skip to main content
698cd9cc0c8db6d1857452bc_BBYO IC 2025 - Jason Dixson Photogr_5ee51158

When attending an International Convention, it’s easy to get swept up in the scale of it all. When the packed ballrooms combine with the cheering crowds, it becomes easy to get lost in all the excitement. IC is designed to be big. But what often stays with you long after the closing ceremony are the small moments quietly happening in between.

It’s the late-night conversations on the hotel floor, when someone you just met suddenly feels like an old friend. It’s the shared laugh during a long walk between sessions, or the calm that settles in during Havdalah as thousands of voices blend into one. These moments don’t make the schedule, but they shape the experience just as much as any headline event.

Taking in the small moments at IC means slowing down, even when everything around you feels fast. It means noticing the way people show up for each other, offering encouragement before a speech, celebrating a tiny win, or simply listening when someone needs it. These are the moments where community stops being a concept and starts feeling real.

Years from now, you might forget the exact words of a Limmud speaker or the order of events. But you’ll remember how it felt to belong, even briefly, in those quiet in-between spaces. IC is unforgettable not just because of what happens on the big stage, but because of the small moments that remind you why you’re there in the first place.

All views expressed on content written for The Shofar represent the opinions and thoughts of the individual authors. The author biography represents the author at the time in which they were in BBYO.

Explore More Stories

Group of people celebrating on stage
Connection
My Pinky Promise

On July 2, my CLTC coordinator, Mimi, led a Separates that changed not only the way I see BBYO, but the way I see myself.

Profile picture of Firstname Lastname
Sasha Grossman Larchmont, New York, United States
Group of people celebrating on stage
Identity
Change Can Completely Re-Write Your Story

It's never too late to change your life, and BBYO helped me realize that change is important and sometimes it’s what you need in order to feel comfortable in yourself.

Profile picture of Firstname Lastname
Alexa Kniss Austin, Texas, United States
Group of people celebrating on stage
Rewind
A Nostalgic Smell of the Past: Revisiting the Sukkah of My Youth

Sweet smells are derived from the holiday of Sukkot!

Profile picture of Firstname Lastname
BBYO Weekly Parsha AZA & BBG