By Zack Tabachnikoff Purim is loud. It’ s colorful, silly, and unapologetically joyful. We wear costumes that don’ t always make sense, spin these loud groggers at just the right moment, and celebrate a story that reminds us that survival, although often taken for granted, can be an act of courage. But Purim is also something deeper. It insists on happiness even when the world feels uncertain, even when being joyful feels like the hardest choice.

For Jewish teens today, uncertainty is unfortunately a familiar feeling. Between academic pressure, social expectations, global events, extra curriculars, and the constant flooding of content on social media, it can feel like there’ s little space to simply be happy, connected, and present.

Joy can start to feel like something we can just earn later – when things calm down or life gets easier. Purim pushes against that narrative. It tells us that joy is not a reward, but rather, it is a responsibility.

That message matters deeply for teens. Joy is not just about laughter or fun; it’ s about finally feeling a sense of belonging. It’ s about feeling seen, supported, and cared for within a community. The moments that stay with us are rarely the perfect ones; they’ re the ones where we felt safe enough to be ourselves. A late-night conversation at a convention in a room full of people who understand your references, your values, and your identity without explanation.

In BBYO, joy is cultivated intentionally. It shows up in

the way programs are designed to bring people together rather than isolate them, and in the way teens are trusted to lead, create, and take ownership of their own chapter. Joy looks like regular Tuesday meetings that turn into inside jokes, gatherings that feel overwhelming in the best ways possible, and friendships that reveal themselves not just in the big moments, but in the everyday ones, too.

Importantly, this joy is not detached from reality. BBYO doesn’ t ask teens to ignore the world around them. Instead, it gives them a space to process it together, safely. There is something powerful about being in a Jewish environment where celebration and seriousness coexist. Where you can dance and laugh one minute and have a tough conversation about Israel or what is troubling you the next. That balance reflects Purim itself: a holiday that is fun on the surface( as it is projected to the outside world) but rooted in resilience.

Purim reminds us that joy can be an act of defiance. Choosing to celebrate, to gather, and to build community is a way of saying that our identities and connections matter, especially in challenging times. For Jewish teens, having access to spaces that nurture that kind of joy can

shape not only how they experience Judaism now but also how they carry it into adulthood.

When we put away the costumes until next year and stop spinning the groggers, the lesson of Purim lingers. Joy is not accidental; it is created by people who show up for one another, who make room for celebration, and who believe that community

is worth investing in. BBYO continues to be one of those places – where Jewish teens don’ t just learn about joy but live it together.

To learn more about BBYO, please contact Zachary Tabachnikoff at ztabachnikoff @ bbyo. org.

We share the names and stories of community members whose memories remain a blessing.

Sam Levy 8-16-1939 1-2-2026

Steven Helman 3-18-1960 1-17-2026

Estelle Rosen 11-27-1925 1-14-2026

Roberta Rothstein 4-10-1940 1-15-2026

Marlyn Burns 4-5-1951 12-30-2025

Arthur Greenberg 11-18-1942 1-24-2026

Elaine Dobbs 11-6-1943 1-28-2026

Regina Goldenberg 9-17-1942 1-24-2026