Shalom and good morning. Thank you for being here with me on this very special day. It is so touching to me that you are all here today to witness my Bar Mitzvah. I would like to start out by discussing why I felt it was important to have a Bar Mitzvah For me, one of the most important parts of having a Bar Mitzvah is that I am now responsible for performing mitzvot. To those of you who may be unfamiliar with the term mitzvot- they are positive acts, links between God and humanity, kind of like a random but intentional act of kindness. . Before today I did mitzvot all of the time but it was by choice. Now that I have had my Bar Mitzvah, through God’s word and obeying the 10 commandments, the mitzvot I perform or am part of hold deeper meaning and intent as does my role in humanity. I think that for each person God speaks to them in a different way. . For me, God speaks through internal motivation, the voice inside me that’s always pushing me onwards and upwards. Sometimes he kind of sounds like my parents. To me, being part Jewish means being a member of a community where each one of us is accepted and respected. I take on a responsibility to help others – not just the people in my family, but also those in school, on my sports teams and in my community. My parents have taught my sister and me the importance of helping those in need and celebrating other people’s success, as the 10th commandment mentions “do not covet” which means we should not be jealous of other people or what others have . . I believe one of my jobs that God has given me is to help people, no matter who they are, where they come from, what colour their skin is, what religion they practice, whether they’re young or old or what gender they are. . My Torah portion I chanted about today was about the sabbath and how it’s the second of the Ten Commandments. As I’ve learned about all ten of the commandments, I can relate the majority of them to parts of my life and what I found most interesting is how the Ten Commandments are also celebrated at my school, through the monthly character trait awards. For 8/10 months, our teachers choose winners for the character trait of the month: fairness, trustworthiness, sportsmanship, self-control, citizenship, respect, compassion, perseverance, responsibility. . Although Shabbat, a holy day for rest and reflection, isn’t a character award itself, each character award acknowledges the importance of rest and reflection within them. Self-control means taking a pause, not being impulsive, thinking before reacting and speaking, and staying true to God, myself and others just as the 9th commandment states “do not tell lies”. . Citizenship looks like holding God close and loving our neighbors and our community; acknowledging my place and where I can help and hold space for others. That comes                                                                                                  easier on the Sabbath because my brain is quieter. This is spoken of in the 10th and 8th commandments of “do not steal” and “do not covet”. . Respect, of both myself and others and holding respect for God and his word above all as stated in the first and second commandments “Do not have any other Gods” and “Do not worship idols. Respecting and loving myself and others on the sabbath sometimes looks like writing in a gratitude journal and honoring my Mom and Dad as the fifth commandment states. . Compassion on the sabbath to me, means giving myself some grace and learning from my mistakes over the last week. It also means loving those important to me and offering forgiveness and empathy for any wrongdoings, as mentioned in the 4th commandment “keep the sabbath day holy”. . Perseverance and sportsmanship on the sabbath mean resting my body while conditioning my mind to have grit and overcome mental blocks that are hard to see past when my body is working so hard through the week, The 4th commandment is also relevant by keeping the sabbath day holy-a time for quiet reflection and to pray for myself and others. . Trustworthiness is something I’ve been told I am good at. I am trustworthy to others. I need to hold God’s word closer to my heart and trust in his guidance as the first commandment states. The Ten Commandments are guiding rules for humanity and for life. When we see politicians, countries and communities breaking numerous commandments we witness chaos, stress and danger, war, discrimination and separation that happens between the human species. . With the most gratitude and appreciation, and acknowledging the respect that I have and hold for everyone who is here today, I would like to give a few special shout outs and thank yous: I would like to thank Ruth for supporting me and being a great teacher. I have learned a lot in preparation for this big day. Ruth , you are a kind and patient teacher who has taught                                                                                                 me so much about Jewish history and culture, you also showed me patience and kindness                                                                                       during our weekly lessons, especially when you knew how much I had practised. Next I want to thank my mom and dad for supporting me through my 13 years of life. For being strong role models for Ruby and Me and for teaching me the morals and values that are important for us as a family. Special thanks for driving me to my hockey, even during snowstorms, even during freezing rain and even in the dead of winter when                                                                                                      you’re already cold and tired. I know just how much you love sitting inside cold arenas, [mostly talking to you mom.] Dad , you are my best friend. Thank you for practising my Hebrew with me, for showing me what it means to be a strong and kind man, whom I look up to. Thanks for always being up to playing…I mean losing NHL 25 with me. I love you both. Ruby, Thanks for being a great sister. You are always there to support me and cheer for me and stick up for me. I know I don’t say this enough, but I love you. To my Baba and Zaida, thank you for supporting me through my Hebrew lessons, planning this whole celebration and for always being there even though we live in different provinces. I love you both…GO Jets GO! To My Meme and GG and Uncles and Aunt who came here all the way from BC and Alberta to celebrate with me and support me, thank you for being here. I feel so honored that you wanted to fly here just to be part of this special day. I love you all. To all of our Winnipeg family and friends and special honorees that are here in person and to all of those who have tuned in virtually, thank you. Your presence, encouragement and participation in this ceremony mean a great deal to me and to my family. We recognize that the time you have chosen to spend here with me today shows how much you care and for that I am grateful. Todah Robah.