My favorite part about being Jewish is the people/the community. People at Temple Beth El are very kind and generous. They will drop everything to help you if you need something, so don’t hesitate to ask! Becoming a bat mitzvah is very important – to me it is a big milestone in life because honestly, it takes a lot of work to become one. I worked for a long time to get here, and then you get to the day and then it’s over! But it is a very big part of life that I will remember forever.

During Sheva and in preparation for this moment, I learned just how much work it takes to become a bat mitzvah, and also that I am capable of doing that work. It took a lot of perseverance and persistence, and I learned that I am capable of both.

For my mitzvah project I worked with an organization called Hands On Charlotte. At first, I honestly didn’t know what to do for my mitzvah project, and then I found on Hands On Charlotte, which had a wide variety of volunteer opportunities. My favorite experience was going to White Oak Center, a senior home, and bringing my dog Cooper to let the seniors pet him. This experience taught me that when someone is having a bad day – or even a good one – you can always help them in some kind of way; it will make their day, even if it is a small gesture. Now that I am a bat mitzvah, I will continue to do community service and stay connected to the Jewish community by going to Sheva and coming to services.

Alexa Kirschner is the daughter of Steve Kirschner and Heidi Kirschner and the stepdaughter of Lisa Vogel. She is the sister of Marcus Kirscher, Ryan Vogel, Shayna Vogel, and Kyle Vogel. She is the granddaughter of Joan Kirschner of Charlotte, North Carolina, Jim Adelman of Palm Beach Gardens Florida, and Gunnel and Richard Greenhagen. Send notes of mazel tov.