About 20 lone soldiers on Monday celebrated their bar or bat mitzvah in uniform for the first time at the Western Wall plaza after completing a conversion process during their military service. One of the participants, B., 22, immigrated from Ethiopia about two years ago with the goal of enlisting in the Israel Defense Forces. He serves as a combat soldier in the Nahal Brigade and is expected to complete basic training in about a month.
As a child, B. grew up in a village in Ethiopia without internet or cars. He was raised with a Jewish identity, including observing Jewish holidays and maintaining tradition. B. said his military service and life in Israel fulfill a personal and family dream. He said he is happy to live in Israel and serve the country loyally.
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B. waves an Israeli flag during a ceremony held at the Western Wall plaza
(Photo: Big Brother for Lone Soldiers)
“I always dreamed of coming to Israel and being a soldier in the IDF. For me, Israel is the place where I can realize my identity and be part of my people,” he said. “I grew up in a home that observed Shabbat and celebrated the Jewish holidays, but I did not celebrate a bar mitzvah. I always felt that something was missing, so the moving ceremony at the Western Wall gives me a sense of wholeness and closure.”
His mother died of cancer nine years ago, and his older sister has raised him since then. His brothers now live in Tiberias, while his father remains in Ethiopia. The two last met about two years ago and remain in contact by phone.
B. is accompanied by Uzi Brenner, 35, of the northern community of Hoshaya, through the nonprofit group Big Brother for Lone Soldiers, which supports lone soldiers — servicemen and servicewomen without immediate family in Israel. Brenner immigrated to Israel from Buenos Aires in 2010. Like his mentee, he served as a combat soldier in the Nahal Brigade, experience he said helps him understand what B. is going through.
Brenner first encountered the organization in 2013, shortly after it was founded, and joined as a volunteer. He met B. when B. enlisted in a Hebrew-language course at Michve Alon, an IDF base that prepares new immigrants and other recruits for service. Since then, Brenner has accompanied him consistently, helping bridge language and cultural gaps, guiding him through military and personal processes and assisting with daily needs.
Brenner now works at an investment firm and serves in the reserves in the casualty unit. “Uzi is like a big brother to me. He not only helps me — he gives me confidence and the feeling that I have someone by my side on my new path here,” B. said.
Brenner said it did not take long to realize his mentee faced language and cultural gaps he would need help closing. “When he received a computer for the first time in his life, I connected him with someone who could teach him how to use it in Amharic — so it would be accessible and help him move forward,” Brenner said. “I was filled with pride seeing B. complete both the Hebrew course and the Nativ conversion course with distinction. As a mentor, it was very meaningful to see his progress along the way.”
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B. stands alongside Uzi Brenner at the Western Wall plaza
(Photo: Big Brother for Lone Soldiers)
About 150 additional lone soldiers and volunteers from the organization, all former lone soldiers themselves, marched alongside those celebrating their bar or bat mitzvah for the first time. They provide personal guidance and support throughout the soldiers’ service.
Participants marched in a festive procession with Israeli flags and music to the Western Wall plaza, where ceremonies included the laying of tefillin, being called up to the Torah for the male soldiers and bat mitzvah ceremonies for the female soldiers.
The event, initiated by Big Brother for Lone Soldiers in cooperation with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, was dedicated to the memory of Staff Sgt. Jonathan Dean Haim, a combat engineering soldier who immigrated from the United States, converted during his service and was accompanied by the organization. He was killed in combat in the southern Gaza Strip in December 2023. He was 25.
The rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich, blessed the soldiers and said: “Blessed are You … who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this time. It is moving to see you here at the Western Wall — the holiest site for the Jewish people, which connects us to Jewish tradition and the heritage of Israel. You are the living example of the eternity of the Jewish people. Especially at this time, when we face enemies who seek to harm us, our connection to Jewish tradition and to the Western Wall is an anchor for the unity of the people and our faith in the justice of our path.”
Reuven Shiff, chairman of the organization’s friends association, said the group operates with hundreds of volunteers who were themselves lone soldiers to provide personal guidance, a sense of belonging and the knowledge that the soldiers have a supportive community even far from home.
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Celebrations during a ceremony held at the Western Wall plaza
(Photo: Big Brother for Lone Soldiers)
“The lone soldiers who chose to come to Israel, enlist and serve in the IDF are today on all fronts and are taking part in defending the state,” he said. “For them, this is a deeply rooted value-based choice of belonging and commitment, and our responsibility is to ensure they do not go through this journey alone.”
Big Brother for Lone Soldiers operates a personal mentoring network for lone soldiers through a community of hundreds of volunteers. Each lone soldier is paired with a “big brother” who accompanies him or her throughout military service, providing daily support and assistance. The mentorship creates a supportive, family-like framework, strengthens the sense of belonging and helps the soldiers integrate into Israeli society.