Repairing the World, One Note at a Time

By Austin Curtis

A Bar or Bat Mitzvah often means standing before family and friends, reading from the Torah and celebrating a milestone in Jewish life.

Long before the ceremony begins, however, many Jewish children are asked to think about something else entirely: how they can improve the lives of others.

As students prepare to become B’nai Mitzvah, they're encouraged to choose a project that carries "meaning, purpose and value." Rather than assigning projects, Rabbi Celia Surget, of Congregation Albert in Albuquerque, said students are free to pursue causes that matter most to them.

“It’s reminding them that they are part both of a bigger world and part of a chain in tradition,” Rabbi Surget said. “In the words of Perkei Avot, we don't bear the complete responsibility of fixing everything, but we also can't just rely on others to do the work.”

Rabbi Surget said the projects reflect the Jewish principle of tikkun olam — repairing the world by serving others and strengthening the community. Over the years, projects have ranged from raising awareness about homelessness to organizing chess tournaments to volunteering in various ways throughout the community. 

This year, one project struck a different chord.

When Miles Cohen prepared for his Bar Mitzvah earlier this year, he decided the best way to give back wasn't through fundraising or collecting donations.

It was through music.

The 13-year-old and his friend Simon performed a piano concert at Shalom House, filling the room with works by Beethoven, Chopin, Scarlatti, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and other classical composers.The performance ended with sustained applause from the residents.

For Miles, the enthusiastic response confirmed he had made the right choice. “Playing piano is what I love to do, and it was a great experience to be able to perform classical piano music for seniors for my Mitzvah project,” he said. “This Mitzvah project was perfect as it went along well with my Torah portion of the Ten Commandments and doing good deeds for people in the community.”

Miles’ mother, Amy, said music has always been central to Miles' identity, making the piano a natural choice for his community project. “He wanted to perform because that's who he is,” she said. “He thought it would be great if he could perform for senior citizens. It was a great idea, it made sense for him to kind of combine himself with this community project.”

Amy said she contacted several organizations before Shalom House welcomed the idea and quickly helped make the performance possible. Amy said the concert exceeded everything they had hoped for.

“It was just an incredible experience because the residents of the senior living facility were in this room … and they were beaming,” she said. “It was so exciting. There was so much joy. They were clapping, applauding, it was just such a nice experience to see all these people just so happy. Music brings memories and joy.”

As residents crowded around the young performers one was heard to exclaim that this reminded her so much of her childhood in Europe. 

The piano is only one part of Miles' musical life. He also plays the violin, guitar and ukulele, making music a natural choice for his Mitzvah project.

This celebration, Miles said, is one he’ll cherish for years.

“I loved how they enjoyed the music, how it seemed to make them happy, and how it brought up good childhood memories of playing instruments and watching performances,” he said.

Editor’s Note: This is the first of what we hope will be a series, Mitzvah Projects, with many stories contributed by readers, about projects that have or are being carried out in the community. 

Austin Curtis, a student at Cornell University majoring in American Studies with a minor in International Relations, this summer is a feature writer for the NM Jewish Journal and a sports writer for the Albuquerque Journal.

Community Supporters of the NM Jewish Journal include:
Jewish Community Foundation of New Mexico
Congregation Albert
Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque
The Institute for Tolerance Studies
Jewish Federation of El Paso and Las Cruces
Temple Beth Shalom
Congregation B'nai Israel
Shabbat with Friends: Recapturing Together the Joy of Shabbat
New Mexico Jewish Historical Society

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