Havdalah has always been one of my favorite parts of being Jewish; it makes me feel pure, it makes me feel whole. You can always find me smiling when I’m with my BBYO friends. At this point, they've become part of my family. In Mountain Region, we as a community hang out outside of BBYO all the time, so it felt extra special to come together for a loud, bright Havdalah.

Every year, the Phoenix Zoo hosts what’s called “Zoo Lights,” where the massive zoo is decorated with bright lights and festive holiday music. For our Global Shabbat, Mountain Region collaborated with other major Jewish organizations around the valley to host a Jewish heritage night for all ages.

It was so much fun walking around, seeing the tall giraffes and sleeping lions, but none of it compared to when we did our Havdalah. It was magical sitting around the fire pit, surrounded by the greaterJewish community. We were even surprised with fireworks off in the distance at the end.

I had so much fun at this year's Global Shabbat and have BBYO to thank for all of it. BBYO has given me an insurmountable amount of unforgettable Jewish experiences.