As chapters all around the order begin to close out their Winter/Spring terms before summer break, we all reflect on the ways we’ve given back to our hearts and homes in this last term. I have personally been extremely lucky in this term with all the opportunities I’ve gotten and I could not be more grateful for every single one. At the beginning of the term, I joined Press Corps which later lead me to do IC Press Corps, I steered our Spring Convention, and I became one of my region’s Judaic chairs where I got to see a sneak peek inside the Sh’lichim’s jobs, later motivating me to run for my chapter’s 128th Sh’licha.

Being elected as Sh’licha had me excited from the get-go. My mind was already filled with so many ideas of how to connect my chapter’s members to their own Jewish identities in new ways. I knew that reading an entire Hebrew story that everyone probably already heard in Hebrew school wasn’t the part of Purim that teenage girls could empathize with, so I decided to zoom into the feminist aspect of the holiday and celebrate our own feminism while making Mishloach Manot for our friends. I knew that Tu’bishvat isn’t usually a widely celebrated holiday but with all the environmental issues we’re experiencing it's important to celebrate the trees and nature that we do have, so we planted our own personal flowers and decorated pots. I know that sometimes, today, it’s hard to celebrate the fact that we are blessed enough to have our “Holy Land,” Israel, so I am currently planning a chapter celebration of Israel’s 75th birthday for Yom Hatzmaut.

Though I did have an amazing time, with highs must come lows. I had my Passover meeting which I spent weeks scripting get canceled. It was upsetting nonetheless, but also a learning experience, helping me understand that communication is key, especially with your board. In addition, the next Sh’licha has an amazing candy seder pre-scripted and ready to use!

I have always been lucky enough to feel especially connected to my own Jewish identity through camp and school, therefore, I feel as it’s own my responsibility to help my fellow Jewish youth feel the pride that I have towards my religion. Even if I helped just one person feel closer to Judaism in one way or another, becoming D’vash BBG’s 128th Sh’licha has made me feel like I have done what I need to for being the proud Jewish woman that I am.