“Shabbat Shalom”, I say to my friends,
as we finish our last prayer.

The sun has gone down,
and the day of rest is over.

The room changes from near silent,
to near deafening.

Boys run to their corner,
girls hurry to theirs.

Circles are made hand in hand,
left over right.

“We pledge to thee, oh BBG...”

The sound grows louder with each minute,
but I’d never leave.

“...our love, our youth, our loyalty...”

The roar of excitement is overwhelming,
yet I remain collected.

“...we sing to thee with joyous sounds...”

The screaming on the top of my lungs
will cause me to go voiceless for a day.

“...our voices reach the sky!...”

The constant jumping causes me to sweat,
but I hardly notice.

“...From Zion came the white and blue...”

The light in the girls’ eyes across the circle
makes me remember why I’m here.

“...to give these colors bold and true...”


. I see the future in them,
and I want to help shape it.

“...Our loyal daughters gather ‘round...”

Even though I’m remaining calm on the inside,
I am pouring out energy on the outside

“...to raise our flags on high!”

Many cheers and songs later,
the quiet hum of the boys begins.

“AZA, BBG, BBYO”

Our circle dissipates,
and we turn to face our Alephs.

“BBG, AZA,BBYO”

I know my time here is limited,
but I’d rather live in the moment than think about the end.

“ONR, what time is it? BBG get loud! AZA represent!”