My favorite thing about being Jewish is that I can always have a family and community to count on. To become a bat mitzvah to me means that I participate in a religious ceremony which makes me a daughter of the commandments. While preparing for my bat mitzvah I have learned that if I put in the work, I will succeed.

My mitzvah project involved preparing and going to an assisted living facility to spend time with some elderly women to make them happy. A friend of mine and I danced for them which they loved. One day we helped them make holiday cards for their family and friends and another day we decorated cookies with them. I chose to do my mitzvah project because I like to make people smile and I know many ladies there get lonely. I get a lot of joy out of helping and would love to go again. I plan to keep learning about Judaism even when I’m older. I can go to Friday and even Saturday services with my family. When I’m older, I will have kids and I will send them to Hebrew School and they will learn and hopefully share with me about what they learned.

Taylor is the daughter of Keri and Paul Cheifetz. She is the sister of Ryan Cheifetz and the granddaughter of Nancy and Gary Peters of Port Washington, NY, Wendy and Michael Schonfeld of Clover, SC, and Linda and Ira Cheifetz of Princeton Jct, NJ. Notes of Mazel Tov can be sent to taylorcheifetz@gmail.com.