Last year I joined BBYO. It was the best decision I’ve made up to now. Being in BBYO has changed my life on so many levels. Some ways weren’t even direct!

I had gone to many, many, MANY Jewish youth groups. None of them made me feel welcomed or comfortable. Then I started BBYO. But let me tell you, it was not all champagne and roses. When I first arrived, I felt like all the other groups I had been in. However, I decided to give it a chance. I went to a regional event, and I remember this girl from my chapter coming to me and hugging me as if she had known me all my life and I was her best friend. That is my favorite memory in BBYO and it is the one that convinced me of staying in BBYO and then running for board; I wanted to be the girl that welcomed everyone and made them feel comfortable in the incredible space that BBYO is. It helped me be more extroverted; Thanks to the experience I spoke about before, I was inspired to be a more “open” person and to dare to talk to people I wouldn’t have spoken to if it weren’t for this. Being in BBYO helped me socially; I met new people from my school and others, and with the people I did know I became so much closer! 

Nevertheless, BBYO isn’t magic; being a part of BBYO had some negative impact on my free time and my time to study. But, all the wonderful experiences and things one learns and gains from BBYO make it worth it. I’ve encountered a LOT of people who have told me “Oh, I don’t know if BBYO is for me”, or “I have too many things between school and other activities” but BBYO is and occupies what you let it be. Take a chance on BBYO, you won’t regret it!