My best friend isn’t Jewish. I love her more than the world, but some conversations are easier to have with my Jewish friends. I didn’t notice this for a while, because I love being friends with people different from me. You learn about their culture and heritage, and they learn about yours. It was always a no-brainer to me. But as I got older, I saw why my parents sent me to Jewish camps, put me in Hebrew school, and taught my brother and I our history. Making connections with Jewish people is a gift everyone should be able to receive. My friendships ebb and flow, as do everyone’s, but I made sure to stick close to my Jewish friends. 

It’s nice to have people you can talk to about favorite Passover foods or Bat Mitzvah themes. People who want to invite you over for Shabbat dinner and camp friends who enjoy amphitheater services with you. And at Hebrew school, it’s those teachers that you’ve known your whole life, who you see every week, or classes where you learn how far back the Middle East conflict has gone. And of course, when BBYO starts, it opens up all kinds of friendships. You meet the big sisters you never had, learn leadership skills, and sing the Birkat at conventions. 

And when the world gets shaky, and you aren’t sure how safe you are, you first turn to your Jewish friends. The ones who are in the same boat as you. After October 7th, it’s harder to navigate, although it’s always been that way. I, and many others, had to teach the kids in our class about Hanukkah when we were in Preschool, and tell that 6th-grade boy that no, Jewish is not a language. It was never not hard. Now the world is just spotlighting the bad. But that’s why we need our Jewish friends more than ever. Even if you didn’t know the other Jewish kid in your grade before, get to know them now. You’ll thank me later when you and that new friend are up late on FaceTime, reading i24 together. I hope everyone has the opportunity to have a Jewish friend to turn to, and if you don’t, know that BBYO is the place to go.