Volume 5, Issue 6 / Sivan, 5762 / June 2002
Coming of Age
By Simon Griver
Oren (not his real name), who lives and studies at the Ben Yakir residential youth village near Hadera, was one of 71 students from the Jewish Agency's Youth Aliyah Institutions, who celebrated their bar mitzvah this May in festive ceremonies. Oren has never had much of a home life. His parents are divorced and during school vacations he lives with his mother in Netanya. His father was released from prison the week before his bar mitzvah after serving two years for robbery with violence.
"The bar mitzvah has always been one of the important milestones of Jewish life," stressed Meir Beck, director of Youth Aliyah Institutions. "And the barmitvah that we give our students is especially important. Many come from homes that cannot afford, or are not interested in giving their children a bar mitzvah, which is vital in instilling in teenagers a sense of responsibility and taking on their own obligations. The bar mitzvah ceremony is also an important part of parental involvement program we have at our villages."
Prior to the ceremony, Oren said he hoped that his mother would not come to the bar mitvah celebration at Ben Yakir. In the event his mother did come.
"I don't know why I didn't want her to come," said Oren. "I just said that so I wouldn't be hurt if she didn't turn up. I was proud for her to see me."
Oren is one of 120 students living at Ben Yakir, an orthodox institution. Aged 11-15, the children take a remedial educational program. Many of the children arrive at Ben Yakir unable to read or write. Within two to three years they succeed in reaching their grade-level.
Oren also sings in the school choir and was one of the stars of the show at the bar mitzvah celebration. Earlier this year he traveled to Switzerland with a Jerusalem choir. His successful singing career, only discovered when he reached Ben Yakir, has brought with it a new enthusiasm for studying and he has acquired basic literacy and math skills.
"At school in Netanya the teachers were not interested in me," he explained with a sly grin. "But I made sure they always noticed me. They threw me out of the class all the time for misbehaving. This bar mitzvah has been important for me. I am now an adult and must behave more responsibly. "
About a third of the children at Ben Yakir, like Oren, are Israeli-born. Another third are newcomers from Ethiopia and the remainder new immigrants from the former Soviet Union.
Another of the 21 children who had their bar mitzvah at Ben Yakir was Avraham, a new immigrant from Ethiopia who reached Israel 14 months ago. His parents live in the Upper Galilee and he said that they were not interested in making a bar mitzvah for him. "This has been one of the most special days of my life," he said.
Avraham loves the animal corner at Ben Yakir, which includes horse riding, dozens of different animals and even two alpacas.
At Ben Yakir gifts were given to all the children by Hadassah WIZO Canada, while the Pratt Foundation provided a set of tefilin and tallit. The school choir, Pirchei Ben Yakir, sang traditional Israeli and Jewish songs and a video movie produced by the bar mitvah boys about Ben Yakir was screened.
It was an exciting moment for Raissa and Victor of Netanya who immigrated from Ukraine six years ago. Their son Victor had his bar mitzvah at Ben Yakir.
In addition, 38 children from Ramat Hadassah and 12 students from Kiryat Yearim, two other Youth Aliyah institutions, came to the Western Wall to celebrate their bar/bat mitzvah followed by festive activities in Jerusalem. The 71 pupils at Ramat Hadassah Szold, Ben Yakir and Kiryat Yearim also came to Jerusalem to celebrate with nearly 250 other bar/bat mitzvah children from institutions attached to the Ministry of Education's Youth Aliyah and Rural Settlement Administration.
Inga from Ramat Hadassah Szold described her bat mitzvah as the most exciting occasion of her life. A new immigrant from Russia she lives in Haifa. "My parents did not plan to mark my coming of age," she said. "So I'm happy the school decided to do something because this is very important for me."
Credits: Photos by Shlomy Ben-Ami.
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