Mayer,
Ever since you could walk and talk, you were ready to be a grown up, hence your nickname “Mayer Man.” You used to pretend you were going to work by using your pretend doctor kit as your briefcase and clipping Papa’s old carabiner with old house keys onto your toddler sized pants and walking to the front door each morning, ready to go. I used to tell you to slow down and enjoy being a kid, because it all goes by really fast and you have the rest of your life to do the adulting thing. Still, you continued to exude adult-like behaviors throughout your childhood, and you held very grown-up conversations with friends and family members. So much so that sometimes I would be lost in conversation with you and I would have to stop and remind myself how old you were and that I should probably spare you some of the more complex subjects until later. You’ve always had a sophistication about you that has made you wise beyond your years and has set you apart as a really special human.
Well, here we are. Today, you are officially becoming a man in the eyes of G-d and taking on more responsibilities as a member of our family. These past 13 years have been the best years of my life. I wanted you more than you will ever know and having you as my son has been one of G-d’s greatest gifts that I never take for granted.
Besides your unparalleled sophistication, you are curious, clever, energetic and you have an incredible zest for life. You make the most out of every waking minute. You might be the only kid I know who enjoys organizing yours and Juliet’s bedrooms just for fun. You love to be with people, and you engage them in a way that makes them feel interesting, special and important. You are a natural-born leader with an inclination to be inclusive and learn from others. These skills will take you very far in both your professional and personal life. But what I love most about you is your heart. You might be the kindest, sweetest, most loving teenage boy I’ve ever known. You genuinely care about your loved ones, and you carry an instinct to defend and protect them whenever necessary. You are always willing to step in and help make other’s lives easier. And lately, you have become such a gentleman, opening doors for others and allowing others to pass before you. You are a true mensch through and through, a Jewish mother’s dream come true.
As you’ve grown and made your way through middle school, you have dabbled in all kinds of hobbies and sports. It has been so much fun to watch you on this journey of self-exploration. You have learned that some things, like baseball, are more fun to watch and monitor teams’ stats rather than to play. You have a new-found appreciation for all the behind-the-scenes work and preparation it takes to put on a successful theater production, and you have become such a dependable crewmate for the Emery theater department. You tried running track for the first time this year despite having doubts you would enjoy it, and now you plan to do it again next year. And your true passion, music, has taken on an entire new level. You blew everyone away with your piano and vocals solo at a school show this past year. Your piano playing skills have become so impressive as you continue to learn and practice. And your bedroom is slowly but steadily beginning to look like a music studio as you experiment with and record new tracks.
On top of all that, I have watched you truly embrace your Jewish identity by happily observing Shabbat with our family on a weekly basis, confidently participating and excelling in your Hebrew and Judaic Studies courses at school, and of course, committing to everything it takes to prepare for your bar mitzvah today. I also must commend you on very patiently and diligently attending the majority of your classmates’ bar and bat mitzvahs throughout the entire year, with the knowledge that yours would be the very last. While I like to think of it as good practice for your own bar mitzvah, you saw it as supporting your friends and you even began to evaluate the synagogues and service styles you prefer, keeping in mind that it will be your choice later in life the level of observance you will practice.
When your dad and I made the conscious decision to enroll you in Jewish Day School, it was our desire that you would develop a true love for your religious identity and that over time, this rooted foundation would help mold you into an adult who holds strong to the tenants of our Jewish values, which would undoubtedly set you up for a successful life as an adult. We are beyond satisfied with how this education style has impacted you, and we only pray that you continue to take pride in your faith, rely on it as a sense of comfort when life gets challenging, and that you will eventually pass this knowledge onto your own children so that we may always go from strength to strength.
Mayer, we are so proud of you and all that you have accomplished to help you reach this day. I hope you take a moment to look around and take in all the love and support that is enveloping you right now in this beautiful sanctuary. What an incredible milestone this is. You are such a blessing, and we love you forever and ever.
