Being Jewish is amazing! I love learning Hebrew and the history of Judaism. However, my favorite part of being Jewish is the tasty food. At Passover, I can always look forward to seeing a big bowl of haroset next to the seder plate.

As I approach my Bar Mitzvah date, becoming a Bar Mitzvah is getting exciting. I feel like I’m one step closer to being an adult and more importantly, a Jewish adult. My hard work will come through as I recite prayers, torah and haftarah portions, which I have been learning all these years.

As a bar mitzvah student, I have learned the importance of being part of a Jewish community and a congregation. My mitzvah project helped me recognize the importance of giving back to the community. My mitzvah project was using my love of music and playing cello. I learned that music is important therapy for patients that suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. With the help of my cello instructor, I decided that I wanted to give back to my community and play cello for residents at senior homes. Specifically, we played in the Memory Care Units within these homes. What I got out of my project, was the feeling of helping others and why it is important to care for others. When we played music for them, I noticed they swayed their head and tapped their feet to the beat of the music. I felt inspired to continue this project after my bar mitzvah, not because it made me feel good, but because it probably made them happy.

After my bar mitzvah, I would like to learn how to speak Hebrew fluently, continue to attend Sabbath services and eventually, travel to Israel through Birthright. Additionally, I would like to participate in Jewish youth groups in Charlotte.

Beau is the son of Edward and Dina DiMartino. He is the brother of Sydney and Jillian. He is the grandson of Ronald and Ann Switzer of Rye Brook NY, Michael and Rebecca DiMartino of Golden Bridge NY, and Barbara Switzer of New York, NY. Send messages of mazel tov to Beau.