Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov, everyone.
This Shabbat is extra special. Not just because it’s my Batmitzvah, but because it’s also Rosh Chodesh Adar, the start of the month of Adar.
Adar is all about joy and celebration. Why? Because Adar is the month of Purim.
Purim is a time to remember how Queen Esther saved the Jewish people. Esther was a strong and brave woman. Even when she was scared, she had the courage to make a difference. She didn’t plan to be a hero. But when her people needed her, she stood up and did the right thing.
She reminds me that being brave doesn’t mean never feeling afraid. It means doing what’s right, even when it’s hard.
This week’s Torah portion is Terumah. It teaches us about another kind of giving. It’s about building the Mishkan – the sanctuary where the Israelites could feel that they were in the presence of Hashem.
Hashem asked the people to bring a Terumah – A gift. Some people gave gold. Some people gave silver. Some people gave wood and others gave fabric, oil and stones.
It wasn’t about having the biggest or most expensive offering. It was about everyone giving something with love. Giving isn’t about how much we have. The gifts mattered because they came from the heart.
I’ve always tried to be someone who gives with my heart. I want to make the world a little better in my own way. That’s why, I chose to support a charity called “Pens for Kids” for my Batmitzvah project.
I love art, and I’m lucky that I have all the colouring pens and paint I need to make my art. I’ve been collecting pens from my friends to send to children around the world who can’t afford art. So that they can be creative too.
I had a goal to collect 1,000 colouring pens and pencils for this charity and I got to 1,040. So I have a new goal to get to 1,500 – if anyone here would like to help, please feel free!
For me, becoming Bat Mitzvah is my chance to be like Esther. And also to remember other brave Jewish women. That’s why I’ve twinned my Batmitzvah with an 11 year old girl called Hene Wisznia. Hene died in Poland in the Holocaust. She couldn’t celebrate her Batmitzvah, so I’m doing it for her too.
As I grow up I want to be brave, stand up for what I believe in, and always try to help others, even when things are tough. I think that’s something all of us can do. In the month of Adar, we can all be inspired by Queen Esther and the Mishkan.
Thank you all for being here to celebrate my Bat Mitzvah. It means so much to have my family, friends and community here.
Thank you and Shabbat shalom.