JERUSALEM (VINnews) — About 20 lone soldiers (who have no family in Israel during their IDF service) celebrated on Monday their bar or bat mitzvah in uniform at the Western Wall plaza after completing a conversion process during their military service.

The event was held at the initiative of the “Big Brother for Lone Soldiers” association, in cooperation with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, for the fourth consecutive year. It is part of an effort to strengthen the sense of belonging of lone soldiers 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 event opened with a festive musical procession toward the Western Wall prayer plaza. This was followed by bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies led by instructors from the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. Participants included the Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz; Big Brother association chairman Nissim Adar; Friends Association president CPA Reuven Shiff; association CEO Daniel Aharon; founder of the Taib Group and the Menomadin Foundation, Haim Taib, and others.

In a moving ceremony, the bar mitzvah celebrants were wrapped in prayer shawls, placed 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 depicting the stones of the Western Wall.

The highlight of the event came when the Big Brother association surprised lone soldier Kidist Mengistu, who was deeply moved to meet her mother, flown in especially from Ethiopia for the occasion after three and a half years not seeing her daughter.

Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz blessed the soldiers, stating that “It is moving to see you here at the Western Wall, the holiest place for the Jewish people, which connects us to Jewish tradition and heritage. You are the living example of the eternity of the Jewish people. Especially at this time, when we face enemies who seek to harm us, the connection to our heritage and to the Western Wall serves as an anchor for 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 “Gate of Heaven” exhibit, now open to the 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 chain of generations.

One of the participants, B., 22, immigrated from Ethiopia about two years ago with the goal of enlisting in the Israel Defense Forces. He serves as a combat soldier in the Nahal Brigade and is expected to complete basic training in about a month.

As a child, B. grew up in a village in Ethiopia without internet or cars. He was raised with a Jewish identity, including observing Jewish holidays and maintaining tradition. B. said his military service and life in Israel fulfill a personal and family dream. He said he is happy to live in Israel and serve the country loyally.

“I always dreamed of coming to Israel and being a soldier in the IDF. For me, Israel is the place where I can realize my identity and be part of my people,” he told Ynet. “I grew up in a home that observed Shabbat and celebrated the Jewish holidays, but I did not celebrate a bar mitzvah. I always felt that something was missing, so the moving ceremony at the Western Wall gives me a sense of wholeness and closure.”

His mother died of cancer nine years ago, and his older sister has raised him since then. His brothers now live in Tiberias, while his father remains in Ethiopia. The two last met about two years ago and remain in contact by phone.

B. was accompanied by Uzi Brenner, 35, of the northern community of Hoshaya, through the nonprofit group Big Brother for Lone Soldiers. Brenner himself immigrated to Israel from Buenos Aires in 2010. Like his mentee, he served as a combat soldier in the Nahal Brigade, experience he said helps him understand what B. is going through.

Brenner first encountered the organization in 2013, shortly after it was founded, and joined as a volunteer. He met B. when B. enlisted in a Hebrew-language course at Michve Alon, an IDF base that prepares new immigrants and other recruits for service. Since then, Brenner has accompanied him consistently, helping bridge language and cultural gaps, guiding him through military and personal processes and assisting with daily needs.

Brenner now works at an investment firm and serves in the reserves in the casualty unit. “Uzi is like a big brother to me. He not only helps me, he gives me confidence and the feeling that I have someone by my side on my new path here,” B. said.
Brenner said it did not take long to realize his mentee faced language and cultural gaps he would need help closing. “When he received a computer for the first time in his life, I connected him with someone who could teach him how to use it in Amharic — so it would be accessible and help him move forward,” Brenner said. “I was filled with pride seeing B. complete both the Hebrew course and the Nativ conversion course with distinction. As a mentor, it was very meaningful to see his progress along the way.”

Big Brother for Lone Soldiers operates a personal mentoring network for lone soldiers through a community of hundreds of volunteers. Each lone soldier is paired with a “big brother” who accompanies him or her throughout military service, providing daily support and assistance. The mentorship creates a supportive, family-like framework, strengthens the sense of belonging and helps the soldiers integrate into Israeli society.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation stated that it will continue working to strengthen Jewish identity, national belonging, and a spirit of unity for all people at the holiest site of the Jewish people.