Valerie Yuabov

There are many themes in my Torah portion, Vayeshev, and the one I will speak about is preferential treatment. Joseph’s brothers hate him because he gets preferential treatment from their father. I can relate to this because in my life I see people getting favored over the others all the time. This is a problem because all people should be treated equally. In my life, I make every attempt to treat people fairly and follow the saying “treat others how you want to be treated.” As I become a Bat Mitzvah – a daughter of the Commandments, I have the responsibility to make the world a better place. I would like to convey this positive behavior onto others. 

I recently started my commitment to making the world a better place by bringing joy to the residents of an assisted living home through my passion for dancing. My dance partner and I took time to entertain these residents and had a great rewarding experience. The residents kept asking my partner and I to perform more dances for them, and to return when we can. It was great to see smiles on their faces.