Twenty of Western Ukraine’s most needy Jewish teenagers celebrated their Bar and Bat Mitzvah, this past Sunday, in a series of events hosted by the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS’s Alumim Children’s home in Zhitomir, Ukraine.

Two groups of children participated in the events: children now living in the Children’s home, and children gathered from the poorest villages and towns in the region. All were overwhelmed by the attention and love they received during the event and the great investment put into its success.

A banquet dinner included dancing, video productions, original gifts and activities and words of blessings from dignitaries, rabbis and the Lev Layeled organization from France which sponsored the event.