Meet the winners of the 2007 JVibe/Areyvut B’nai Mitzvah Essay contest! This contest recognized creative b’nai mitzvah service projects and positive experiences within the Jewish community. Our first-place winner, Daniel Dietz, is 13 and from Florence, Mass. We’re honoring our winners by printing excerpts of their essays below. 

First place, Smile Machine, by Daniel Dietz, 13

"I decided to raise money by performing eye shocking yo-yo tricks. I had been yo-yoing for two years and was pretty good at getting a crowd going. I performed at different street fairs, college sports games, restaurants, concerts and any place that would have me. I performed with a 'tip jar' or got sponsors in advance. 

"I started my project 13 months in advance of my bar mitzvah date. My initial goal was to pay for 18 surgeries and thus I would have to raise $4,500. My mom and I worked out a business plan and I knew how much I needed to raise each month. I spent all my weekends yo-yoing. So far I have raised over $15,000." 

Second place, The Strident Heartbeat, by Ariella Esterkin, 12

"As my bat mitzvah project, I am raising money to build more bomb shelters in Sderot. My goal is to build 18; chai. I plan on dedicating two to every Sderot child that was hosted at RSM camp in 2007; Dalia, Tomer, Sabrina, Slava, Valera, Masha, Gala, Ally, and Vika. I want each to host an activity that that child loved doing while going to RSM camp. For example, in each of Tomer’s I would put arts and crafts.

"In addition, I plan to offer (with the help of Masha Rifkin, of course!) support groups in a moral support children’s center in Sderot. Did you know that 2,053 kassam missiles have been fired within the borders of Sderot since August 2005? Imagine being a parent and driving your kids to school, not knowing whether you will ever see your child again. Imagine being a child, and going to school, then hearing the signal, squatting down under your desk, screaming, and wondering if you’ll ever see your parents again."

Third-place tie, A Chinese Bat Mitzvah Project, by Pnina Hirsowitz, 13

“'You were probably hoping for a party invitation, but instead this is an invitation to participate in my tikkun olam project. I have chosen a trip to China to celebrate my bat mitzvah rather than a party. In China I am doing a project with an organization call China Care. This organization helps children who have been abandoned because they have birth defects or special needs. China Care organizes their surgery and nurses them back to health. The children are in foster homes or small orphanages all over China, and are being taken care of by volunteers. China Care then finds homes for the children when they are healthy. I have decided to collect supplies for these homes and was hoping you all would help me by donating the requested items.' This was how I composed my letter to all the students in my grade, to let them know I needed their help for my bat mitzvah project. Through this project I collected supplies for a foster home in Beijing, and donated money to the orphanage."

Third-place tie, Making Connections, by Ryan Meltzer, 14

"Through Kesher 13, I had the opportunity to become friends with elders and feel that they have made me part of their family. They are always very interested in how my friends and I celebrate the holidays, and about our Jewish studies. They care about their religion and they want to know that people care about them. The older people at Farm Pond might not hear, see or talk as well as other people, but they are still very nice on the inside. A woman might use a wheelchair, but she can still tell stories and sing prayers with us. Another woman may not be able to sing, but she can still hum along. We not only bring the residents Shabbat, we help them remember their traditions.

"As I stood on the bima last year, I felt confident that I was ready to become a bar mitzvah. Not only could I read from the Torah and lead the congregation in prayers, but I truly understood my responsibilities as a Jewish adult. As a bar mitzvah, I am commanded to make the world a better place for others. I feel my service project prepared me to say, 'Okay, now I am a bar mitzvah,' and really know what that means."

Areyvut is an organization that empowers Jewish youth to live their lives with chesed (kindness), tzedakah (charity) and tikkun olam (social justice). You can visit them online at Areyvut.org.