For a long time, I thought leadership only looked one way.

In my head, the leaders were the loudest voices in the room. The ones with titles. The people who always knew exactly what to say and how to say it. I assumed leadership meant confidence without hesitation, decisions without doubt, and having command of the room. This was a description that I never thought I would fit. So, when I arrived at Kallah, I thought that for me it would be mostly three weeks of fun, reuniting with old friends and making new ones, and creating long-lasting classic camp memories.

That changed almost immediately.

From my first day at Kallah, I noticed something was different. We had the option to choose what we wanted to learn about and how we would make an impact. Even in our Limudim, the educators would often start by asking the direction we wanted the class to go on that day, and rather than one person taking charge, everyone was able to contribute something to the discussions. Leadership at Kallah wasn’t about being the loudest voice in the room but rather about bringing a unique perspective to the table.

As the days went on, I started gaining a voice. Instead of keeping quiet during our Beiteinu discussions, I was the first to raise my hand. I suddenly stopped worrying about what others would think about what I was saying and just decided to say it. Kallah taught me the importance of making leadership your own, which is something I am forever grateful for.