By Masa Israel participant Jordana Gilman

 

I had no expectations for my first BFL conference, and I was having an awful day when I first arrived to the Ganei Moriah Hotel in Jerusalem half an hour late after four hours of traveling. Things quickly turned around for me, and I was welcomed into the BFL community like a long lost friend. The long weekend transformed my mood and challenged me in so many ways.

 

The Masa leadership program was unique. The tours of Jerusalem were the same famous places but new and interesting stories and facts. The workshops still asked us to practice public speaking and explore our own identities, but everything was done in such a creative way, it all felt new. I especially appreciated this “new” aspect of the conference because I have been to other leadership seminars before and I was expecting more of...