I like to consider myself a pretty extroverted person. 

Strangely enough, when I walked off the bus at Perlman Camp, for a moment, I felt alone. I knew very few people coming in, and was instantly trying to toe the line between being “likeable” and staying true to myself. I felt lost.

That was my first mistake. 

Something every person should remember when walking into a place where you are a stranger is this: you are not the only stranger. You are not the first, and you will not be the last. Hundreds have done it before you, and so can you.

So I took a deep breath and never looked back. 

From that moment on, ILTC was nothing short of a thrill. Not only was I able to float around a great group of people, but I was also able to have some enlightening conversations. And that’s the secret: just talk to as many people as you can. Sure, you could walk up to someone and they could totally ignore you. This happened to me more than once. So what? If you walk around scared that people will judge you for being yourself, you will never grow as a person. ILTC taught me that despite your insecurities, you will always feel most at home in your own skin.

Nevertheless, I would say that the biggest thing I learned from ILTC was the importance of listening. As a leader, this was something I struggled with: I would tend to push my ideas and forget to seek feedback or listen to others. It highlighted my immaturity and resulted in long, tough conversations.

The ILTC experience was exactly what I needed.

At ILTC, I was surrounded by teens and adults who challenged my ideas and opinions. I had every opportunity to advocate for what I thought was right and compromise on my positions by engaging in challenging discussions. In Blueprint and Ma’bdot, I got to hear international perspectives on Jewish life. It's a point of view that will serve me well as I begin a term as Chapter Godol, presiding over the biggest and, naturally, most culturally diverse chapter in the region I will work with teens, parents, and community leaders from many different backgrounds on a daily basis — and now, with the communication skills that I have refined, doing that will be much easier.

Having those challenging and meaningful conversations also helped me evaluate my priorities over the next year. Was I spending my time making a difference? What was actually fulfilling me? Asking myself these questions has only altered the course of my life for the better. So yes, you could say this was a life-changing experience.

All in all, if I had to summarize ILTC in one word, it would be the future. Because that’s what it is. Two hundred and fifty teens are in one place who are not only the future of the movement, but of the Jewish people as a whole. And after spending three and a half weeks among them, I can safely say that this generation will make a difference.  

There’s a mural on the inside wall closest to the Perlman Tree of the Katz building. In bubbled, beautifully illustrated letters, it reads “בכל לבבד,” which means “With all your heart.” During the last night of camp, I couldn’t stop staring at it and thinking about how much it spoke to me. Those words will echo in my mind forever. Because I know that this movement, this religion, this purpose will always have my heart.