AZA & BBG; we made it to The White House, and we’re just getting started. At such a historical building - a symbol of hope, perseverance, good, and unity – BBYO had a seat at the table. The best part for me, however, was hearing the President of the United States of America pledge to continue fighting Antisemitism wherever it may reside.

This world can be terrifying, especially for us as teens. As I’ve had the pleasure to meet teens from all over the world this past year, they’ve been dealing with a lot. Yet, seeing BBYO at The White House, teens have told me how inspirational it is that their movement is making change.

As I listened to Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond sing a couple songs from the new hit Broadway play; Parade, and heard remarks from The President & Second Gentleman, the part that struck me the most was The President talking about how his children’s and grandchildren’s first International Trip is to Dachau concentration camp when they turn become a teenager. They learn the story of hate and prejudice from a young age, the first example being the Holocaust. To hear that The President values Holocaust education dearly gives me hope that things will change.

Hate still exists in our communities and around the world, but we stand united with The White House and leaders around the world to rid the world of hate and prejudice. BBYO is in this fight, and I couldn’t be prouder of the work we’re doing. From Zikaron BaSalon experiences to hear 1st hand what happened during the Holocaust so we #NeverForget, the Rise Up Task Force working on plans of action, connecting Jewish teens with Israel and allowing them to foster their own relationship with it, and so much more; BBYO is working day and night to secure a safe, hate-free future for Jewish people anywhere & everywhere.

On a personal note, the tie I wore was gifted to me at the funeral of Zoly Zamir (I called him Uncle Zoly), a Holocaust survivor I met when I was just 10 years old whom I became close friends with. I “twined” my B’nai Mitzvah with him as he was stripped of the opportunity to have a B’nai Mitzvah when he was a young child growing up, and to help him fulfill that mitzvah was a great honor. He advocated for Holocaust education and to change people’s minds through conversation and dialogue. His tie, his story, his memories, and his legacy made it to The White House.

Below is a full walkthrough of my adventures through The White House! I took a lot of photos, so feel free to look through them!

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‍Military band playing Hava Nagila at The White House following the event, Levi Fox