After fleeing from the horrors of war in his country, a young Ukrainian refugee got to celebrate his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Tima Kabakov never dreamed of having his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall. However, one thing led to the other, and he found himself celebrating his foray into manhood in Jerusalem.
Ukrainian refugee celebrates his Bar Mitzvah at the Western wall
(Video: Neville Harris)
Kabakov and his family were forced to leave their lives in the city of Zhytomyr behind after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in February; forcing Tima, his mother and four siblings to seek refuge in Israel.
"It's an important day for me", said the 14-year-old, who rejoiced at his belated bar mitzvah as he had yet to celebrate it at the customary age of 13.
"Two months ago, I didn't realize that I'll have [a] bar mitzvah in Israel, [at the] Kotel [short for HaKotel HaMa'arvi, Hebrew for the Western Wall]... I can't explain this [in] words. Bar mitzvah is the most important day for every Jewish boy, and also this is [at the] Kotel, this kodesh [Yiddish for holy] place. I'm really excited."
Tima is one of 120 refugee boys who will celebrate their bar mitzvah with close friends and family at the Western Wall Plaza in a special ceremony organized by Chabad in honor of the 120th birthday of the Hasidic dynasty's late leader — the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
"Now we're planning to go back after the ending of the war," he said. "But I really like Israel. The people here are so lovely, helpful and I'm thankful for... Israel."
Kabakov also noted he is considering making Aliyah sometime in the future and relocating his life to Israel.