The months and weeks leading up to a young man’s bar mitzvah can be a very exciting and nerve-wracking time for the whole family. Independent of family traditions and customs, this milestone marks a change from childhood to adulthood. 

At Meir Panim, we are lucky to have many young men (and young ladies in advance of their Bat Mitzvahs) coming to our branches to volunteer and give back to the community as a part of this meaningful transition.

Recently, however, we at Meir Panim had the unique opportunity to be a vital part of several young men’s Bar Mitzvahs through giving in their time of need. The community of Be’eri was one of the hardest hit communities in the devastating events of October 7th. When we heard there was a group of young men approaching their bar mitzvahs, in the shadow of war, not knowing when things would return to “normal”, we wanted to do more.

Through connections in our communities, Meir Panim secured a donation of Tefillin sets and beautiful carrying cases for each of these Bar Mitzvah boys, taking a significant financial burden off of their families, and creating an act of loving kindness during this dark period. These boys, who grew up together, will approach their adulthood together, and even for those who have lost so much, Meir Panim can give them hope. 

This gift is not just from Meir Panim however, it is from all of our generous supporters around the world who are giving from their hearts to support Israel during this time. Meir Panim is able to secure this donation because we know there are people that want to give a helping hand to those most affected by the war and fund our expanded mission in this time of crisis. This is truly a gesture of community that we can make to these young men together, teaching them a vital lesson as they reach this Bar Mitzvah milestone.