My favorite thing about being Jewish is that I have a community of friends that will always be there for me when I need them. To become a Bat Mitzvah means to take on the responsibility to practice the Jewish religion on your own. I have learned that Hebrew is very complicated to read and requires a lot of studying to learn. My mitzvah project is about volunteering at non-profit businesses that help children in the foster care system. This has helped gain a deeper understanding of the process and struggles a foster kid goes through. And I can’t imagine what it must feel like to leave your parents and move from place to place constantly. I plan on keeping Judaism in my life by celebrating most of the holidays. I am also thinking about attending Hebrew High and serving as a madricha.

Ella is the daughter of Miranda and Kevin Zolot. She is the sister of Dylan, a fourth grader at Eastover Elementary School. She is the granddaughter of Kay and Alex Mitchell of Saint Augustine, Florida and Andrea Lazarus and Warren Zolot of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Notes of congratulations can be sent to Miranda and Kevin.