Mitzvah Straight Up is a piercing, coming-of-age marvel revealing how a back brace wearing girl finds courage to persevere in an oft-brutal world in the year of her Bat Mitzvah. This contemporary story unfolds a cautious but spirited child into a figurative paramecium floundering in her own puddle then rebuilds her into a strong, giving and heroic young woman. Struggling beyond the ordinary realm of adolescence, she tests her moral strength sometimes horrifically and other times through the funny bone.
Family chaos won’t keep Jessica Rosen from gaining insight from a homeless woman’s gift nor dreams of a Holocaust survivor encouraging her to face a world bent on segregating friendship. As she emerges from a haze of hatred, Jessica commits a revolting act of revenge against a bitterly departed soul for painting a swastika on the side of her temple. As she boldly begins her ascent into adulthood, valuing her conscience and humanity as what matters most, she brings the community with her in this all-engaging tale.
