My favorite part about being Jewish is celebrating the holidays – I especially like Passover because I get to spend time with my extended family that live out of town.

Becoming a Bar Mitzvah is important because it shows that you are determined to work hard for a long period and continue the tradition of becoming a Bar Mitzvah.  I learned how to better manage my time, especially during the school year, to be ready for my tutoring each week.  I have also learned more about the stories in the Torah by reading about my portion.

I feel better because of my community service for my Mitzvah project.  At Urban Ministries, I helped prepare and serve meals to the homeless.  I also helped set up tables and get napkins and silverware ready.  It made me feel better because I knew that I helped people who are less fortunate than I am.  I also helped collect food for the needy as a member of Boy Scouts.  These helped me fulfill the mitzvah of feeding the hungry.

After my Bar Mtizvah, I plan to follow the traditions of being a Jewish adult, such as fasting on Yom Kippur and eventually I would like to lead my family in the Passover Seder.

Ryan is the son of Jen and Jon Kaplan.  He is the brother of Robert Kaplan. Messages of Mazel Tov can be sent to jonkaplan@att.net.