Becoming a Bat Mitzvah means taking on the responsibilities of being a Jewish woman, like going to services and giving tzedakah. In Sheva I’ve gained multiple friends, because we already know we have one thing in common, being Jewish! I’ve also learned more about my Jewish history and ancestors. Now that I am a Jewish adult, I plan on taking on being a madricha for religious school. That way I can help the little kids learn the things I did when I was their age. I also want to join the teen choir where I can participate more in signing on the bimah during services. I plan on continuing to go to services often and I also plan on raising a Jewish family, so I can help them on this journey of becoming a Bat or Bar Mitzvah! Being Jewish means being special, because not everyone gets a chance to have a Bat Mitzvah. This is a unique opportunity and I want to make the most of it!

For my family’s Mitzvah Project, we participated in making sandwiches for the Salvation Army, making dinner for the guests at the Ronald McDonald House, and spending time with the children at the Freedom School. My favorite was the Ronald McDonald House because I loved socializing with the family’s there while making them food. One family asked if I could hold their baby so they could have time for themselves to eat their dinner. The mother said to me that she had not seen her son laugh that much in two months because they had been in the hospital for that long. That really made me feel like they trusted me and being able to help them at a tough time in their lives gave me joy because I realized the simple things we do can help people have a better day and improve their lives. We helped fulfill the mitzvah of bikur cholim, visiting and bringing relief to those who are sick.

Leah is the daughter of Andrew and Christy Horwitz and the sister of Ashley and Eddie. Send messages of mazel tov.