My favorite thing about being Jewish are our traditions. I love singing the HaMotzi before dinner and how all my friends now know all the words. I love looking forward to Shabbat after a bad week. I love being able to light the candles and just relax. I love getting to teach people who aren’t Jewish about our holidays and culture. The literal meaning of becoming a Bat Mitzvah is “daughter of the commandments.” What I think that really means is that we are Jewish adults. We are given more responsibilities but we are also given more privileges. It means that we are God’s helpers. I feel like the process of becoming a Bat Mitzvah makes me feel more connected with God.

Preparing for my Bat Mitzvah, I learned more about our prayers and the reasoning behind our rituals and traditions. Besides that, I also learned that anything that we set our minds to, we can do. When I first looked at some of the prayers, they looked crazy. I thought I’d never learn them! But after I broke them down into small pieces and listened to the tape many times, I was able to master them. Now I know that’s what I can do anytime I am faced with a hard challenge in life.

For my Mitzvah project, every Sunday I have been running a Bingo game for the seniors at Sharon Towers. I work with the memory care unit, so they don’t always remember the last time I was there — or how to play Bingo! — but they always have fun and I love seeing their smiles. I’m still doing it even though I finished all my hours because I love seeing how much it brightens their day and honestly, it brightens mine too.

As I get older, I plan to keep learning and practicing Jewish traditions (especially Shabbat with my family.) I am also going to continue my Jewish education by going to Hebrew High, where I can hang out with all of my Jewish friends and take cool classes. Lastly, I’m going to continue going to NIFTY events and embracing my Jewish self.

Rosie is the daughter of Pete and Michelle Smolowitz. She is the sister of Stella and Ben Smolowitz. She is the grandchild of Ira and Judy Smolowitz of Longmeadow, MA and Richard and Jean Crouch of Sarasota, FL. Send notes of mazel tov.