RC is a time of year that so many Jewish teens in BBYO look forward to—seeing friends outside your chapter and council, bonding with already close friends, meeting new people, and of course, the spirit. NRE's 2026 Regional Convention was my first ever RC and I am so glad I got to experience it!! Here are some of my personal favorite highlights from Northern Region East’s 2026 Regional Convention:

🕯️ Friday Night:

• Shabbat! My friends and I decided to choose the camp-themed Shabbat, which definitely made me miss camp. Before and after Shabbat, our chapter got amazing photos that I will keep forever.

• Separates. This was an all-time high of the weekend, and really made us BBGs reflect on who we want to be, how we want others and our fellow BBGs to remember us, and what we want our future to look like. We examined inspiring female role models, including Anita M. Pearlman, and explored how we can follow in their footsteps if we choose to do so. Separates really were an amazing experience and are always a highlight of conventions! 
• The last and final highlight of the night for me was spirit circles. Cheers like Honor and Courage, Identity, Identity, and more made me remember how a room full of BBGs is a room full of energy, whether we are doing cheers or not. After spirit circles, my roommates and I went to bed happy, grateful for the night we had, and even more excited for the next day!

☀️ ️ Saturday Morning + Afternoon: 

• The “mindfulness and music” themed Shabbat station was a nice, calm service where we all listened to music and shared with small groups how it made us feel, and what it reminded us of. I strongly believe that Shabbat is all about reflecting. Reflecting on the week, month, or even year gone by, this activity did just that, except with music! 
• The next highlight of the day for me was the talent show. Our chapter’s theme was Dunkin' Donuts, and we did a prepared dance to a bunch of songs. It was super fun and something I was very much looking forward to. I also loved watching other chapters' performances, whether they made me laugh or what to sing along with them! We ended up getting 2nd place, and having worked on the dance for a while, our chapter was over the moon happy. 
• The last highlight of the afternoon for me was Chofesh. I spent most of the time playing cards with a camp friend I hadn't seen in a while, and that made me REALLY miss camp. Catching up with friends who live in a different chapter or council is always a blast.

🌙 Saturday Night: 

• Something that I had been looking forward to since I signed up for RC was Havdalah. Everyone always loves this part of RC, as it doesn’t really feel like you're in a room with strangers anymore, but a room full of family. It might sound cheesy, but it’s true. Screaming music we all know and love at the top of our lungs has proven to instantly make us connected. It’s genuinely so moving to watch 500 teens come together to be present in the moment, as they say goodbye to Shabbat and soon RC. 
• During Shuk, My friends and I sprinted to the Shuk stands like it was a marathon. Once Shuk opened, I got merch from chapters in the DC council, Baltimore Council, and NoVA council! 
• Next highlight was the‍ one of the most hype parts of RC. You can dance, get shuk, lounge, or just talk and meet new people, and since it was my first time at RC, I was motivated to do all three!  As I said goodbye to that part of my night, I went to bed reflecting on the weekend gone by. It was crazy, I only had half of a day left! But I knew I would live in the moment until the very last second. 

🫶 Sunday (Last day): 

• My sightseeing station was “animals,” where we visited a zoo!  It was so cool seeing tigers, elephants, monkeys, and so much more with friends! We got SO many pictures! 
• Spirit Gravel winners were announced, and my chapter won! It was definitely a moment to remember.  
• Before I knew it, we were back on the bus headed to lunch and then back on ANOTHER bus! But this time…our destination was home :(. 

These are only a few of the amazing highlights I experienced during RC ‘26! I loved getting to experience the magic of RC and meet tons of new people from all over my region. The energy throughout the weekend was so positive, programming was amazing, and overall, it was truly a weekend to remember. Next stop, RC ‘27!!