Shoeless in NYC?!

Hello, it's me, the 1, and only Jack Burstein. Thank you for coming to my Bar Mitzvah,  and supporting me. I'm so proud of learning my Torah portion, the many blessings, as well as  crafting this d’var Torah. 

My torah portion is Bamidbar, from the book of numbers. This name is very fitting, as in  this portion there is a census taken of the Israelites as they are wandering through the desert in  search of Israel…. My mitzvah project is donating shoes. One Always Matters is a nonprofit organization  that helps people get their lives back together. Mainly in New York, part of what they do is give  to refugees, including necessities, like shoes. 

Without shoes, I would not have found my passion for running. Can you imagine walking  or running around New York shoeless, with all the sharp fragments on the pavement? Or  wandering the desert shoeless, with the hot sand burning your feet for 40 years?

We need to put more value on the people, more value on individuals. We need to help the  people in our own communities, so that they have what they need. They need to be represented,  too. I am proud to be making a difference. Resources need to be given out more individually, so  everyone is truly counted. Especially at times when so many people from other countries are  chasing the American dream. Just like how the Israelites found their way to the homeland. And  just like how I found my way here today. 

Jack Burstein - D’Var Torah