I am currently sitting on a plane, row 48, seat D, writing this article. 

This past summer, I attended International Kallah, and to call it life changing does not even begin to capture what it truly meant to me. To understand why this experience mattered so deeply, it helps to understand where I was coming from. I grew up extremely Reform. I went to synagogue only on the holidays, never had a Bat Mitzvah service, and never attended sleepaway camp like so many of my friends. Jewish spaces existed in my life, but they were distant and never something I felt deeply connected to. That all changed in the summer of 2025. I arrived at Kallah unsure of what to expect. I had never been to sleepaway camp before, let alone for three weeks. I was terrified. I did not have close friends going in, and I questioned whether I truly belonged there. On the first night, I sat next to five girls while we watched a movie.

At the time, they were complete strangers. Now, they are five of my best friends. 

From that moment on, everything clicked. Every laugh, every tear, every TikTok filmed, every hug, and every memory we shared over those three weeks built a bond so strong that we spoke every single day after leaving Perlman. We belted songs together under the Perlman tree, took classes side by side, and cried harder than we thought possible when it was time to say goodbye. They stood front row, cheering as loudly as they could, when I had my Bat Mitzvah service at Kallah, something I never imagined I would experience. 

Fast forward five months, and what once felt like a camp day dream became real. We planned a reunion. The six of us created an elaborate slideshow, mapped out every detail, and presented it to our families. Somehow, we convinced all of them to let us reunite in Barcelona for the trip of a lifetime. 

So here I am, row 48, seat D, on an eight hour flight to Barcelona, writing this article because I never thought I would go on a BBYO summer experience. I never thought I would find a place that felt like home, or meet five girls I get to call my best friends. Natalie, Maya, Jenna, Hannah, and Alma, you are irreplaceable, and I cannot wait to see you in just a few short hours. To whoever is reading this, go on a summer program. Go on CLTC, ILTC, and Kallah. I promise you will grow in ways you never thought possible. I am sitting in this uncomfortable plane seat, writing with overwhelming gratitude for everything BBYO’s Summer Programs gave me and for the version of myself they helped me become.