Oliver is celebrating his Bar Mitzvah this week in Jerusalem. Originally from London and a student at Hasmonean Primary School, Oliver really loves sports and rock music.

Oliver chose to take an afternoon off from his Bar Mitzvah planning with his father, Hilton to visit a family affected by terror with OneFamily.

They joined Pini Rabinovich, OneFamily’s Southern Coordinator in a site visit to Orel Elizarov.

Orel just turned 12 years old last month. He is a really funny kid with a lot of personality, a little streak of sarcasm, and something interesting to add to just about any topic of coversation.

Orel is a spectacular young man – he is also living with only 25% brain function.

On January 15, 2009, when Orel was 7 years old, he and his mother Angela were driving to the mall near their home in Beer Sheva, when a siren alert sounded. Angela, grabbed her son from the car and as instructed by the IDF Home Front Command, lay on the ground sheltering her child. A Grad Missile, fired from Gaza City, 45 kilometers away, exploded near them. Angela tried to cover her son, but shrapnel from the Grad Missile penetrated his brain.

Orel has undergone six surgeries and leaves school every day to participate in various therapies in two different rehabilitation hospitals. While he continues to make slow improvement in leg function and arm function, he may not regain full function and will always live with the physical reminder of the rocket that changed his life. Orel’s life is a miracle.

The boys bonded over their love for sports and taught each other words in English and Hebrew. They hope to stay in touch and skype when Oliver returns to London.