Becoming Bar Mitzvah is very special to me because I feel more connected to God. The entire process had been important because from the very beginning it was my responsibility to be prepared for Sheva and tutoring. Becoming an adult in the Jewish community is one of the biggest accomplishments in my life, and I want to step off the bima knowing I did the best job I could have possibly done. Sheva is a place where I learned what it really means to be a Reform Jew. In Sheva you can say what is on your mind and no one judges you. Sheva has been a fun place to learn anything you are curious about. Now that I will be a Jewish adult, I want to be more involved in my community. I wish to be a tutor and help other kids learn and grow the way my tutors helped me. I want to make a change by helping others at my Temple. I hope that my family attends services more often and we become more involved with the JCC. After my Bar Mitzvah, I want to continue taking trips to Israel. All my life, I’ve known that there are more Christian people than Reform Jews, but I think that being special is one of the greatest gifts I could ever receive. I am proud of being different than most people and love my Judaism. As Reform Jews, I like the way we celebrate God without hurting others because we are so accepting.
It is important to remember that anyone can give back to the community. For my Mitzvah project, I will fulfill the mitzvah of helping the disabled. Over the summer I will volunteer at the Wesley Chapel Weddington Athletic Association to provide support, tips and encouragement to disabled kids and adults at a soccer camp. I wanted to incorporate my love of sports into my Mitzvah project because that is something special to me. Helping people who have a hard time playing sports because of their mental or physical disabilities is something I want to do and I know I can do.
Zach is the son of Rebecca and Mike. He is the grandson of Gary and Penny Senescu, the late Ray Buxton, and Howard and Lynette Anderson.
Words of Mazel Tov can be sent to rba8641@gmail.com.
