My favorite thing about being Jewish is that you get to celebrate all sorts of cool holidays, and since not a lot of people are Jewish, when you meet another Jewish person it is really special.

To me becoming a Bat Mitzvah means that you are starting to get to choose what you want to do with your Jewish life.  You get to decide what you want to believe in and what you don’t.

In preparing for my Bat Mitzvah, I have learned that I am a hard worker who doesn’t like to procrastinate.  I have also learned that it is okay to not get new things right on the first try, because with practice, you can make it right.

My mitzvah project was to create care packages for the homeless.  I filled socks full of hygiene products and food to create easy-to-distribute bundles.  I chose this project because for as long as I can remember, I have been interested in helping homeless people.  I decided to make these sock care packages to keep in my family’s car and to hand out when we pass homeless people on the street.  I organized a project and instructed multiple families from across the country, and while on a zoom meeting, we all made similar sock care packages.  I learned that I am very lucky to live in a house with a loving family, and that we shouldn’t forget about the people on the streets.  I also planted trees on tu bishvat, and I learned all about trees and why they are important to the environment.

I plan to keep learning about Judaism by continuing to go to services and celebrating Jewish holidays.  I also plan to continue to go to my Jewish sleep away camp where I am surrounded by other Jewish kids, and I can have fun with them and learn about their traditions.

Maya is the daughter of Jeff and Amanda Zaidman and the sister of Jonah. She is also the granddaughter of Temple Beth El members, Steve and Marsha Zaidman. Send notes of mazel tov.