I’m back home, in the valley of Phoenix, Arizona, safe and sound, ready to change the order. You may be wondering: back from what? I’ll get there in a moment. But first, let's jump back to May 2023 at the Scottsdale JCC. My AZA chapter, Salk AZA, was entering its 26th term election. Salk was at the peak of its existence. We had four R-board members, 15 seniors, and over 30 active members. The only problem was Salk had no heir to be their next Godol. 

A quick background on me: I started BBYO in 8th grade with the sporty, frat-like chapter Salk, but it wasn’t my jam. After two programs, I didn’t show up again for the rest of the year. Fast forward to freshman year, I decided to try BBYO again, this time with Salk centered around brotherhood and teamwork. Even though we weren’t necessarily the “Alpha” chapter, I quickly found a love for BBYO. Many seniors took me under their wings, and I ultimately decided to run for chapter Moreh. That election night was long. I ended up not only losing the Moreh election after three runoffs but I wasn’t selected for any other board position. While it wasn’t what I was hoping for, there wasn’t any part of me that would quit.

By my third year in BBYO, I pushed myself not to be a part of the 99% of teens who quit. Instead, I threw myself into chapter and regional chair positions. My goal was to bring in double the amount of prospects as the previous Moreh. 

So, back to our spring elections. I naively ran for Godol and couldn’t believe my own eyes when I won. A freshman has never won in our region, so I was determined to do good in my chapter, and I did just that. We recruited over 20 new members in our first term, won Godol of the term at the Fall Convention, and continued to grow our chapter. 

IC was where I grew into my role. I had a blast. I met so many new friends, especially from Lonestar in Texas. After my re-election for Godol, I had one more major election to worry about: R-Board. After many conversations with my current RAG, I decided I was going to run for Regional Moreh. With my past luck, I was worried about running for Moreh, but I still went for it. After many sleepless nights, election day was finally here, and I was nothing but calm. As I looked around the room, I felt prepared and at peace with whatever the outcome would be.  After what felt like an eternity, I won.

As one of the best years was coming to a close, I had one more adventure: Full Perlman!  I had an amazing six weeks in the Poconos growing as a leader and finding my own Jewish voice. I made friends from every corner of the world, and it left me eager for what was to come. Now, as I reflect on these life-changing experiences, I’m back home, in the valley of Phoenix, Arizona, safe and sound, ready to change the order.