Growing up, my Jewish identity was shaped by my family’s history and the values passed down from my grandparents. My father’s side came from South Africa and moved to Tehran, Iran, where my dad was born and where being active in the Jewish community often meant sacrifices, like driving over an hour just to attend services in 1971. On my mother’s side, my family carried the legacy of escaping the Holocaust and starting a new life in Brooklyn. From both perspectives, one lesson was clear: living a proud and observant Jewish life mattered.

Shabbat, holidays, and of course a Bar/Bat Mitzvah were always deeply emphasized in my household. I knew how important Judaism was to my family, but I sometimes struggled to see how it connected directly to me. It often felt like I was carrying history rather than living my own Jewish experience. That started to change when I went on CLTC 4.

At CLTC, we had three dedicated Jewish education sessions. On paper, it might sound like Hebrew school 2.0, but in reality it was completely different. It was personal, interactive, and impactful. These sessions weren’t about history but about how we individually connected to it. We explored questions that really made me think: What makes up my Jewish identity? How do I connect to it in my daily life? And how can I use my role in BBYO to help others discover their own connection?

What made it even more meaningful was that I wasn’t doing this alone. Surrounded by friends who were also figuring out their Jewish journeys, I felt part of a supportive community where every perspective was valued. We shared, we listened, and we grew together.

This was the first time I truly reflected on my personal Jewish experiences—not just my family’s history. I realized that BBYO plays a huge role in helping teens stay connected to Judaism. I learned that over 80% of Jewish teens disengage from organized Jewish life after their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. That statistic shocked me, but it also motivated me. It showed me how much of what we do in BBYO matters. Every program, every Shabbat service, every conversation contributes to building a stronger, lasting Jewish community.

CLTC didn’t just deepen my understanding of Judaism; it gave me ownership of my Jewish identity. It showed me that Judaism isn’t just something to inherit, it’s something to make my own.