Community programmes director Anthea Masson has made it into an educational project for children in Glasgow.

This year, 17 children took part in the monthly club, learning about the history, culture and festivals of the Ethiopian families.

They cooked traditional Ethiopian food and spent time working on an art project which was sent to an absorption centre in Safed.

The children raised £3,500 - as well as six twinnings - bringing Glasgow's total to £9,500.

Anthea was last year made UJIA's UK national co-ordinator for the Ethiopian bar/batmitzvah appeal.

She travelled to Israel with colleague Elaine Benjamin, where they worked alongside UJIA Israel staff members to finalise celebrations at Jerusalem's Great Synagogue.

Anthea said: "The Ethiopian and British families ate together, danced together and sang together.

"I am so proud to be involved in such a beautiful and memorable programme that will live on throughout the lives of all these people who took part.

"I hope all the children will continue to build relationships with not only their twins but also with Israel."

Scotland was well represented in Israel, as one quarter of the British families who made the journey to join in with the celebrations were from Glasgow.

The families were Barbara and Paul Haniford, with their daughter Nancy, Lucy and Steven Jacobs and daughter Carly, Tracy and Ian Grabiner with their daughter Chloe and Mandy and Ricky Zinger and their son Ben.

UJIA's Anthea Masson with batmitzvah girls Charlotte Feldman, Nicole Rothburn, Chloe Grabiner and Carly Jacobs

It was the Zinger family's first trip to Israel.

Son Ben said: " I was thrilled to meet my Ethiopian twin, Amara, and his family.

"The ceremony itself felt very special - to be directly involved in it all, with not just Amara, but all the Ethiopian bar and batmitzvah children, and all their families."

Steven Jacobs, father of batmitzvah twin Carly, said: "The twinning programme in Jerusalem was an amazing experience - emotional, enjoyable and full of great memories.

"It was the best thing that we have done and, considering that it started out as a charitable exercise, we as a family got more out of it than we put in."

Nancy Haniford's experience started in November, when she attended the bar/batmizvah UJIA club for the twinning of Ethiopian Jews.

Her twin - Alianish Jember - was identified and she started corresponding with her.

Nancy recalled getting her first letter and picture from Ailanish and the excitement she felt.

Nancy's mother Barbara said: "Meeting Nancy's twin for the first time in Israel was exciting and emotional.

"Her highlight of the trip was her day spent with her twin in the desert.

"For the rest of the family, it was the twinning ceremony at the Great Synagogue, followed by the lunch and Israeli dancing."

Anthea and Elaine are already taking names for next year's twinnings, and also for the club in Glasgow, which is due to start in October.

* More details on 0141 577 8210 or Elaine.benjamin@ujia.org