A beneficiary of UJIA's Ethiopian bar/batmitzvah twinning programme addressed around 100 former participants and family members at a 10th anniversary reunion at St John's Wood Synagogue.
Silanet Mekonan, 18, who made aliyah from Ethiopia in 2006, said that "if it wasn't for this project, I would not have had a batmitzvah.
"My parents did not have the time to deal with this. I know I would feel I was missing a very important experience."
A 2015 UK programme graduate Joshua Torns also addressed guests, along with Jacob Glantz, who completed the programme two years ago. Jacob recalled how the scheme had been "the first time I really came into contact with my Jewish roots".
The celebration featured Ethiopian-inspired activities including drumming and basket weaving. A film was shown about Kiryat Bialik, the new base in Israel for UJIA's work with Ethiopian immigrants.
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