It has now been about three months since the end of Kallah, and I am only beginning to understand the impact it had on me. Ever since I joined BBYO in eighth grade, I have heard stories about Kallah from older members of my chapter who I looked up to. Everyone talked about these three weeks as a life-changing experience, so going into this summer, I had very high expectations. I am very happy to say that Kallah not only lived up to but went way beyond the expectations I had and anything I could have imagined. 

One of my favorite parts of Kallah was getting to know all of the Madrichim (counselors) and hearing about many of their own Kallah experiences. Something that most of them said was that it is difficult to appreciate something while you are living it. I have found this to be very true for me about Kallah.

Although I loved experiencing Kallah at the moment, I have come to appreciate it so much more now that it’s over. When I came home from Kallah, I loved telling my parents all the things I learned there. What I did not realize was how much this meant to them as well. My mom expressed to me that she wished she had the chance to experience something like Kallah when she was young, a chance to freely explore her Jewish identity. However, growing up in the Soviet Union, she did not have that privilege. This bittersweet conversation made me realize how truly lucky we are to have the opportunity to experience something like Kallah. After generations of my family experiencing religious persecution, I have the ability to immerse myself in the Jewish community.

As a child of refugees from the former Soviet Union, I grew up in a very secular household without a strong understanding of the religious aspects of my Jewish identity. At Kallah, I had the privilege of meeting so many incredible staff, educators, and guests who all had something to share about Judaism. I learned how to view things from a Jewish perspective, how different denominations are practiced, and studied Jewish text. At Kallah, for the first time, when I sang the prayers during services, I felt more than just a connection to my community, I truly felt connected to the words of the prayers I was singing and their meaning in a spiritual way.

With the recent rise in antisemitism, it is extremely important for Jewish teens to feel a connection to the greater Jewish community. We must not take for granted the ability to practice Judaism freely, something not everyone has. I am forever grateful for everything that Kallah gave me, and I hope you have the chance to experience it for yourself.