I am happy to be able to become a Bar Mitzvah. I feel that this experience is extra special because I’m going to Israel and chanting Torah near the Wailing Wall. It’s really nice to be able to connect with my Israeli family and enjoy this together. I hope I make them proud. Studying has taken a long time and is a lot of work, but I feel it’s an accomplishment to have really learned Hebrew, learn prayers and chant Torah. My Torah portion is Tazria, and I’ve learned that this portion discusses cleanliness and restrictions for women after they give birth.

For me, being Jewish is about believing in one G-d. Judaism seems like a simpler religion. I’m carrying on a very old and important tradition, and have followed the people in my family and others who have done this before me.

I recently moved to North Carolina from Connecticut. We’re brand new to the synagogue, too. It’s great to know that there’s a place where we can pray and be with other Jewish people. I hope that after becoming a Bar Mitzvah, it helps me feel even more connected to Judaism. When I go to the synagogue, I’ll be able to more easily join in and participate.

Ethan is the son of Richard Roland & Cyma Shapiro of Matthews, NC, the brother of Sarah, David and Abina, and the grandson of Abraham and Cipah Shapiro of Burlington, CT. Ethan will become a Bar Mitzvah on April 9 at Robinson’s Arch in Jerusalem.