I am a BBG who lives in south Jersey, and I am surrounded by so many Jews like me. It is a comforting feeling, to be understood and have this special connection with the people around me. But this was not always my life.

I was born in Rockland County, New York, and when I was in second grade, I moved to Bergen County, New Jersey. The town I lived in was very small, with a population of 10,000 people. The Jewish community within that tiny town? Even smaller.. There were just 4 other Jewish families in my grade, and we experienced both subtle and blatant antisemitism from many others.  

Through the 5 years we lived there, it was very hard for my entire family, but most of all for me, experiencing this dynamic in middle school, not the easiest place for anyone to feel comfortable, Jewish or not.

As I studied for my Bat Mitzvah, while being attacked and singled out at school for being Jewish (shoutout to my 6th-grade English teacher who told the whole class that I was “just like Anne Frank!”), My love of Judaism was fading. 

I had my Bat Mitzvah in 7th grade, but I was more focused on the family part, rather than the religious and cultural parts. I never connected with my Hebrew school, where an entire school of just 10 kids across K-7 didn’t provide a sense of community, and aside from when someone would bring it up to me, I didn’t really talk about my Judaism. 

My family came to realize we needed a community where we could all find our community. Fortunately, my father had grown up in just such a place, and his parents still lived there.

In the summer of 2023, the day after I completed seventh grade, we moved 2 hours away to Cherry Hill and a completely new Jewish reality. I was obviously thrilled to leave that town, but I had no idea how much living here would change and shape my Jewish identity. 

I arrived right before 8th grade. The timing was perfect for so many things. I spent my whole summer at JCC Camps at Medford, where for the first time, I met so many Jewish girls in my area. They soon became my best friends. 

Once the school year started, I enrolled in Hebrew School, and I loved it for the first time in my life, both gathering with fellow Jews and learning more about my people. This community also brought me comfort after October 7. I can’t even imagine how lonely life would have felt in my old town after those tragic events.

At my father’s suggestion, I attended an informational meeting for something called… BBYO. I had no idea how much that one night would alter the trajectory of my life for the better. Middle school me would not believe how happy I am now. Looking back, I realize I didn’t just move from one town to another. I moved into the life I always wanted.