Dear Youth Group,

With five years living my life side by side with my youth group, so involved it became my world, I'm glad I had the opportunities and I'm also glad I'm done.

I want to say thank you for changing. My youth group experience was like fire growing, and ignited with desire, it lived inside me and made me want to go to temple almost every day.

As I finished my senior year as President I remember being anxious that when I left the flame would go out. Our world is sadly turning away a need for religion and I thought no one would be passionate enough nor want to be there.

Yet, one of the amazing things about Judaism is the light never goes out. As the next board was slated the light was passed on to new people with fresh ideas and personalities wanting to leave their mark. The youth group changed and grew to fit the new population of Jewish High Schoolers.

This week I had the opportunity to travel back to St. Louis, for Yom Kippur (Jewish Holiday of atonement) and went to the service I've helped plan and run for 4 years, but this time, I was in the audience, watching my successors engage the congregation in prayer.

Tears of happiness streamed down my face as I sat in solitude in the pew. (I suppose that could have been the fact of not eating for 24 hours but I'm pretty sure it was this)

Then, I always thought that the youth group needed me, but now I know that I needed it.

My youth group was my gardener that nurtured me into who I am today. I was given opportunities of travel, experiences, friendships, and leadership skills. I needed to be there and now it doesn't need me anymore, and that's okay.

My tears this week were warm. They were elated to see a community keep going and grateful to have been apart of it. Sadly, they were also filled with grief, pain, and woe.

Leaving youth group I was ready and excited to go to college. But I miss youth group, I miss the jokes, the community, and the compassion. (Don't get me wrong I love Bradley University and it's where I'm meant to be).

Yet, I still feel the tears come on, mixed with warm and cold like a Yin and Yang, when I traveled to my old home at Shaare Emeth and saw the new youth group where I was no longer needed.

Shaare Emeth you have made me the person I am today from preschool to college and my gratitude kvelles (Overflows) in my heart of thanks. Thank you for being there for me, SETYG (Shaare Emeth Temple Youth Group) keep growing, keep changing, keep living in the present, and you'll ignite another light.

Love,

Sarah Goldblum