I’m Zach and I’m turning 13 on my Bar Mitzvah day. My main sport is hockey but I enjoy playing mostly any sport like basketball, football, soccer, ultimate frisbee, and plenty of others. I really like playing sports because it gives me a sense of belonging and, if I have a bad day, sports will always be there to cheer me up.

I was intrigued to learn about the Israel ParaSport Center when I was exploring Bar Mitzvah projects. I was excited to see that there are places helping people with disabilities do the things I love doing. I think places like these are super important because it gives people a chance to do awesome things. I really admire people with disabilities because of the challenges they have to overcome and the fact that they do overcome them.

I went to Israel during the summer of 2022 and it was one of, if not, the best trips I’ve ever gone on. One of my favorite moments was when we went swimming in the Dead Sea. This was special to me because it’s a place I’ve heard talked about so much and it was so much fun to be there. I also believe it is important to support Israel, especially since the attacks on Oct. 7 where tons of people got unjustly hurt.

Thank you so much to those of you who will donate! It really means a lot to me. I appreciate you very much and I’m excited that we will have a positive impact on people’s lives.