There’s a detail in Parashat Naso that at first glance feels redundant: the description of the twelve identical offerings brought by the leaders of each tribe. They each bring the exact same gift: a silver bowl, silver basin, gold ladle, incense, animals—and yet, the Torah chooses to describe each one in full, twelve times over.
Why? Why not just say, “And each of the twelve leaders brought the same gift”? Because each gift, while identical in content, is unique in intention. Each tribe and each offering deserves to be seen, to be recognized, and to be counted.

Each week for the past year, I’ve had the privilege of overseeing the D’var Torah articles in The Shofar. Each one told the same essential story—the one of the Jewish people—but through different voices. From Uganda to Boston, teens stepped up to the task with their experience, wisdom, and strength. Even when the parasha repeated ancient laws or themes, like the twelve leaders in Naso, each contributor added their own meaning to a shared tradition. Thank you to Rabbi Meir for his endless help, to Andrea for her support, and to every writer who brought light into the text. You didn’t just write about Torah—you shared it with anybody who was willing to read about our history and your thoughts and reflections on it.

As I close my own chapter in BBYO, I can’t help but feel like I’ve reached the end of a count. Like the census that opens Naso, I now look back and count everything I’ve experienced: every Shabbat, every program, every late-night idea that turned into something real. At that moment, those things felt small. Now, I see them as part of why this movement changed something in me.

There’s something beautiful about repetition. It teaches us to find holiness in the familiar. Just like the Torah doesn’t skip a single offering, don’t skip a single moment that adds to your experience in this or any movement. Once you finish the count, you might realize that even if that weekly program is similar to the one you had last week, it's part of your experience in BBYO.

Even if we all tell the same story—our story—it’s worth telling again and again. Each time, in full.

Shabbat Shalom,
Gal Rubel, BBYO Argentina