Written as a paper for my 11th grade English class, this piece covers my experience becoming a Bat Mitzvah.

Everyone knows something is wrong when your parents make an appointment to meet with your rabbi. This particular intervention started with, "Would you like to be student A or student B?" By the end of the meeting, I was told that I needed to learn four Hebrew prayers, three paragraphs from the Torah, and a Haftorah portion. Not only did I have to chant these prayers in another language, but I had to do it in front of an audience of 300 which included my friends, family, rabbi, and people I have never met.

I practiced everyday and worked so meticulously on my chanting and pronunciation of Hebrew words that I lost my voice. I met with my tutor more times than I could count and, eventually, it was time to meet with the cantor. When the meeting ended, I had a forced smile on my face and tears in my eyes. My accomplishments were not enough, and I felt like all my hard work was for nothing. From then on, I practiced every spare moment I had; I chanted between classes and on my walks home from school. I practiced so much that people in hallways and on the streets thought I was mentally ill. I even recorded the Hebrew chanting and replayed it as I went to bed at night in addition to having meetings with my tutor twice a week.

A few months later, I met with my rabbi. This time it was to discuss what my speech would be about. He thought that, because my portion was about the worth of men and women at different ages, I should write about taxes. What does a thirteen year old know about taxes? Instead, I chose to focus on charity and how the general public can help those who do not have enough money. When I went back to get the speech revised, my work was deemed unrelated and the entire speech was altered. However, I managed to keep the topic focused on philanthropy.

After more rehearsals, it was finally time to show everyone what I worked so hard for. I had woken up that morning shaking and terrified of having to sing in front of so many people yet I stood tall on the Bema, I made it through the Bat Mitzvah ceremony with minimal mistakes and a lot of chutzpah. I overcame one of my greatest hurtles that day; the fear of public speaking.

Throughout my epic journey to becoming a Bat Mitzvah, I learned to stand up for my beliefs, vocalize my opinions, and be proud of myself and my accomplishments. As a result of these new skills, I have become more socially active, I am able to participate in class projects and discussions, and become a more confident individual. My desire to pursue a career in education will make these newly developed skills even more important in my future as I have decided to pass them down to my students.