My favorite thing about being Jewish is being part of a community and celebrating holidays together.  I enjoyed being part of a “chavurah” growing up that celebrated Havdalah together once a month. Becoming a bar mitzvah means becoming a more responsible member of the community and giving back to that community. I enjoyed working with Jewish Family Services to meet the needs of members of our community and welcoming Shabbat with Jewish residents of the Carriage Club.

As I have prepared for my Bar Mitzvah I learned that I am able to accomplish whatever I set my mind to.  Learning my Torah portion was challenging but I persevered and accomplished my goal. As I become an adult, I look forward to creating my own Jewish community and finding ways to express my Jewish identity.

Ethan is the son of John and Talli Dippold. He is the brother of Anya and Sasha Dippold. He is the grandson of Esther Pollack of Beer Sheva, Israel, Mary Dippold of Bow, New Hampshire, and Joshua and Michal of Los Angeles, California. Send Mazel Tov messages.