B’nai mitzvah telephone for teens

BY BRADFORD SIWAK, SOPHOMORE, LADUE HORTON WATKINS HIGH SCHOOL
Published January 11, 2018

Jewish teens and their families will remember their b’nai mitzvahs for as long as they live. They can also look fondly back on those of their friends. Here, we ask four Jewish teens their favorite friends’ b’nai mitzvahs.

Grace Steinback

Sophomore at Ladue Horton Watkins High School

Bat mitzvah was Jan. 10, 2015, at Congregation Shaare Emeth

“So one of my first bar mitzvahs was my friend Parris’. Parris had a memorable [bat] mitzvah, because she included the fact that new isn’t always better. … She talked about in her own life how new people were getting the iPhone 6 at the time, and how that was the new hype. However, Parris said she didn’t want a new iPhone 6 because she didn’t think it was necessary. I thought this was very important to our society, as many people believe that new is often better. But if you are content with the things that you [have] now, and you don’t necessarily need the new thing, it’s always important to not overspend and to only take what you need.”

Parris King-Levine

Sophomore at Ladue Horton Watkins High School

Bat mitzvah was on March 14, 2015, at Central Reform Congregation

“One memorable bat mitzvah experience was Rebecca Knopf’s. I thought she did a great job, and she was very well prepared. At the end of the service, [people] handed out candy that we got to toss in Rebecca’s direction to represent a sweet future.”

Rebecca Knopf

Sophomore at Ladue Horton Watkins High School

Bat mitzvah was Sep. 5, 2015, at Congregation B’nai Amoona

“One memory I have of another person’s bat mitzvah was from Rebecca Sachs’. I remember her [party] theme was games, and they had a bunch of backyard games set up around the party, as well as board game-themed decorations.”

Rebecca Sachs

Sophomore at Ladue Horton Watkins High School

Bat mitzvah was May 9, 2015, at Shaare Emeth

“I really don’t have a specific memory from one [b’nai mitzvah] in particular because they all were really fun. But, I really enjoyed being crazy and having a lot of fun with my friends at all of [the celebrations] I went to.”