Amy celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday 15 July at Chabad Shule.

Setting up for the occasion started on Friday morning, and a lovely Shabbat dinner with family and friends took place on Friday night with friends from school as well as close family friends. Amy was pleased to welcome her relatives to celebrate, including first and second cousins, aunties and an uncle, her grandparents and her grandmother’s cousin who flew all the way from Queensland to be here.

At the Havdalah service on Saturday evening, Amy delivered her speech on the parsha of Matot-Masei. She told the story of some of the tribes finding a good spot to feed their animals, which meant having to live on the opposite side of the Jordan River to where all the other tribes had settled. Although Amy doesn’t like public speaking and said she was very nervous delivering her Dvar Torah, in front of over 120 people, she had been practising for a few weeks and she did well. She read her Dvar Torah in English, but with the names all in Hebrew.

The celebratory meal consisted of pasta and ice cream as well as a range of delicious desserts brought by guests. There was so much food that it was hard to fit everything on the table! Amy and the younger guests enjoyed playing games together afterwards.

The festivities continued on Sunday, with lunch in King’s Park. The day was full of sunshine and Amy enjoyed playing on the grass over the city, running around with her four-year-old cousin.

Amy said that being Bat Mitzvah doesn’t yet feel very different, but it does mean that she never has to worry about delivering a Bat Mitzvah speech again! We wish Amy all the very best as she continues her Jewish journey.