BAR MITZVAH A shoe-in

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
TENAFLY, N.J. -- If the shoe fits, and even if it does not, Matthew Grossman wants it.
The Tenafly Middle School pupil hunts for shoes -- sneakers, specifically -- slipping fliers into mailboxes all over town, knocking on neighbors' doors and asking anyone who will listen for a contribution. With every pair collected, he gets one step closer to fulfilling the community service portion of his bar mitzvah requirement.
"My goal is to collect as many as I can," Matthew said.
"As many as the SUV can hold," quipped his father, Randy Grossman.
The project started just a few weeks ago, shortly after his mom found an ad about Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program. The company grinds old sneakers and uses the byproducts for athletic field surfaces in underserved communities.
Varied uses
Shoe rubber is transformed into weight room flooring, baseball and soccer fields, and golf products, which thrills Matthew, who golfs with his father. The shoe's foam can be used to create parts of tennis and basketball courts and playground surfacing, and the fabric of the shoes is used for padding underneath a basketball court.
Matthew has already amassed nearly 100 pairs of sneakers. "He got so excited," said his mom, Jackie Grossman.
On Friday, he plans to take his collection to a recycling center in Newark, N.J., where Nike sorts the athletic shoes. The Nike program began in 1993 and exists in the United States, Australia and Japan. The efforts have resulted in about 170 sport surfaces around the world. Its U.S. goal is to recycle 125,000 pairs of shoes a year.
Wanted to make an impact
Matthew wanted to make sure his bar mitzvah project had a lasting impact. Other boys and girls who have come of age have cleaned up the Tenafly Nature Center or volunteered at a senior center. But he also wanted something that was slightly off the beaten path.
"We were looking all over the place for ideas," said Matthew, his eyes brightening behind his round, wire-rimmed glasses. "This was unique. I'd never heard of this before."
One of the first donations came from a friend who is an avid athlete.
"He gave me a ton of shoes," Matthew said.
But the seventh-grader, whose personality bursts from his middle school body in waves, was not going to limit his activities to people he knew. A local Girl Scout troop got swept up into the effort, as did a church and an elementary school.
"I never thought it would turn into this," said Matthew. "I thought it was only going to be a couple of people involved, but it turned out to be a ton of people."
All this to help turn a boy into a man.
Long anticipated
The Grossmans say they have been looking forward to this event for years. Matthew is the youngest grandchild on his mother's side of the family and the only one on his father's side.
Even Matthew, who admits that with band practice and homework he has cut back on his bar mitzvah preparation, is taking the responsibility to his faith seriously.
"A lot of boys and girls did diddly squat to prepare, but they still have a service and a party," Matthew said.
He said he practices reading the Torah nearly every other day -- but sometimes just on weekends -- trying to nail the tricky intonations of Hebrew.
Matthew also is exploring how much freedom he will have with the grown-up status the March ceremony will confer on him.
"I can have a dog," he said, a little uncertain.
"I don't think so," his mom said.
"Well, they don't have to treat me like a baby anymore," he announced.
"You'll always be my baby," Jackie Grossman said proudly.
With that, the man-child who hopes sneakers will change the world gave his mother a bear hug.