As part of our unique and impactful community service, 12-year-old young men from Kiryat Shemona and the surrounding kibbutzim and moshavim come to the Yeshiva to prepare for their upcoming Bar Mitzvah. Most of these young men come from non-religious backgrounds and would otherwise not have a traditional Bar Mitzvah celebration. Our students work one-on-one with them discussing the significance of becoming a Bar Mitzvah, the foundations of Judaism, and teaching them their Torah portion.

We teach them how to put on Tefillin, even purchasing a set for those who can’t afford their own. The preparation culminates with the celebration itself when the Bar Mitzvah boy reads from the Torah either at the Yeshiva or in their community synagogue.

As of today, we have prepared over 1,000 Bnei Mitzvah as part of this program! The feedback from these young men’s families is filled with tremendous gratitude and appreciation. The pride of seeing their sons reading from the Torah in front of family and friends is contagious. For that reason, the number of new families seeking out our students to teach their sons grows every year. A wonderful result of this program are the deep connections created between the Yeshiva and local families, strengthening Jewish unity and social resilience in our region. We are committed to continuing this priceless contribution to the spiritual needs of the entire surrounding community, even for those who cannot afford it themselves.