This month, 127 boys and girls from 15 different youth clubs traveled to Western Ukraine for a unique weekend retreat. Sixty of the kids participated in a meaningful Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony. Every one of the celebrants had spent an entire year preparing for the big day through the EnerJew youth program in Ukraine.
The tranquil location for the event, in the midst of the Carpathian Mountains, was chosen specifically to distance the youth from the ongoing crisis ever present in their hometowns of Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Kamianske, Kyiv, Kremenchuk, Kropyvnytskyi, Lviv, Shepetivka (Khmelnytskyi region), Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, and Chernivtsi. The memorable weekend was led by the professional staff of the Jewish youth movement in Ukraine, and included experienced counselors, lecturers, rabbis, and families who joined the kids in games, dancing, comedy skits and performances, lectures and classes, and short trips.
The highlight of the event was a joyous and festive Shabbat, complete with personalized gifts for the Bar and Bat Mitzvah kids --tefillin for the boys and silver candlesticks for the girls.
The EnerJew Ukraine Bar/Bat Mitzvah project provides an incredible opportunity for youth from across the country to participate in a 6-12 month learning program. Throughout their preparation, the kids work with local mentors and rabbis to learn, explore, and connect with their heritage and peers. This project is particularly important because many of the youth of Ukraine are disconnected from their friends, as their families have been forced to move away from the front lines. The opportunity to learn about the significance of Jewish tradition and heritage is more important than ever to provide a sense of stability and belonging. The weekend event provided the kids with many magical moments that fill them with strength and positive energy to move into their new roles within the Jewish Community.
Together we save lives and restore hope.
