The news is difficult and challenging. Many people are debating how to celebrate their happy occasions. The Yarchi family decided to simply share their joy with a family from the Gaza Strip envelope. This is what the mother of the family, Shira Yarchi, wrote to me:
"We live in Talmon, our young son Amitai was preparing for his bar mitzvah, and we were looking for more meaning, connection and unity. We located a family from Kibbutz Magen, who is now in a hotel in the Dead Sea. They are also celebrating a bar mitzvah, under unexpected conditions, and we decided to celebrate together.
"We went to the Dead Sea for a visit, got to know them and their cute bar mitzvah boy, Yuval, we bonded and traveled, and on Friday the two boys arrived at my father's synagogue in Ra'anana, and put on tefillin together.
"Thanks to Ma'ayan and Itai Levin the kibbutzniks who were partners in a unique experience."
And Ma'ayan Levin from Kibbutz Magen adds: "Since the beginning of the war we have not been at home. We decided to go with the surprising idea, we discovered so much in common, the boys put on tefillin together and the whole event just warmed our hearts."
Happy birthday, Amitai and Yuval. You fulfilled your first mitzvah together, in a special connection. Welcome, as adults, to the nation of Israel.