Since I am Jewish, when I became twelve years old I had my bat-mitzvah, and I had to read from the Torah. The Torah is made by a scribe and it’s written in Hebrew on parchment from a Kosher animal’s skin, which is usually from a cow. These teachings were written down and given from G-d to Moses on top of the religious site Mount Sinai. I have learned about its use and meaning through going to Hebrew school, and I seeing congregants read from it on Saturday night Shabbat services. I read from it for my bat-mitzvah, and I continued to read from it in the years following for my anniversary Torah reading. The Torah is important to me because when I read it I feel like I am connected to the Jewish people. I also feel like I am contributing to my temple’s congregation by adding joy and continuing to add to the generations of people who have read from the Torah in my family. My grandparents were founders of my temple, my grandma was the first female president of it, my mother, aunt, and uncle grew up there and now my sister and I are congregants, so it makes me feel proud to do such a mitzvah, which in Hebrew means a good deed. Without Judaism, I would be a completely different person.

– JF

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