by David Kanter – 14 May 2016
Noah, Mom and I are so proud of you. We’ve been so happy to guide you to this milestone – and coach you as you move beyond this day. I hope you realized you have not been alone in your journey. We’re so glad you made it!
Last month, we celebrated the bat mitzvah of your classmate, Grace. We had a wonderful day with Grace and her family, and I noticed something really stuck out. We got loud! I’m not sure if I’ve ever noticed this before. We went thru prayers, as usual. But when it came to the Torah service, I noticed that our congregation got loud – because everyone seems to know the songs we sing to bring out and celebrate our Torah.
This is a wonderful thing. Celebrating Torah, and following God’s Commandments. This is what we are all about. Prayer. Charity. Forgiveness. Action. Something that can be drawn from the Scout Law and Oath, which is a bit newer than Judaism. Not the same words, but the ideas are similar. You, too, Noah, have been known – on occasion – to get loud. The only time it really seemed to be encouraged was in Cub Scouts… especially when someone mentioned ‘announcements!’ But it’s not the only time to get loud. I don’t really mean in a literal sense. I mean in a sense of your convictions.
If you, Noah, can get loud about your convictions, and if they are good ones, people will appreciate and respect you. Don’t be loud for the sake of just being right. But be righteous; listen and learn. You will grow in wisdom and you will be a man people will turn to for that wisdom – kind of like Yoda.
In his 1962 speech that challenged America to go to the moon, President John F. Kennedy said “We choose to go to the Moon not because it is easy, but because it is hard; because that goal will measure the best of our skills.”
I like to think of your Bar Mitzvah as not only your entry into Judaism as an adult, but the beginning of a new adventure. I’ve learned that a Black Belt does not make you a martial arts expert, nor does Eagle Scout make you an outdoors expert, and becoming Bar Mitzvah certainly does not make you an expert in Judaism. Rather, each says that you are NOW ready to learn. Ready to learn karate. Ready to become an outdoor survivalist. You are now ready to become the best American, the best Jew, and the best person you could ever be. So, in the spirit of President Kennedy, Bruce Lee, Lord Baden Powell, and even Moses, I challenge you to become the best you could possibly be. Not because it is easy, but because…. it is hard.
One of the things you touched on in your d’var was respect. So here’s my first challenge to my new Bar Mitzvah: draw from your Scouting experience, your Judaism, your karate, and your family. Learn to respect those around you even more. Do this, and you can become a pillar in your community – maybe even one of your country. You have a lot to learn, but you will also have a lot to give and a lot to teach. Do all of this with respect, and you, too, will be respected.
So now it’s time for you – after partying this weekend, to start working on your life’s canvas. Envision and paint your dreams. Create your future. Someday, life is gonna be different, when You paint Your Masterpiece. And Noah, I know your masterpiece has a good chance to be known far and wide.