(IsraelNN.com) Fifty deaf boys and girls, along with their parents, took part in a unique Bar- and Bat-Mitzvah ceremony and celebration last month in Jerusalem.

Held on May 26 and sponsored by the Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel, the special day included an all-day tour for the celebrating families, starting with a visit to the historic synagogue in Yemin Moshe, the Jerusalem neighborhood that Moses Montefiore founded. It was there that the participating children marked their Bar- and Bat-Mitzvah in a Jewish coming of age ceremony, fulfilling certain commandments incumbent upon adult Jews.

The boys donned tefillin (used in Jewish prayer) and used sign language to say the appropriate blessings for being called up to the Torah. The girls were given candles with which to fulfill the commandment of kindling lights to usher in the Sabbath. All 50 celebrants affirmed their acceptance of the mitzvot (Torah commandments) by expressing the Shema prayer in sign language.

Bar Mitzvah ceremony in Jerusalem
Council of Young Israel Rabbis

Bat Mitzvah ceremony in Jerusalem
Council of Young Israel Rabbis

Each of the Bar- and Bat-Mitzvah children, 12 and 13 years old, received a prayer book and a watch as a gift from the sponsoring organization. After a celebratory luncheon, the group traveled on to the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City and also visited the Western Wall Tunnels, tracing Jewish history in ancient Jerusalem.

According to Rabbi Aaron S. Tirschwell, Chief Program and Development Officer of the Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel, "In addition to gaining first-hand experience regarding their Jewish roots, the deaf youth use the opportunity to form a social network consisting of people their age who understand obstacles they face in their daily lives."

The Bar- and Bat-Mitzvah Program, now in its seventh year, assists deaf and hearing impaired children from all over the country prepare for this important life-cycle event. The children who participate in the program all come from state public schools that are not part of the religious school system. Participants are required to prepare for the Bar- or Bat-Mitzvah ceremony by attending a total of 24 hours of classes. These classes address the importance of community, giving to the community, and understanding the meaning and importance of prayer. The boys learn blessings for being called up to the Torah, and the girls are taught the blessings for Sabbath and holiday candle lighting, as well as the commandments surrounding preparing ceremonial bread.

'Judaism Kind of Takes a Back Seat'
Rabbi Tirschwell said that for most parents of deaf children there are so many issues and concerns they face as the children mature, regarding how they will integrate and communicate, that "Judaism kind of takes a back seat. It was the recognition of this fact that led to the development of this program."

"We're no longer living in the time of the mishnayos [from the Temple period until approximately 200 CE - ed.], when a deaf person was considered to be in the same state as a fool," according to Rabbi Chanoch Yeres, a psychologist and National Director of Young Israel's Jewish Heritage Program for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired.

The Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel, which oversees the Jewish Heritage Program for the Deaf, has conducted extensive rabbinical research into the status of the deaf in Jewish law. According to the guidelines the Council has given out to rabbis concerning life-cycle events, including Bar- and Bat-Mitzvahs and weddings, deaf people are equal.

"It's very important for a family to hear that," Rabbi Yeres said, "because they don't really believe it."

218,000 Deaf or Hearing Impaired in Israel
Responding to a need its members identified in Israel, the Council of Young Israel Rabbis committed itself to raising awareness of Jewish identity among the deaf community. There are approximately 18,000 deaf people in Israel in addition to the 200,000 who are hearing impaired. A major communication gap often prevents the deaf in Israel from participating in Zionist, Judaic culture and ritual. In addition, there has been a gradual recession regarding services offered by the "establishment" institutions to help the deaf.

"The need to educate Israel's deaf community in Judaism and Zionism is overwhelming," Rabbi Tirschwell said. The Young Israel Jewish heritage program geared towards the deaf and hearing impaired, he noted, has been in operation for 18 years and it draws approximately 16,000 people every year.