Lital Mauda and Michael Aleme

Lital Mauda, 26, was a National Service volunteer for SELAH, continued to volunteer after the completion of her service and today visits families in crisis throughout Israel on behalf of SELAH. She and SELAH’s current National Service volunteer, Shani, have been closely involved with the Aleme family in Ofakim for several months – and they together were the key coordinators of Michael’s bar mitzvah. Both young women have the family’s trust and have been able to serve as their advocate as they face the challenge of growing up on their own.

Lital: “We arrived to Ofakim's community center clubhouse, where the Kiddush would be after the morning services. Just as I was heading for the place, I saw Michael and his family coming out of their house and headed for synagogue. I can’t describe how proud he looked, how happy to be at the center of things. And that gave me strength. That was the moment when I realized how much this all meant to him.

Michael’s brother Gershon-Geshau is 23, and it is really very difficult for him. He takes his responsibility for the children so seriously. He had wanted to study electrical engineering, but after the first day of studies, he realized he wouldn’t be able to work to support the family and study at the same time, so he just left college. He had no choice. He works in a local supermarket, in the delivery department. He has no time for a social life of his own.

Moriah, who is Michael’s 21-year-old sister, also works to help support the family, in a factory that packages vegetables. Yasmin is 19, she’s in the Army, and intends to be a mashakit ta’ash, which is like a social worker who sees to the soldiers’ welfare. Skadar, the youngest sister, is 11. They were all there with him that morning, and so proud.

When his father died, Michael thought he would not have a bar mitzvah at all! He was sure all their plans would be cancelled. That’s why this celebration is even more important for him. He is seeing that life is really going on.

When we went to buy clothes, this shy boy with so little confidence suddenly lit up. He was so emotional, so happy, and he knew exactly what he wanted. Later, back at his house, I saw he invited all his friends over to show them what he had gotten. He was thrilled.

When he received the Kiddush goblet, with his name engraved on it, you should have seen the look on his face. It was as if he was finally realizing that he was truly worth something. That all this effort was made for him, to make him happy, just as his parents would have done for him, if they were alive.

Today, this family struggles all the time, and he needs someone who will tell him he is worth something. I hope this bar mitzvah celebration will give him that push, that it will give him strength to continue.”

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