now in its fourth consecutive year, the initiative aims to strengthen lone soldiers’ sense of belonging to the State of Israel, the Jewish people, and Jewish tradition. The soldiers were accompanied by 150 additional soldiers who provide them with personal support throughout their military service.
The ceremony began with a festive musical procession toward the Western Wall prayer plaza. This was followed by bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies led by guides from the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, attended by the rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz; chairman of the Big Brother association Nissim Adar; president of the Friends Association CPA Reuven Schiff; CEO of the association Daniel Aharon; founder of the Taieb Group and the Menomadin Foundation Haim Taieb; and other distinguished guests.
In a deeply moving ceremony, the bar mitzvah celebrants wrapped themselves in tallitot, laid tefillin, and were called up to the Torah. The bat mitzvah celebrants recited the Shehecheyanu blessing and received a personal prayer book and a pendant shaped like the stones of the Western Wall.
The emotional highlight of the event came when the “Big Brother” association surprised lone soldier Kidist Mengistu, who was overcome with emotion as she was reunited with her mother, specially flown in from Ethiopia for the occasion after three and a half years apart.
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz blessed the soldiers, saying: “Blessed are You… who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this moment. It is moving to see you here at the Western Wall – the holiest site for the Jewish people, connecting us to Jewish tradition and the heritage of Israel. You are the living example of the eternity of the Jewish people. Especially at this time, when we face enemies who plot to harm us, our connection to the tradition of Israel and to the Western Wall serves as an anchor for national unity and faith in the justice of our path.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the soldiers toured various sites in the Western Wall Tunnels and visited the new immersive exhibit “Gateway to Heaven,” now open to the general public, which tells the historical story of the Jewish people – those who come to the Western Wall to embrace its ancient stones and join the Jewish chain of generations.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation will continue working to strengthen Jewish identity, national belonging, and a spirit of unity for every individual, at the holiest site of the Jewish people.
