My memoir
byDecember 5th, 2007 at 6:26 PM
Filed under: Philosophy & Religion
 |
|
In a small, rustic looking temple in Margate, Florida, there I stood with my hands sweaty, and stomach twisting. It was one of the biggest days of my life, and the most pressure packed situation I could ever remember being in. There sat a large crowd filled with my friends, family, and people I have never seen before. I was worried about letting them all down, but when my Bar Mitzvah was over with, there was such a relief. My Bar Mitzvah brought me plenty of valuable lessons that have helped me in my life so far, and will most likely do the same in the future. Not only did it teach me that hard work pays off, but it made me appreciate my religion more. Of course my Bar Mitzvah was a huge day for me, but the entire journey of being prepared for that special day was as of equal importance to me. I did not attend regular Hebrew school like most kids. I went to a tutor, specifically for learning how to read Hebrew and understanding of the culture. I went twice a week for 3 hours at a time. The Wednesday meeting wasn’t so bad, but when you have to wake up early on Saturday morning every week it starts to get annoying to say the least. Instead of hanging out with my friends, I would be learning about Hanukah and my Haphtarah. Through these hard times, I found a lesson about being patient and putting my priorities in the right order. This comes in to affect in everyday situations. In college, I may want to go out, but I realize what is important and priorities myself. I realize now that I can always go out later, but to study and do work is important right at this particular moment. I was very appreciative of my tutor and she told me there would have to be sacrifices to be made, and she was right. During all the learning and work for my Bar Mitzvah I received a thorough understanding of the Jewish culture and traditions. Not only do I appreciate my religion and the history, but I find myself for more involved in some holidays and traditions. I think that this may have eventually happened as I got older, but I do not think I would have this type of appreciation for it. I have to admit going into to this I was not the most outspoken Jew around, but now that I have learned the history of my people and I am much more proud of my religion and take being Jewish with pride. Not only do I feel this way about my religion now, but it provided me with a greater lesson. It taught me that I have an interest in things that I did not care about before. Now when someone tells me something that I might not care much about I now think of this instance with Hebrew School and take a shot with it, instead of turning it down. In years past during holidays I would sit around bored and uninformed about what was going on in front of me. Now, not only do I understand of what’s going on, but I have knowledge of why we are doing these things and how they affect us as people. The day of my Bar Mitzvah was a magnificent day and it went off without a hitch. I got through my Haphtarah with no problems and everyone told me how well I did. The orthodox temple that I attend told me that I was now considered a man, because of the completion of my Bar Mitzvah. This means I can go on stage and do certain activities and non Bar Mitzvah man cannot. I can also hold the Torah and am allowed to participate at holidays to read passages from the testaments. This made me feel as if I grew up in one afternoon. It was later that I realized that it was not just that certain afternoon that made me a man in my religion, but the whole process I just endured. Walking out of the temple that day felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. Not because it was a burden to do it, but because of the stress I brought upon myself to succeed. It was a great feeling to have since I really doubted if I could perform at the level that I did. This ultimately showed me that whatever it is that I want to do I can really do it. This is probably the most beneficial thing I took away from my Bar Mitzvah. As long as I stay focused and give a solid effort, there is really no limit to what I can do. What my Bar Mitzvah taught me in long run is clearly priceless. It taught me some very useful lessons that may take other people a number of years to discover. Although they weren’t clear at first I later discovered what was so valuable about them. It was the experience of putting my priorities in the right order, getting involved in my religion and firming the belief that I can achieve anything I wish too. What made it even better was the fact that I was learning so many valuable lessons while I was being paid,and pretty nicely may I add. All of these reasons put together have to make my Bar Mitzvah one of, if not the most important event to happen in my life thus far. I just feel bad for the kids that make the bad decision to never even try what they believe in |
 |