Josephine entered the world in the middle of a storm — literally.

A hurricane named Sandy was roaring through the Northeast when she arrived, and as her family likes to say:

First came the storm… and then came Josephine.

From the very beginning, she brought her own kind of light — curious, observant, imaginative, and utterly original.

Josephine sees the world differently.

Give her LEGO bricks and she'll build a universe.

Put a violin or piano in front of her and she'll create music that fills the room.

Hand her a blank canvas, a costume, an idea — she'll transform it into something uniquely hers.

She is an artist in everything she touches.

And purple? It's not her favorite color… it's her aesthetic.

Josephine is wildly curious — always asking, learning, building, or discovering.

She loves:

• Music (piano and violin)
• Animals (especially unique ones, like axolotls)
• Adventure and imagination (Roblox, creativity, storytelling)
• Making things — anything — from LEGO designs to digital edits

She doesn't "dabble."

She masters.

Josephine is beloved — deeply, effortlessly.

Her kindness is quiet but powerful.

She notices people.

She listens.

She includes.

She doesn't try to be the center of attention…

yet somehow she always is — because people are drawn to her warmth.

Preparing for her Bat Mitzvah was no small task.

Josephine learned:

• Trope
• Torah chanting
• Her Haftarah and blessings
• Her D'var Torah — a speech about meaning, identity, and responsibility

She practiced.

She refined.

She showed up.

And when the moment came,

she led the service with grace, confidence, humor, and heart.

Her Torah portion spoke about seeing the best in others, about choosing kindness even when it's difficult, and about the power of intention.

In her D'var Torah, Josephine reflected that becoming a Bat Mitzvah is not about age — it's about impact.

It's about how we show up in the world and how we choose to care.

On this day, surrounded by the people who love her most — from near and far — Josephine didn't just read Torah.

She embodied it.

She stepped into her Jewish adulthood with:

• Courage
• Purpose
• Integrity
• Joy

She lit up the bema just as she lights up every room she walks into.

And now she invites all of us to celebrate not only who she is…

but who she is becoming.