Beit Goldschmidt celebrates quadruple Bat Mitzvah

This week, Orr Shalom's residential intensive-care facility for girls, Beit Goldschmidt, celebrated a quadruple Bat Mitzvah. Beit Goldschmidt works with girls who come from unimaginably traumatic backgrounds. They have often suffered serious abuse, which results in severe emotional and behavioral problems. When they come to Beit Goldschmidt, they can be violent, dysfunctional, and self-destructive. Beit Goldschmidt is the last chance to prevent these children from falling into a life of institutionalization.

The celebration was held in a hall in Jerusalem. Around 50 guests attended: the girls' families, the staff at the home, and the girls themselves. The celebration was made possible by an Israeli teenager, who donated the proceeds of her Bat Mitzvah to fund the celebration, and we were delighted that she was also able to attend.

While the focus of the event was on celebrating, there was time to take a step back and listen to the words of the Beit Goldschmidt staff, who congratulated the girls on the progress they have made, and urged them to keep going over the coming months and years. "Never forget your worth," emphasized the director of the home Anat Hendel, while the girls themselves gave short speeches thanking their peers and expressing hopes for the future.

Of equal importance was the presence of some of the girls' biological families. One of Orr Shalom's priorities is to maintain – as much as possible – the connection between the children and the biological families. Some of them even spoke a few words.

The main focus of the event, though, was celebration. There was a wonderful spread of food and a DJ on hand to play the girls' favorite music, which ensured that the dancing went on deep into the afternoon. The Bat Mitzvah girls now move on to the next stage of their lives, while Beit Goldschmidt will carry on doing what it does best – transforming children's lives.

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