When Maya Schwartz walked up to the bimah at Temple Emanuel of Andover on March 21, she had a few butterflies.

“I was a little bit nervous for my service,” she recalled. But from the sanctuary to the dance floor, those nerves soon gave way to smiles, song, and celebration.

Maya’s Torah portion was Vayikra, a section of the Book of Leviticus that focuses on sacrifices and offerings the Israelites brought to draw closer to God. “It was about making important sacrifices to have a closer relationship to God,” she explained.

In her d’var Torah, Maya didn’t just summarize the ancient laws; she brought them into the present. Drawing on the theme of connection to God, she spoke about how modern acts of giving and service can serve as a kind of contemporary “offering.”

One of the ways she chose to live out that idea is through her bat mitzvah project. Maya is planning to volunteer at the MSPCA, combining her love of animals with her desire to give back.

“I’ve just always liked being around animals,” she said. Her family’s own dog, Dante, a husky mix, helped inspire that choice.

Maya’s service at the MSPCA is especially fitting, her mom Maureen noted, since Dante is a rescue dog. “In some ways, Maya’s project is giving back to animals who maybe didn’t find homes,” Maureen said.

Though scheduling at the MSPCA is tight – there are only a few Saturday slots open for Maya’s age group, and they fill quickly – the family is working to secure a date so Maya can follow through on the commitment she described in her d’var.

Maya prepared for her big day with both Rabbi David Wilfond and Cantor Caitlin McLaughlin. McLaughlin had stepped in for Cantor Rachel Reef-Simpson, who was on leave, joining the team roughly two months before the ceremony.

The service itself was not only a personal milestone for Maya, but also a meaningful moment for her family. The Schwartzes are an interfaith family, and they arrived at the bat mitzvah with questions about how fully everyone could participate.

“We had a question for Rabbi Wilfond about whether you have to be Jewish to participate in the service,” said Maya’s dad, Eric. Wilfond’s answer made a lasting impression on the family. “He said, ‘The only requirement to participate in the service is that the person has to love Maya.’ It was very welcoming and inclusive. I thought it was really special.”

Wilfond noted Maya is the third generation of Schwartzes at Emanuel: her grandmother Barbara is active in the congregation and leads the synagogue’s  library, while her father serves as temple treasurer.

“We sing at a bat mitzvah the words ‘l’dor v’dor,’ which means ‘from generation to generation,’” Wilfond said. “A bat mitzvah is a celebration of passing joy about being Jewish from generation to generation.

“Now Maya is joining the club of young adult Jews. It is exciting to see Maya’s joy and passion for Jewish life. This gives us hope that the Jewish future is bright and filled with love, joy and excitement to live meaningful Jewish lives. We are blessed to have families like the Schwartzes, who serve as pillars of strength, upholding our hope for a vibrant and bright future for the Jewish community in the Merrimack Valley.”

Maya’s bat mitzvah was also a kind of second chance for the family. Her older brother Ryan, now 18 and a freshman at Lynn University in Florida, became a bar mitzvah during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. His service was held on Zoom, and instead of a big party, the family marked the occasion with a special trip.

“This was our first time having the actual service in the synagogue,” Eric reflected. “So it was pretty special.”

During the service, Maya was surrounded by loved ones in ways both traditional and unique.

For the aliyahs, the family honored multiple generations: the first aliyah was made by Maya’s grandmother Barbara together with her brother Ryan; the second went to Maya’s parents; and the third was Maya’s own.

Another special moment came when Maureen’s sister-in-law, Monica Mitchell, joined the cantor on violin for two pieces: one contemplative, following the silent prayer, and a second, celebratory piece after Maya completed her Torah reading. “She did a beautiful job,” Maureen said, noting the live violin added an intimate, emotional layer to the service.

Family members traveled from both near and far to celebrate. While many relatives are local, some journeyed a long way, including Aunt Monica and Uncle Kevin from Oregon, who made one of the longest trips.

If the service was full of spiritual warmth and family emotion, the party that followed, planned by Monique Johnson at Monx Design House, was pure joy. Held at Temple Emanuel, the celebration featured a glow-in-the-dark, neon theme. The family hired a DJ to provide music, and the dance floor quickly filled.

“There was music … there was dancing,” Maureen recalled. “Kids were out there the whole time partying and having a good time.”

Sixty of Maya’s friends came to celebrate, out of a total guest list of about 140. Most of her friends came from middle school, Camp Pembroke, gymnastics, and Hebrew school. The evening featured an array of games and activities, from classic party games like limbo and Coke and Pepsi to floor games like giant chess. There was a photo booth and, as befitted the theme, glow-in-the-dark tattoos.

There was also a Maya trivia game, which the bat mitzvah girl, rather than being embarrassed by the spotlight, took in stride. Guests were quizzed on everything from Maya’s favorite color (pink) and her favorite vacation spot (Hawaii) to her favorite places to go downtown (the library and CVS).

Her favorite part of the whole weekend? “Probably just getting to be there with all my friends and family,” Maya said.

The big event was not without its hiccups.

“We had a little bit of a scare, a week or two prior to her bat mitzvah,” Eric said. Maya injured her knee in gymnastics. “So she was actually on her crutches during the ceremony. She ditched the crutches at the party, and she was out there dancing and having a great time.”

“I think she was a little sore the next morning,” Maureen said.

“A little!?!” Maya exclaimed in disbelief.