Give young orphans in Israel the Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebration of a lifetime
The first Grand Bar and Bat Mitzvah – with new ones every year since
Boys gifted a pair of tefillin each YEAR
Girls presented with candlesticks each year
The one day that transforms lives
Watch the pride in a boy’s eyes when he receives tefillin chosen to reflect his family’s minhag. See the girls’ faces light up with confidence as they’re presented with candlesticks and jewelry.
When respected rabbis and community leaders honor the children, something powerful happens. These orphans, who have known such loss, feel the embrace of a Nation saying: “We see you. We celebrate you. You belong.”
As the children leave, clutching personalized albums filled with memories, they carry something priceless: the knowledge that as part of the Jewish people, they are never alone.
M
Widow
“Our family’s identity is very much still associated with my husband’s death”
“On the one hand we have the joy of the Bar Mitzvah, but our family’s identity is very much still associated with my husband’s death. But when I look at my children smiling, laughing and dancing I realize that we have to keep pushing forward in our life’s journey to find and embrace all the good that’s here, despite our personal situation and the difficulties the country is facing at this time.”
Lonely, but never alone
Colel Chabad’s Bar and Bat Mitzvahs for orphans brings the collective Jewish family together
Colel Chabad has a proud legacy of supporting orphans and widows, offering food, education, and emotional support with compassion and dignity. With the Grand Bar and Bas Mitzvah events for orphans, Colel Chabad ensures that each child stands in the spotlight for this special moment, supported by the family and friends who matter most. Each year, the events start with a meaningful ceremony at the kotel, followed by a festive banquet with live music and dancing. Professional photographers capture every laugh, tear, and proud smile in lifetime keepsakes.
Transcending loss with light
The Grand Bar and Bat Mitzvah program celebrates meaningful Jewish milestones with countless orphans
For a young child on the cusp of adulthood, a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is one of the most significant days yet. For young orphans, however, this rite of passage highlights everything they’re missing — two loving parents, emotional security, and sometimes their family’s lack of means for even a simple celebration.
Since October 7, the number of orphaned children in Israel has surged, and their families face the challenge of marking joyous moments while grieving profound loss.
Ronee Goldman
Donor
“There was so much joy and happiness”
“We went to Israel in April to celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of 120 orphans, and it was immense. We feel very lucky that we were able to join their simcha on their special day, and Colel Chabad made the Bar Mitzvah so incredible. There was so much joy and happiness there. We were just so thrilled to be part of it.”
Rabbi Zalman Duchman
Colel Chabad
Director of Development
“They deserve to have happy days like these”
“This year’s bar mitzvah celebration is certainly different than any other year, but it reminds us that we need to be here for families in need more than ever. The painfully large number of orphaned children all across Israel need to know that life will go on for them, and they deserve to have happy days like these.”
The milestone event gives a lifetime of gifts
Dignity
“No one here feels like a charity case”
“Because my daughter lost her father, she gets to take part in special events… and that makes her special to her friends. The way this event is run is just so beautiful and no one here feels like a charity case.”
Naomi, mother
Memories
“This is a memory that will stay with us for the rest of our lives”
“I am so deeply grateful to everyone at Colel Chabad who thought to make it happen. We can promise that this is a memory that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.”
Gila, mother
Love
“Each girl felt like a bride — beautiful, celebrated and loved”
“This is one day where they all feel like they have permission to put their grief aside and enjoy the moment…Each girl felt like a bride – beautiful, celebrated and loved.”
Rachel Marton, wife of Rabbi Yitzchok Marton, late director of the Chesed Menachem Mendel Orphan Intervention Program
Support
“Colel Chabad just wants to be a resource for me and my family”
“Colel Chabad came to me right after my husband died. I’m so touched that they always check in. Colel Chabad just wants to be a resource for me and my family.”
Hadassah Vaknin-Amar, mother
Devotion
“From the programming all the way down to the little details”
“We came and saw how wonderful it is and how much thought is put into putting the whole event together. From the programming all the way down to the little details, like the personalized aprons for each girl, it’s incredible.”
Vered, mother
Heritage
“I stood there, handing out the tefillin, tallits and siddurs”
“I stood there, handing out the tefillin, tallits and siddurs that I helped raise money for. It was an emotional and very satisfying moment in my life.”
Corey Horowitz, donor and participant
You can make a Bar or Bat Mitzvah for an orphan in Israel
Donate here for an immediate impact, or make a donation in honor/in memory of a loved one as a meaningful gift.
Rabbi Sholom Duchman
Director of Colel Chabad
“Every child deserves to know that they are not forgotten”
“Every child deserves to know that they are not forgotten, particularly during these landmark occasions in Jewish life. When a boy approaches bar mitzva, it’s natural to think that his father will be standing alongside him and when that’s not possible, it’s critical that we find a way to ensure his mother and family have the emotional and practical support they so deserve.”
A mitzvah that matters
Sponsoring a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is foundational
When a child loses a parent, their world shatters – and a part of them is lost.
Your partnership restores meaning and joy to a special moment, helping Jewish girls and boys step into adulthood with dignity, pride, and a deepened connection to Judaism.
Assisting orphans celebrating their Bar or Bat Mitzvah is part of our core Jewish values: tzedakah, chessed, and the mitzvah of uplifting others within the Jewish community. Together, we can ensure that no child is left behind on their spiritual journey.
Jonothan and
Ronee Goldman
Donors
“We left this Bar Mitzvah as the biggest receivers of all"
“We thought that we were going to be giving to these children something that can last forever. But I think we left this Bar Mitzvah as the biggest receivers of all.”
Turn an uncertain future into a beautiful memory for a child who needs it most.
Donate through Colel Chabad, the Jewish charity that stands with every orphan, and know you’ve made a difference.
Give charity to Israel
Since 1788, Colel Chabad has been fighting poverty in Israel. Colel Chabad is Israel’s longest-operating organization and a trustworthy non-profit for you to support.
Your online donations go directly toward Jews in need, giving them food security, access to nutritious meals, basic necessities, and the resources to take care of their families.
Send basic necessities to Israel’s most vulnerable today.
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