On Saturday, November 8, 4Front, BBYO, and our community partners welcomed more than 50 local teens to the We Will Dance Again Teen Rave—a night filled with Jewish pride, unity, and kehillah. The event honored the vibrant spirit of the NOVA festival, the enduring light of those we hold in our hearts, and the joy of celebrating the return of all living hostages while holding hope for a more peaceful future. In a moment as complex and challenging as today, it was incredibly meaningful to create a space where teens could celebrate being Jewish, feel proud, and experience true belonging. Here are a few highlights from the night:

We were grateful to collaborate with several incredible organizations, including StandWithUs, Beth Israel, Beth El, HaZamir, the Baltimore Israel Coalition, and the Baltimore Shinshinim through Jewish Educational Services. A dedicated group of teens—along with all six of Baltimore’s Shinshinim—helped curate the evening, striking the perfect balance between meaningful and fun. Together, we kept the energy uplifting and hopeful while still creating intentional opportunities for reflection and remembrance.

The Baltimore Shinshinim—Yagel, Tamar, Lia, Gal, Nogah, and Talya—played a central role in shaping the event’s reflective moments. They designed a powerful table display featuring stories and artwork from October 7 survivors. Their theme of “healing through art” echoed throughout the night, from the music and dancing to survivor-created artwork featured around the room. A memorial rock garden invited teens to create their own pieces of art and reflection.

A bracelet-making station offered a creative break from the dance floor, where teens crafted bracelets with words like “strength,” “resilience,” and “hope.” It also became a welcoming space for teens to connect with staff and with one another in a more personal way.

And of course—what’s a rave without DJs? Our DJs, Jake Netzer, a junior at Jemicy School, and DJ Ice (Jonah Berson), a Towson University sophomore and BBYO DC Council alum, brought nonstop energy to the room. Their mix of Israeli and American music kept teens on the dance floor!

One of our favorite elements of the evening was the post-it wall, where teens wrote messages of hope, connection, and remembrance. Seeing the wall at the end of the night was a powerful reminder of our community’s strength and the hope our teens carry forward.

Overall, it was a beautiful evening of joy, connection, and Jewish pride. While the pain of October 7th remains with us, we continue to find light and purpose in celebrating Jewish life—living brightly and loudly, especially for those who no longer can. And above all, we must keep dancing.

Finally, I’d like to share words written by the Baltimore Shinshinim for the We Will Dance Again Rave moment of silence:

“Tonight, we dance.

We dance because music connects us — across places, across hearts, across pain.

We dance because rhythm is life.

But tonight, in the middle of the music, we stop —

to breathe, to feel, to remember.

Not long ago, on a morning filled with light,

thousands of young souls gathered at the Nova Festival.

They came for the simplest reason —

to be free, to laugh, to celebrate love and friendship,

to dance from night into sunrise.

They didn’t come for politics or war.

They came for joy. For life.

And in one terrible instant, that joy was stolen.

The sound of laughter was replaced by sirens.

The music stopped.

People were scared.

Many were hurt, and many died.

Some were taken away.

Soldiers came to help —

and some of them died, too.

They all just wanted to dance.

To feel the beat of life — not the noise of hate.

So tonight, we dance for them, because they no longer can.

We dance for their laughter, their dreams, their courage.

We dance for the hostages who never returned,

and for the soldiers who fell protecting others.

We dance because the world still needs beauty, and love, and hope.

As we pause now for one minute of silence — let’s breathe together.

Let’s feel their presence beside us,

their music still echoing through time.

And when the music returns, let it rise for them.

Let every movement, every smile, every heartbeat

carry their light forward.

Because they were dancing for life —

and now, through us, their dance continues.

So tonight, we dance —

for love, for freedom, for life.”