Bar and batmitzvah project with Ethiopian Jews raises £40,000

Almost 100 Jewish youngsters in the UK have raised more than £40,000 for the Ethiopian-Israeli community in Haifa, while twinning with 32 Ethiopian-Israeli bar and batmitzvah participants.

The announcement came at the UJIA EBBM Graduation event, at the UJIA headquarters in North London. The invitation list included guests from the Kingston and Surbiton, Kinloss, South Hampstead and St Johns Wood EBBM clubs

The event, at which the guests sang a lively rendition of ‘KolHaOlamKulo’ in Hebrew and English, saw British youngsters writing Rosh Hashanah cards to the Ethiopian community in Kiriyat Bialik, in the Haifa district.

UJIA volunteer coordinator Marcelle Glantz reminded guests how far the programme had advanced since it was based within an absorption centre, where the Ethiopian ‘Olim’ (immigrants) lived for a year, adding that the Ethiopians are now “able to integrate, and become more confident in Israeli society”.

Melanie Kelly, UJIA’s Living Bridge Programmes manager, said: “The Graduation event was such a success. The Rosh Hashanah cards will help to continue to bridge the connection between the EBBM club participants, and their twins in Israel.”

She added: “This is such an essential part of our programme, and aims for the future of our work – creating living bridges between the Israeli and UK communities.”