Jacob Charney

There are many themes in my Torah portion, Vayetzei, but the theme that I chose is trust. This occurs in my Torah portion when Laban lies to Jacob so he would stay and work for him longer. I understand that because in my life, I have to trust people even when I don’t know what they going to do. For example, when I am working on a group project in school, I have to trust my group to do good work because I can’t do everything by myself. I trust you all followed the guidelines that were asked of you today, and you are all vaccinated or tested negative for COVID-19. My last example is trust in my parents. I have to trust that they are leading me down the right path, and giving me helpful advice when I need it.

Now we’ll talk about my Bar Mitzvah project.
The project that I did for my Bar Mitzvah was raising money for the Burlington County Animal Alliance. We baked dog treats and cookies to raise money for them. We were able to raise $700. My mom’s company will match the donation so we will actually have raised a total of $1,400. This means a lot to me because I have given back to an organization that primarily helps dogs in the south. They transport them up to New Jersey and find loving homes for them. This donation will be put to good use.

There are many people I would like to thank for making me who I am. Thank you Mom and Dad for always leading me in the right direction and supporting me. Thank you to Emma for always giving me a hug when I need one. Thank you to everyone who donated to my project, you helped me raise a lot of money for BCAA. Thank you to Cantor Borsky for getting me here today through all of our wonderful lessons. And finally, thank you to everyone who is here today to help me celebrate this occasion.Author: Christine Sullivan
Jake, Grandpa and I are still glowing with pride in you. Your poise and confidence were impressive. You have learned so much. More than that was your hard work to benefit the animals and all the hours and skill you poured into band which showed kindness and dedication.In every way you are “…a son of the commandments” and a full grown mensch!