My favorite thing about being Jewish is celebrating the holidays with my family. It is special to carry on the traditions that Jewish people have been celebrating for centuries. Becoming a Bar Mitzvah is important to me because it means that I am taking on more responsibilities and is a big milestone to lead the congregation in prayer. It has taken a great deal of work to become a Bar Mitzvah and this taught me that I can achieve whatever goals I want to accomplish. Also, in Sheva, I have learned how I can lead a Jewish life and that is important to me.

I did a few different activities for my mitzvah project. First, I sang to the elderly in nursing homes. I was really surprised how happy it made the residents feel to have me sing for them. I really enjoyed making them smile. My second activity was preparing meals for the hungry people in Guatemala through Servants with a Heart. I was shocked how just a little bit of the right amount of food could provide nutritious meals for so many people. My last project was preparing and serving a meal to the people staying at the Hospitality House of Charlotte. It felt really nice to help people whose loved ones are in the hospital. I can’t imagine how stressful that must be for them and I was happy to help prepare a home cooked meal for them.

I plan to continue living a Jewish life by continuing to attend services and celebrate holidays with my family. Being Jewish is important to me and I plan to carry on the traditions with my own family one day.

Alex is the son of Melissa Coates and Chad Carmichael. He is the brother of Sabrina Carmichael. He is the grandson of Judy and Richard Coates of Waxhaw, NC and James Carmichael z”l and Shirley Carmichael z”l. Send notes of congratulations.