Israeli Girl Injured in West Bank Attack Celebrates Bat Mitzvah
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
An Israeli girl who was seriously injured in a West Bank firebomb attack celebrated her bat mitzvah.
Ayala Shapira, 12, celebrated with her family and classmates on Thursday in the West Bank settlement of Maale Shomron, where her family lives in its El Matan outpost.
Ayala remains hospitalized as she undergoes additional surgeries and rehabilitation in the aftermath of December’s attack. She was released from the hospital for a week of bat mitzvah celebrations, which included a family visit to the Temple Mount.
Ayala suffered third-degree burns over most of her body and face when two Palestinian teens threw firebombs at a car driven by her father.
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
