“Identity, Identity, who am I, a BBG?” This was a chant I heard during spirit at my first program, and it has stuck with me. BBYO has become such a huge part of my identity and has fully enclosed me in powerful moments and friendships. One of those moments was this past weekend when we celebrated Global Shabbat. I had the honor of being a Global Shabbat coordinator this year, and it has been one of the most special things I have been a part of thus far in my BBYO journey. From planning to getting to connect with teens on a one-on-one level, it has been an incredible experience.

Global Shabbat holds so much power to our Movement. It’s a moment where we all get to share a Shabbat with each other. Even if we’re not in the same room, city, state, or country as one another, we’re all united by one Shabbat. I first felt the power of Global Shabbat last year as my chapter Sh’licha, where I got to plan my first Global Shabbat program. The moments during that program inspired me to keep moving forward and growing my leadership abilities. This year, I decided to apply to be a Global Shabbat Coordinator and was thrilled when I got the call from Ari (in Disney World) saying that I had gotten the position. Let me just say, it was the most magical day in Magic Kingdom ever. Throughout this process, I have gotten to work with some incredible teens who have inspired me and shown me what Global Shabbat can look like.

This weekend was nothing short of incredible. Getting to see photos and videos from programs all over the world through takeovers and Instagram videos was amazing. It was so cool getting to see those program outlines make it into an incredible event. Getting to watch the people I had worked with create amazing programs and inspire others was amazing to see. Global Shabbat has an incredible impact and truly is one of the most meaningful events around our order, and it has become one of my absolute favorites. I hope the more and more we do this event, the more and more it grows, improves, and spreads, because it has such an incredible impact that truly affects a lot of people in the most wonderful ways.