SAVE THE DATE!
BBYO International Convention
February 12-16, 2009
in New Jersey
Registration opens
October 30, 2008!

Click here to check out BBYO' new Passport programs for summer ’08, now offering a variety of trips to Europe and Central America, too!

Click here to learn more about BBYO' renowned summer leadership, community service and career development programs!

Is there a teen in your life who you want to be impacted by BBYO? Visit bbyo.org/giftofmembership to sign up a teen for a 4-year experience that will shape his or her life

Interested in learning more about BBYO? Reviving old BBYO memories? Sharing the magic of BBYO with family, friends and community members? You are just a short click away. Watch BBYO' video on YouTube now!

Click here to make your contribution and help secure the Jewish future.

Click here to join an AZA or BBG chapter in your area.

Click here to learn more about Teen Connection, BBYO' program for pre-highschoolers.

Click here to reconnect with BBYO Alumni around the world.

IN THIS ISSUE

BBYO, INC. NEWS
New Alumni Study Shows Lasting Impact of BBYO
BBYO's Professional Development Institute Extended to Two More Graduate School Cohorts!
Election Day is Almost Here—Give your 2 Cents Today!
BBYO Expands its Summer Travel Portfolio
Interested in Staffing a 2009 Summer Experience?
Letter from the Chairman of the Board
BBYO is Hiring!

ALUMNI NEWS
Where Young Lives Take Shape: Sharon Rikin
BBYO Alumni Book Now Available!
CBS Movie to Depict Life of BBYO Alumnus
Upcoming Friends & Alumni Events

BBYO IN THE NEWS

New Alumni Study Shows Lasting Impact of BBYO

A new survey released this month reveals that BBYO has a significantly positive impact on classic indicators of Jewish connection—attitudes, behaviors, and relationships—and in fact, BBYO alumni value Jewish connection at a much higher rate than do Jews in the general population (as measured by the United Jewish Communities National Jewish Population Survey 2000-01).
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BBYO's Professional Development Institute Extended to Two More Graduate School Cohorts!

BBYO is pleased to announce that its Professional Development Institute (PDI) has received funding from the Jim Joseph Foundation for two more cohorts of graduate school students. PDI provides a cadre of BBYO professionals an opportunity to earn fully-funded Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degrees from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and Certificates in Informal Jewish Education from Hebrew College in Boston.
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Election Day is Almost Here–Give your 2 Cents Today!

As Election Day quickly approaches, My2CentsForChange.org is encouraging teens to give their 2 cents! It' not too late to have your voice heard on the issues that matter to you the most! Visit My2CentsForChange.org today!

BBYO Expands its Summer Travel Portfolio–think Israel, South Africa, Costa Rica and Greece!

In line with reports that teens today are bitten by the "travel bug" more than ever before (Associated Press – Younger Teens Taking More Exotic Trips – March 2008), BBYO has expanded its travel division to incorporate even more destinations for Jewish teens to travel in a safe, group environment. The new program is called Passport to the World (Passport) and grew out of BBYO' success with its Passport to Israel (P2I) program. 

Passport offers teenagers a wide array of opportunities to explore the world through a Jewish lens in places such as South Africa, Spain, France, Austria, Holland, Italy, Greece, Panama, Costa Rica and, of course, Israel. With multiple departure dates throughout the summer and opportunities to mix and match different trips, Passport' menu can be uniquely customized to meet each individual' interests.
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Interested in Staffing a 2009 Summer Experience?

We’re already looking forward to Summer 2009, and we have a number of exciting opportunities that will allow you to stay connected, build your resume, make money and make a difference in the lives of our teens! Staffing opportunities for both domestic and international programs are available.

We offer a wide range of staffing opportunities, from entry-level administrative positions to professional-level specialist positions. The dates of our summer programs offer a great deal of scheduling flexibility, with some programs that run for just 10 days, and others that last an entire summer!

If you are interested in staffing a BBYO domestic summer program or would like more information, please contact Josh Langer at jlanger@bbyo.org or 202-857-6694. If you are interested in staffing a Passport to the World summer travel program, please click here to fill out the staff application.

