TWO sisters have marked their Jewish coming of age by twinning with orphans in the Ukraine whose lives they are working to improve. Abi and Eli Samuels from Newlands Avenue in Radlett have so far raised around £2,000 for their new friends in Eastern Eur

TWO sisters have marked their Jewish coming of age by "twinning" with orphans in the Ukraine whose lives they are working to improve.

Abi and Eli Samuels from Newlands Avenue in Radlett have so far raised around £2,000 for their new friends in Eastern Europe after being paired with them through a World Jewish Relief (WJR) project on celebrating their Batmitzvahs.

The WJR is a humanitarian relief charity that works across the world providing vulnerable people with the means to improve their lives and the Twinning Project offers young people the chance to engage with those less fortunate.

Haberdashers' Aske's School pupil Abi, aged 14, came up with the idea of a sponsored fairy-cake bake which saw her making more than 300 cakes which she sold at classes the next day, raising more than £700.

She said: "This money will go towards my twin's lessons and will make sure she has enough food and is safe."

Eli, aged 12, a pupil at Abbots Hill School in Hemel Hempstead, said: "Like my sister I didn't think that a Batmitzvah should just be about receiving, so I decided to help a girl called Reveka who lives in an orphanage in Ukraine have the same opportunity as me."

She raised £1,000 through a sponsored biscuit bake and gave the 300 biscuits she made to the Watford New Hope Trust, a homeless centre.