Have you ever felt like you were wearing different masks for different parts of your life? One you wear at school, one you wear at home, and another you wear with your friends, and have you ever wondered who the person behind them really is? 

This week's torah portion, Parshat Bereishit, starts with the story of creation. But buried in all the details about light and water and animals, there’s a single line that speaks directly to this feeling. 

"וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים  אֶת־הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים"

"So God created the human in his image: He created him in the image of God.” This isn’t a physical description. It’s telling us that each of us has a divine spark, a unique essence that makes us who we are. Our life’s journey isn’t about figuring out who we want to be, but about uncovering who we were created to be. My journey of discovery was really shaped by BBYO. Before I joined, I always felt like a list of labels: a daughter, a student, a teammate. I had an identity, but it was one that was built by others, and for others. I always felt a pressure to be something I wasn’t, and I wasn’t sure what the real me looked like. But then I found this community. I remember my first chapter overnight, a self-care Shabbat sleepover. I was so scared, but when I got there, all the girls were so welcoming, and I could see that everyone was unapologetically themselves. It was the first time I felt like I could let go and be accepted. As I got more involved, BBYO helped me grow into a leader and empowered me to explore my Jewish identity, which I don’t think would’ve been possible without my experience at Kallah and the support of my community. BBYO was like a mirror that helped me see my true self. It gave me the strength and courage to take off my mask and start uncovering the person I was made to be. I began to discover that my identity wasn’t something I had to build, but something I got to discover. I started to discover that the things that make me uniquely me are the very things that are a reflection of that divine image. Beireishit teaches us that we are all created in the divine image, so how can you reveal that image to yourself?

Shabbat Shalom, 

Molly Rose Cloutier