From the ages of 3 to 11, I attended a private Jewish day school. I was completely surrounded by a community of Jewish individuals and was immersed in a world where Chanukah and Rosh Hashanah were holidays celebrated by everyone, not words only fully understood by 0.2% of the entire population. So, when I left my little bubble to enter public middle school and eventually enrolled in bat mitzvah preparation, I was met by a rude awakening. 

Suddenly, the Hebrew I had learned in day school at age 7 was being taught to others, my own age, for the first time, and to me, that revelation was astonishing. My Monday nights and Sunday afternoons became dedicated to relearning my vowels, which were never lost upon me, but had never been taught to others, and the task of upholding my Jewish identity in a school-setting became viewed as more of an afterschool obligation than a pleasure. I hated myself for adopting that mindset. 

I was trapped in a situation where my only outlet for my Jewish identity was sitting in a classroom for hours on end, and I, most certainly, was not the only one who felt this way. I, begrudgingly, stuck out attending religious school until a few months after my bat mitzvah, when I finally expressed to my mother that this way of teaching Judaism to others was not working for me. I expressed my desire to “find a new way to be Jewish,” and that was when we struck a deal. 

She told me that if I joined BBYO, like she had when she was my age, and attended meetings every Tuesday, I could leave religious school, for good. I was anxious and thought that the prospect of spending one day out of the week hanging out at the Alper JCC Miami sounded more like a sorority than a Jewish teen-led movement, but I inevitably agreed. 

Since that September day in 2024, I have been at countless programs, held many chapter board positions, and even attended CLTC. I can confidently state that I feel more connected to my Jewish heritage now, than ever before. I guess all it took for me was a change of pace and an opportunity to share my personal experiences. 

Our handshake may have started as a seemingly pointless deal between mother and daughter, but I can definitely say that the aftermath changed my life for the better.