Soccer for Peace is honored to count Nicolas Szpigiel as one of our Bar Mitzvah Hall of Famers! In honor of his Bar Mitzvah, Nicolas raised over $6,000 to support Soccer for Peace.

nicoNico’s passion for soccer, and for tikkun olam, is best reflected in his own words from his Bar Mitzvah speech:

“You don’t stop playing because you grow up, you grow up because you stop playing,” said George Bernard Shaw. No matter how much I grow, no matter how sophisticated or wise, I will always be childlike. I will always need help. Everyone does.

My mitzvah project connects my passion for soccer and my desire to behave like a Jewish man with my wish for peace in the world – specifically in Israel and in the Palestinian territories. That is why “Soccer for Peace” is the right mitzvah project for me.

For that reason, I will donate a portion of my bar mitzvah proceeds to Soccer for Peace – an organization that brings kids together from the Middle East, and all war-torn regions of the world to play my favorite sport.

So what does it mean becoming a Jewish man? It means to aid and respect others every opportunity I get. And I hope you will too.”

Thank you Nico, and all your friends and family who so generously contributed to your Bar Mitzvah project. It is support and enthusiasm like yours that keeps our projects growing, and enables children from Israel and the Palestinian territories to forge friendships through soccer.