Anna's Promise by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0000000000000
Published: 2023-08-27T10:18:37+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Six—Friends

Southwood, Michigan

Alan strutted across the stage, slid onto the polished floor in splits, and crossed the raised platform doing the knee drops he’d performed the night of his bar mitzvah. Ricky and Howard hooted and jumped onto the stage with Alan and tried, clumsily, to mimic Alan’s moves. Ben watched the entertainment from the podium where he arranged the agenda and notes for the meeting.

Alan was the official president of the Mitzvah Day Committee at the temple, and he’d talked Ben into being secretary. They’d been best friends since kindergarten, and Ben always had trouble saying no to him. Ben lifted his heel and tapped to the beat that played in his head. He marveled at Alan’s ability to attract and hold everyone’s attention. He was a born showman.

The lanky, pimpled, adolescent boys, captivated by Alan’s performance, assembled from the hall, the stage, and various places around the large multipurpose room that functioned as a sanctuary, a social hall, and a meeting place, at least for another month until the building expansion was complete.

After one more strut across the stage, Alan planted a hand on his hip while he pointed and scanned the crowd. The group of nearly two dozen boys lost their minds, clapping and foot stomping. Alan took a deep theatrical bow, assumed his place at the podium, and banged the American walnut gavel on the sound block.

“I officially call to order the first meeting of the 1975 Mitzvah Day Committee.” Alan motioned for applause from the group. He then signaled for the clapping and foot stamping to stop by making a swift cut across his throat, and it was instantly silent.

“Most of you know that Mitzvah Day is the project of the bar mitzvah class. Let us commit today that we, the Bar Mitzvah Class of 1975, will pull off the most outstanding Mitzvah Day event ever!”

Alan fist-pumped and jumped into the air. The applause and foot stamping was deafening. He made the swift cut across his throat again to silence the room. He looked to Ben who gestured to the agenda he’d prepared on the podium. Alan glanced at the notes and read the script Ben had written as though it were projected on a teleprompter.

“Gentlemen, we’ll devote ourselves to social action through volunteering where we’ll dedicate our time, not our money, to a cause for those in need in our community for a single day. Tikkun olam, or repairing the world, is our responsibility as we become bar mitzvah. It’s up to us to set the world right! And the first order of business today is a brainstorming session to decide on our Mitzvah Madness Event! I’d like to call upon our dynamite secretary, Ben Friedman, to give some background on past Mitzvah Day events and lead us in this brainstorming. Drumroll, please…” Alan presented like a news anchor.

Ben came to the podium and spoke extemporaneously. “The goal is to have fun and feel great about the good deed we’ll perform. We want to choose something that one, we’re good at.

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