Letter from the Chairman of the Board

I write this just after the completion of the Ten Days of Repentance.  At the same time, global stock markets are in disarray and the presidential election is at full throttle.  My wish to all is that, in spite of this difficult start to the Jewish year, this New Year is filled with health, happiness and prosperity.

With that as background I move to a subject near and dear to my heart – the future of our Jewish Community.
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BBYO is Hiring!

BBYO is looking for talented, hard-working and creative professionals to join our team across the country. Please see below for current vacancies within the organization.  Visit our website at www.bbyo.org/careers for more detailed descriptions and to apply! For questions regarding working with BBYO, please contact Rebecca Rottenberg, Human Resources Coordinator, at rrottenberg@bbyo.org.

Program Associate: Michigan Region

Alumni News

Where Young Lives Take Shape: Sharon Rikin

Sharon Rikin always knew that she wanted to work helping people, yet it was her BBYO experience that shaped the way she looks at life and how she approaches the world each day. As a medical student at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Rikin has committed herself to promoting Global Health Awareness in multiple arenas. As President of the Global Health Organization at her college, as well as the Chair of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), Rikin took the initiative to develop the Global Health Fair–a full day of Global Health programming dedicated to bringing together physicians to facilitate workshops and lectures, and to providing information for travel abroad.
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BBYO Alumni Book Now Available!

BBYO FANs (Friends & Alumni Networks) are hosting events all across the country! Stay up to date with BBYO news, information and announcements with the 2008 BBYO Friends & Alumni Book, The Newsletter for AZA & BBG Alumni & Friends of BBYO. 

Read a letter from the Friends & Alumni Network Chair, peruse the Class Notes, and check out this year' Alumni of the Year Award Recipients.  To read these articles and more, click here. If you would like a free hard copy of the BBYO Friends & Alumni Book, please e-mail Lander Gold at lgold@bbyo.org with your name and address and we’ll send you one right away.

Click here to read an article featuring Cleveland' FAN!

CBS Movie to Depict Life of BBYO Alumnus

Not everyone can have a movie made about their life, but for BBYO alumnus, Brad Cohen, this is his reality.  Cohen' story will be featured in a "Hallmark Hall of Fame" movie entitled, "Front of the Class," depicting his struggles and triumphs as he deals with Tourette Syndrome throughout his life.
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Upcoming Friends & Alumni Events: NYC, Chicago

NYC Friends & Alumni Network Happy Hour!
As the nights get colder, let' get warmer with memories from the good old convention days!  Come out to The Ginger Man (11 East 36th Street between 5th Ave & Madison Ave) on November 6 from 6:00-10:00pm and join your old friends for cocktails and snacks.  Use this opportunity to see old friends, make new ones, network and learn about how you can be involved with BBYO again! For more information or to RSVP, email Amarcus@bbyo.org and visit the Facebook page: BBYO FRIENDS AND ALUMNI HAPPY HOUR (NEW YORK AREA).

Chicago BBYO Thanksgiving Reunion!
Please join us the evening of Saturday, November 29 for the Chicago area BBYO Alumni Reunion! Let' get together to schmooze, network and reconnect with old and new BBYO friends at the Fox & Hound (910 W Dundee Road) in Arlington Heights. A room has been reserved for us starting at 9pm, and pool tables and darts will be available.  For more information and to RSVP, email Oksana at oksanadillon2000@att.net. 

BBYO' summer program for emerging entrepreneurs, Project NYC, was featured in Manhattan' Edition of the New York Jewish Week, and included remarks from participants Dani Stahler, Aaron Berkovich, Marc Phillips and Richard Kessler (August 29, 2008).

The Philadelphia Jewish Exponent reported that BBYO teens will join other volunteers to cook 200 meals with the Cook for a Friend Program.  Some of BBYO' volunteers will include Paige Glassman, Ilana McLean and Evan Huckfeldt from the Philadelphia Region (October 8, 2008).

