It feels like only a couple of months ago when AZA’s 101st Grand Aleph Godol, Logan Reich, sat me down on my cabin porch at Camp Judaea last summer and taught me the ways of AZA and BBYO. At first, I was hesitant, but little did I know that the next couple of months would be some of the most memorable ones I have experienced. 

Fast forward to January, I attended my first Shield AZA program after Jake Goldsmith, a co-reviver of Shield AZA, pitched it to me at one of our golf tournaments. Again, I was hesitant, but at the same time ignorant. I remember Jake and Cash Kantor put us in a circle and began to chant “No man is an island.” That's when it hit me, BBYO isn't just an everyday hangout, it’s a brotherhood. That same night, Logan texted me to tell me he would be down in Miami for Spring Kickoff, so I went not as a member but as a prospect, just trying to find my path. Jake introduced me to Miami Region’s 22nd Regional Aleph Godol Jacob Zide, whom I had heard of before but was not familiar with at the time. We all drove together to the ice skating rink, and seeing the looks on people's faces when they saw Logan made me more passionate than I ever thought I would. 

A month later, Jake asks me if I want to help create a color war Shabbat for Shield AZA and Babka BBG (our biggest event of the year). I ended up helping to plan the Shabbat and also bringing over 35 of my own friends, whom I believed could have a future in BBYO. That night I decided that I was going to caucus for Shield AZA’s 1st official Godol. My one advantage over the other candidates was that I had Logan, I had someone who taught me about the blue book, someone who taught me about the 14 Jewish boys in Omaha, Nebraska, and I had a mentor. On election day, I was nervous as ever going up against two juniors who had been in Shield significantly longer than I have. Hearing my name called after being elected was almost like a fever dream, and it was just the start of my BBYO journey. Since we held elections in the middle of the Spring Term, we were not able to attend PTP (power to the program) to calendar for the upcoming term. To be honest, we started off as a mess, and most of the board being AITss did not help at all. Every week was a struggle to plan and execute programs until I decided we needed to have an in-person board meeting. I stressed to the chapter that this was a mandatory meeting, but our attendance wasn't as good as it should have been. Throughout the next couple of weeks, Shield AZA’s attendance grew from roughly 12 members to 23, most registering after the Color War Shabbat.

After that, I decided to sign up for SRC. At first, I had no clue what to expect; I barely knew the people in my own region, let alone Gold Coast’s traditions. So, Jake picked me up on the day of SRC, and honestly, I was excited but at the same time scared. I didn't know what would happen, how people would look at me because I didn’t really know anything. We got on the bus, and we settled in fast. I began getting to know people and making connections. When we got to the convention, seeing all the members of my region run to their friends first made me feel a little left out, but then it made me want to be as involved as they were. We go to our rooms, and we receive our nametags. This meant something to me, as it was officially my first convention. We change for Shabbat and go straight to dinner, we eat, and then go to services. At services, I knew some of the prayers because of my camp, but didn't know the BBYO renditions. After services we went directly to separates. Chanting “never too many, never too strong” outside of the separates room and then starting the AZA heartbeat was one of the most chilling experiences I have ever been through in my life. Seeing everyone come together as one brotherhood sparked something in me. I told myself I want to be more than just a Chapter Godol, I want to do more than just me, I want to make an impact on the entire order. On Sunday morning, my region and I attended Gold Coast’s elections for their 23rd regional board, although we could not vote, it was still a learning experience. Seeing Charlie Kreger win Moreh as a Freshman made me realize anything is possible.

Roughly a month later, I attended Miami Region's 23rd Regional election. Godol and S’gan were elected, and then came moreh. Jacob Zide asked all caucus members to stand. After no one stood, he asked for nominations. Jake Goldsmith, the person who brought me into Shield, raised his hand and said, “I nominate Aleph Samy Gordon.” I accepted the nomination, and next thing I knew, I was Miami Region's 23rd regional Moreh. This feeling was surreal, taking board pictures and hugging my new counterpart, Dani Schwartz. So if you ask me if I would change anything? No, I would not because everyone's story is unique, and it’s your own path. So, I say go run for the position and take advantage of every opportunity you have because one day it may help you find your true self.