73 orphaned girls celebrate their bat mitzvah with Zoh LeZoh in Jerusalem
Zoh LeZoh held a special bat mitzvah celebration for 73 orphaned girls about a week after its large bar mitzvah event for 52 boys at Binyanei HaUma. The gathering was part of the organization’s year-round mentoring and empowerment network, which also includes activities, outings, and summer camps.
The event took place at the Hadaria event hall in Jerusalem’s Talpiot neighborhood, with festive tables and a celebratory meal in honor of the girls, many of whom came with family members, educators, personal mentors, and the national mentoring coordinators of Zoh LeZoh. The evening was led by the organization’s president and founder, Rebbetzin Rotenberg.
Rabbi Gamliel Cohen Rabinovitz gave words of encouragement and blessed the girls with the priestly blessing, saying, “May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.” He praised their strength in reaching this moment despite loss and hardship, with help from their personal mentors. Rabbi Elimelech Biderman told the girls that this is a day of great joy in Heaven and said, “This is the event that the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself is making in your honor.”
A highlight of the evening was the challah-separation ceremony led by Rebbetzin Rotenberg, who spoke about resilience and the support provided by the personal mentors and the “Mechubarot” staff. The program also included a musical performance, and each bat mitzvah girl received a deluxe set of prayer books with a personal dedication. The girls thanked the organizers for an uplifting evening they said would stay with them for life.