BBYO' DC Council Moreh, Max Heller, has been selected as the City of Potomac, Maryland' Youth of the Year as featured in the Potomac Almanac (October 8, 2008). To read about Max' honor, please click here.

READ MORE BBYO IN THE NEWS

Letter from the Chairman of the Board (Continued)

By many measures, North American Jewry has been changing.  Whether it is the number of our children who intermarry, the number of families that join synagogues, the number of young Jews who consider Israel important in their life or a host of other measures, Jewish connection to our people has been decreasing.  If you believe, as I do, that being Jewish and connecting to the Jewish Community has value, you should be delighted to know that there is one organization that has been defying these odds.  Of course, I am talking about BBYO.

There has been much discussion about the value of synagogue membership, of congregational Jewish education, of Jewish Day School education, of Jewish camps and trips to Israel.  All of these play an important role.  Yet, overlooked by too many is the value of Jewish youth groups.  That' why we commissioned TRU, an independent research firm specializing in "tweens, teens and twenty-somethings" to look into this. More than 1,300 alumni responded, and what they had to say was incredible.  Some highlights of this BBYO survey (compared with results of the National Jewish Population Survey 2000-01):

• Regard Being Jewish as Very Important – 92% (vs. 52%)
• Feel Emotionally Attached to Israel – 80% (vs. 63%)
• Half or more of closest friends are Jewish – 76% (vs. 52%)

How can this be so? 

• BBYO is experiential – it is not a teacher standing in front of a classroom.
• BBYO is fun – consisting of social experiences
• BBYO develops the Jewish soul – nurturing a life-long connection to Judaism
• BBYO youth are diverse - brings together teens from differing backgrounds and differing levels of Jewish affiliation
• BBYO trains leaders – Jewish leaders
• BBYO summer programs are diverse – including trips to Israel and career-oriented experiences

How do we know this?

• BBYO involvement has doubled in the last six years
• BBYO has attracted top Jewish professionals
• BBYO has developed cutting edge programs for teens and for its professional staff
• The TRU survey results show
• BBYO has been among the most meaningful, positively impactful experiences to Jewish alumni (86% agree); 34% say it has been the most meaningful (more than any other choice!)
• BBYO alumni describe it as social (96%), fun (93%), a valuable experience (86%) and something they looked forward to (86%).

I encourage you to support BBYO. 

Again, best wishes for a wonderful year.

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Where Young Lives Take Shape: Sharon Rikin (Continued)

"I wouldn’t have had the thought to plan the Global Health Fair if it wasn’t for my experiences at BBYO," said Rikin.

Rikin credits her innovation, organization and her abilities to collaborate and "jump in with both feet" to her time spent in BBYO. Hailing from the North Texas Region in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Rikin was a member of BBYO from 1999-2003.  She was Chapter and Regional Shlicha—the Vice President of Community Service, Social Action and Jewish Heritage.  A favorite BBYO memory that stands out for Rikin was her time spent at Kallah in the summer of 2001. "Meeting friends from all over the world made me think big," she said, giving her a boost towards thinking globally and making a difference in the lives of others.  And making a difference is just what she set out to do. After traveling to India to do her Honors Thesis in Medical Anthropology and Global Health, Rikin solidified her passion for her work and is pursuing this passion every day. 

Rikin advises all BBYO members to "always keep the BBYO experience in the back of your mind; always keep learning and stay in touch with the people who have shaped your life."

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BBYO is the leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement aspiring to involve more Jewish teens in more meaningful Jewish experiences. For more than 80 years, AZA and BBG chapters in communities around the world have been providing exceptional leadership programs and identity enrichment experiences, shaping the lives of 250,000 alumni who are among the most prominent figures in business, politics, academia, the arts and Jewish communal life. Now, more than ever, BBYO offers unique opportunities for teens to connect with one another, serve their communities, navigate the college admissions process and travel the world, providing each participant with a network of lifelong friends, a perspective which adds value and meaning to life and a shared commitment to strengthening the Jewish future.