After Delay Due to Iran War, 125 Orphans Celebrate Bar Mitzvah in Jerusalem
Tears of pain, pride, and overwhelming joy filled the Kosel and the Binyanei HaUma hall this week as 125 orphaned boys from across Eretz Yisroel, including children orphaned in the recent wars and the Simchas Torah massacre, celebrated their Bar Mitzvahs in a moving series of events organized by Colel Chabad • Read More, Photos
Tears of pain, pride, and overwhelming joy filled the Kosel and the Binyanei HaUma hall this week as 125 orphaned boys from across Eretz Yisroel, including children orphaned in the recent wars and the Simchas Torah massacre, celebrated their Bar Mitzvahs in a moving series of events organized by Colel Chabad.
The annual celebration, traditionally held around Yud-Alef Nissan, the Rebbe’s birthday, was postponed for nearly two months due to Home Front Command restrictions, the war with Iran, and the tense security situation.
The day began at the Kosel, where the boys were welcomed with singing and dancing alongside their families.
As part of the ongoing support provided by “Chesed Menachem Mendel,” Colel Chabad’s educational division for orphaned children, each boy received a pair of tefillin following months of preparation and learning.
The event later continued at Binyanei HaUma, where hundreds gathered for an emotional celebration filled with music, dancing, and words of encouragement.
President Isaac Herzog addressed the boys directly, saying: “You were forced to grow up far too quickly. But you are not only growing up—you are overcoming. Each one of you is a hero.”
Among those attending the event were Israel’s Chief Rabbis, Rabbi Dovid Yosef and Rabbi Kalman Bar, alongside the newly appointed Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, Rabbi Zevadia Cohen. Also participating were Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar, former Welfare Minister Yaakov Margi, Agudas Yisroel chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman, MK Avichai Boaron, and Public Petitions Committee chairman Osher Shekalim.
A particularly uplifting moment came during the mass acceptance of Ol Malchus Shamayim led by Rabbi Moshe Shlomo Amar, while singers Yair Elaytzur and Yishai Lapidot filled the hall with joyous music and dancing, lifting the Bar Mitzvah boys onto their shoulders together with hundreds of participants.
The celebration brought together leading rabbonim, public officials, and grieving families for a powerful display of Jewish strength, faith, and continuity despite the pain and challenges of war.
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