Months ago, Wendy reached out to me asking if I could photograph her kid’s Batmitzvah before and after (apparently you cannot photograph the actual ceremony). I thought, sure, why not! I had no idea what a Batmitzvah was and thought I’d just go with the flow. I was in for quite a surprise!

Though I didn’t get to see or experience the ceremony, I did get an onslaught of pop-teen culture and a hint of the life of a modern-day teenage girl. It was very interesting to hear conversations about code names for boy crushes, teens referring to themselves as grown adults while drinking bottled soda pop, and one boy dreaming of becoming the next Ellen DeGeneres while figuring out the finances to give away iPads to an entire audience. Instead of worrying about mortgages and upcoming tax season, their main concern was where the chickens were in Minecraft and who gets next on Mariokart. And can someone please teach me all the moves to the whip-nay-nay, particularly the “stanky leg?”

A new age is upon us and the integration of technology and youths is strong. Here’s to the next generation—mazel tov!