My favorite thing about being Jewish is celebrating the holidays – especially Chanukah, because of the presents. To me, being a bar mitzvah means becoming an adult but still a minor. You don’t have all the abilities of an adult, but you’re no longer considered a child in the eyes of Judaism.

What I learned about myself when preparing for my bar mitzvah is that I skip a lot of words when reading. I like to simplify things when possible. Moving forward, I plan to continue to go to services and celebrate the holidays.

Eli Vitner is the son of Amy and Mark Vitner. He is the brother of Saul and Sylvia Vitner. He is the grandson of Roger and Susan Gamache of Florida and Joan Vitner of Atlanta, Georgia. He is the great-grandson of Jeanne Gamache of Massachusetts. Send notes of mazel tov.