Posted on May 5, 2019
It is with great pleasure that we announce that Isabella “Bella” Almeida has been named the 2019 Youth Person of Honor.
Here are Bella’s own words describing what Temple Beth-El means to her:
“My name is Isabella Almeida and I have loved growing up at Temple Beth-El for the past ten years. I started attending Hebrew school in first grade, became a bat mitzvah in 2015, continued through Confirmation Academy, and am now in post-confirmation. Aside from attending religious school, I have also enjoyed working the lemonade stand for the temple’s booth at the 4-H fair every summer and going on various social action trips, such as the Confirmation trip to Washington D.C., lobbying to Congress on various issues, and last year’s Midnight Run, handing out food and supplies to those living on the streets of New York City.
“In order to give back to the temple that has helped shape my character and guide me to become the person I am today, I became a madrichah for second grade and ran for a position on the SMOOCHY board, for which I am now an outreach representative. Temple Beth-El has provided me with countless life lessons, lifelong friends, and invaluable experiences.
“Outside of my temple life, I run cross country and play lacrosse for both high school and elite teams. In school, I have made Principal’s Honor Roll every semester and am a member of multiple honor societies, including math, English, science, and national. Even though I only have one more year of religious school ahead of me before I graduate, I look forward to continuing my Jewish education on my future college campus and back at Temple Beth-El when I come home.”
Bella will be honored at Shabbat services on Friday,June 7 at 7:00 p.m.
Originally published in the May-June 2019 issue of the Shofar. For more issues of the Shofar, visit the Shofar archives.
