My Bar Mitzvah
written by: Michael Natt
I hated going to Hebrew school. It was a huge sacrifice for me to miss an afternoon of stickball with my friends in the P.S. 82 school yard and attend another class after I had just completed a full day of 5th grade.
My parents forced me to learn some Hebrew, read Bible stories and learn about the culture and traditions of my people. My parents were mean.
On January 30th 1965 I read my haftorah portion at the Hebrew Institute of University Heights. Afterwards, I dropped out of the synagogue. I only went there when my parents forced me to go with them to The High Holy Day services at Riverdale Temple, where my mother worked as a secretary.
Oh, to be 13 again!
Michael worked in business for 40 years including 28 years as a systems engineer and project manager with IBM. Michael has also served as a congregational and teaching leader in Minnesota, Arizona and New York. He earned a B.A. from Bethel University, and an M.A. in Human Resource Development from the University of St. Thomas. Michael is the author of four books: My Life in 125 Words, God Speaks in 125 Words, Men Speak in 125 Words, and Stories From the War. He is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) and a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC). He has also completed 15 marathons and 60 half-marathons. He lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota with his wife Cheryl. They have been married for 50 years.
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