Yeshivat AMIT Amichai held a surprise Bar Mitzvah at the end of December for Eitan B. who was in quarantine with his family. One student initiated the project, starting a special WhatsApp group where the boys made all of the arrangements. Each student was responsible for a different element of the celebration – organizing prayer services, bringing plastic chairs, speakers, preparing a celebratory film, etc. Neighbors also helped provide refreshments. Eitan B., the bar mitzvah boy, explained, “everything was planned, but our plans changed when we found out that several family members tested positive for COVID-19. The mood changed completely when I found out I needed to go into quarantine and miss my own Bar Mitzvah. To my great surprise, I saw that on Thursday morning, my classmates and friends were standing outside my home, so they could participate in prayer services with me on the day of my Bar Mitzvah. I didn’t expect this at all, and certainly not that so many friends would come celebrate with me. This event caused me to understand how much we all care about each other. I was so thankful to my friends who arranged the celebration, and everyone who participated. ” School principal Shimon Shushan shared, “When Eitan’s friends decided to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah with him despite his being in quarantine in his courtyard, davening, and dancing together, this is true Torat Chaim.”
