Adraba: Bar/Bat Mitzvah for Children with Disabilities

Adraba is a program that partners with special education schools to offer tailored bar and bat mitzvah lessons designed to meet the unique needs of each student. The program culminates in an unforgettable group ceremony, conducted in an egalitarian manner so that everyone can feel comfortable and involved in the celebration. The ceremony takes place in one of the Masorti kehillot.

The program has been operating for over 30 years and collaborates with approximately 40 schools across all of Israel, empowering over 100 students annually to celebrate this significant milestone. Since its founding, over 5,000 students have marked their bar and bat mitzvah with Adraba!

I had the privilege of witnessing my son pray by using his eye-tracking system. Every time he finished, they applauded him and cheered him on. Finally, the moment came when my wife and I were called to the bimah to give our blessing. That’s when I understood that this program is not just about religion, it’s also about the core principles of Judaism, such as acceptance of the other, human dignity, and above all, that derech eretz (ethical behavior) precedes the Torah."

This process for Yarden was exciting and happy. The event itself was amazing, emotional, and well adapted for him. Yarden learned to read and sing the prayers, and was surrounded by a lot of love, where he was surrounded by his immediate family, school staff, and his classmates.

My son and daughter celebrated their Bar and Bat Mitzvah on dates very close to one another, so we held a joint ceremony. Rabbah Sarah Cohen officiated the beautiful ceremony. It was very emotional for all of us, and we were so happy to see how surprised our children's friends were that they could read from the Torah and really enjoy the ceremony.