My favorite thing about being Jewish is celebrating all the holidays with my family and carrying on the Jewish tradition of publicly marking my becoming a bar mitzvah. Becoming a Bar Mitzvah means that I am now responsible for continuing Jewish lessons and values in my own life. In preparing for my Bar Mitzvah I have learned that a task that seems overwhelming at the start is actually quite manageable with the right help and practice. I plan to continue my Jewish education by attending Hebrew High and continuing my involvement in the Jewish community by spending summers at 6 Points.

My mitzvah project was volunteering with the Isabella Santos Foundation. This foundation helps raise money, through organized walks and runs, for children with cancer. I helped organize a team, helped participants register for the race, set up for the race, and worked at a children’s booth throughout the day. I also made a donation in honor of my Bar Mitzvah to this wonderful foundation. I chose this as my Mitzvah project because it’s a good cause and I want to help raise awareness for children who are sick. I think it is really important to recognize how blessed I am to be healthy and help children who are not as fortunate.

Steven is the son of Terri and Richard James. He is the brother of Rebecca James and grandson of Susan and Howard Burger of Fort Mill, South Carolina and Bea and David James of West Palm Beach, Florida. Messages of Mazel Tov can be sent to stevenjjames1@gmail.com.