Arabs against Bar Mitzva celebrations at Kotel

The Arab journalism in Israel started a campaign of incitement against the Aliya LaTorah in the framework of Bar MItzvos which have been taking place for many years at the Western Wall square.

The "Il Iam" newspaper quotes Ahmad Karia, who is a member of the executive board of the PLO and chairman of the PLO's committee for Jerusalem affairs, who spoke against the activity of the Heritage of the Western Wall Fund. According to his claim, this initiative expresses the completion of the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem, and an offense to the religious and historical symbols.

In another announcement which was published in the paper on behalf of the El-Akza institution it said that Israel is inventing new methods of turning the holy Islamic symbols in Jerusalem into Jewish, especially the increase of the Aliya Latorah at the Western Wall for Bar Mitzva boys, which is done free of charge by the Western Wall Heritage Fund.

The Western Wall Heritage Fund explains: "The project named "Bar Mitzva at the Kotel" offers families who wish to celebrate their son's Bar Mitzva at the Kotel an array of information and escort, which grants the celebrating family all the tools for a experiential, meaningful and moving event - free of charge. A telephone center of the Western Wall Heritage Fund stands for public use five days a week, and supplies essential information regarding the procedures at the Kotel, ways of reaching it, parking places etc. Through the center, the family can also request a personal escort during the prayer – a personal instructor of the Fund will join the family and help it choose the correct and suitable way to celebrate the Bar Mitzva at the Kotel. The escort is given to the family free of charge and without "tips".

"At the end of the event, elegant certificates are given, which mark the event and bear the signature of the Rav of the Kotel and holy places, to the Bar Mitzva boy, out of the appreciation the value of celebrating the Bar Mitzva especially at the Kotel, and out of a wish to give the celebrating boy a souvenir of the event which will illustrate its importance".

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!