Adam Berg has visited me many times while I have been hospitalized. During each visit, he never failed to make me smile. Whether I was listening to tales of his school friends or he was asking questions about neighboring hospital children, Adam always seemed comfortable in the hospital room with me, as if my room was the place he truly wanted to be in that moment. When I first learned about his bar mitzvah, which is a coming-of-age ceremony where a Jewish boy is recognized as a man, I was excited to attend and thrilled to be a part of this milestone in Adam’s life. What came next, though, was a surprise as Adam decided to commit his bar mitzvah project to Rebecca’s Wish.
Adam had met many other children in hospital beds when he would visit me, the majority of whom did not have activities to keep them entertained. Some of these children did not even have parents to sit with them. So, Adam asked his bar mitzvah guests for donations in order to help him pay it forward. With his donations, he bought baskets overflowing with crafts, toys, and gift cards for the children of the hospital.
When I walked into Adam’s bar mitzvah I was shocked to find stacks upon stacks of colored pencil bouquets filled with markers, colored paper, stickers, and every other possible craft supply imaginable. I fully believe that with everything that Adam collected, the hospital could build a glitter-covered, construction-paper rocket to the moon if they so wanted. But best of all, Adam will get to see some of the children and personally hand them the fruit of his labors. He will get to see just how much crayons and stickers, and most importantly, the knowledge that someone cares, can change a child’s outlook on an entire hospital stay. So, thank you, Adam, for your selfless gesture to help countless children. I hope you realize how much of an impact you have made.
Here is the prophetic passage delivered by Adam’s during his bar mitzvah service about his service project for Rebecca’s Wish.
“For my prophetic text, I chose Leviticus 25:10… Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof. To me this means, keep doing things for others. Keep looking at ways to help people. Keep bringing freedom however I can to anyone. I chose Rebecca’s Wish as my Bar Mitzvah project. Rebecca Taylor is a family friend of ours and she was diagnosed with a chronic disease more than 9 years ago when she was 7 years old. The organization Make A Wish asked Rebecca what her wish was. She wanted to start a foundation, which became Rebecca’s Wish. This foundation focuses on research, and providing hope and charity to families like the Taylors. In just a few years, Rebecca’s Wish has raised close to a million dollars. Unfortunately, Rebecca spends a lot of time in hospitals. I have been to visit Rebecca a few times in the hospital. There are always children there that come to the hospital with no clothes, toys, blankets, or games because they don’t know how long they will be there. So for my project, I collected items at home from friends, family and neighbors and we delivered to the hospital to give to the kids. My prophetic text relates to my Bar Mitzvah project because by bringing needed items to families and children in the hospital, I am also bringing them freedom. Freedom from needing. Freedom from having to leave the hospital. Freedom to be together with their loved ones.”
