Help the first Indonesian Bar Mitzvah in Israel

In 2004, Rabbi Yaakov Baruch opened the only Synagogue and Holocaust museum in Indonesia. Fraught with challenges and opposition from vested interest groups, the journey has not been an easy one yet a resounding success. For the first time in history, the tiny but robust Jewish community of 25 people in the city of Manado has a beautiful synagogue in which to pray. You can read more about this journey in the story published in the Sydney Morning Herald.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/keeping-the-faith-quietly-inside-muslim-indonesia-s-hidden-jewish-community-20220203-p59tnv.html

Now Rabbi Baruch has set himself a new task: to take his firstborn son, 12-year-old Levi Yitzhak, to do his Bar Mitzvah in Jerusalem. To the best of our knowledge, this will make him the first Indonesian Jew in history to do his Bar Mitzvah in Israel.

Levi is a hyper-intelligent, fiery yet humble boy – a mirror of his father – who loves his faith and wears his yamuka as a badge of honour wherever he goes despite the negative attention it sometimes brings.

However, as a public servant, the cost of a trip to Israel is beyond Rabbi Baruch’s reach. Complicating matters even further, Indonesian passport holders are only allowed the visit Israel as part of group tours. The starting price of these tours is 45 million Indonesian rupias, approximately AU$4,500 or US$3,000.

For this reason, we are appealing to members of Jewish communities everywhere to make a small donation and help get Rabbi Baruch and Levi to Jerusalem for this very special occasion.

Baruch Hashem.