Sunday August 7, 1973, FREE held its first Gala Bar Mitzvah Ceremony for fourteen young refugees at camp FREE Gan Israel Summer Camp, Parksville, New York.

The 14 Bar Mitzvah boys stand at the head table together with the distinguished guest: Pictured left to right on the lower level is Rabbis: Leibel Lipsker, A. Pliskin, Pinches Hirsprung, Zalmen Shimon Dworkin, Mayer Okounov (standing), Sholom Ber Gordon, Yisroel Friedman, Moshe Chaim Levin (standing), Mendel Okunov (standing). Upper level: Hirsh Okunov, Avroham Shemtov, Yitzchok Raitport, Hirsh Chitrik (speaking), renown tenor Jan Peerce.