My favorite thing about being Jewish is being able to celebrate holidays like Chanukah because it’s so long and fun, Purim because of the groggers, and Rosh Hashanah because of the apples and honey. To me, being a Bar Mitzvah means becoming an adult and having my opinion matter. In preparing for my Bar Mitzvah, I learned more of what the prayers mean in depth, which helped me understand our traditions better.

My mitzvah project was creating playlists of songs from the past (like Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, etc.) for the residents of Sunrise Assisted Living facility, along with donating a MP3 player and speakers. I chose this project because my Grandfather, William, suffered and passed away from Alzheimer’s and my Mom told me that even when he wasn’t himself, his favorite music always made him happy. Music seemed to be a way that he was able to recall happy memories from his past. I wanted others suffering from Alzheimer’s to have this gift as well.

After my Bar Mitzvah, I plan to keep learning about Judaism by continuing with Hebrew High, celebrating the holidays and being part of events at Temple.

Ryan is the son of Jody and Chris Para and the brother of Brynn and Wyatt. His grandparents are Cecile Waronker of Atlanta, GA and Jeanie Para & Wayne Simpson of Gainesville, GA. Send messages of Mazel Tov.