Dear Parents,

In my opinion, this is the most exciting time of the year at BBYO—summer registration opening season! I think I’ve got the perspective to prove it, since I’ve been with BBYO for 32 years and I LOVE my job. As the head of our Customer Service team, I’m so grateful that each day is different for me, and I get so excited to see what teens and parents I get to talk to about the organization I love so much.

One new thing that’s letting me connect with more families than ever before is our expanded schedule of Summer Information Sessions. These calls are the best way for families like yours to connect with our team to hear first-hand about our experiences, and to learn more about the things that are most important to you, like health and wellness, travel details, and what a typical day looks like on any given program.

So why do I love this season so much? It’s the perfect time when I get to hear about all the great experiences our teens had the previous summer and all the excitement they are feeling over the coming one. Summer 2022 was such a happy time, with teens reuniting with friends and enjoying fun experiences together, and Summer 2023 is going to be even better. SAVE THE DATE for November 3 when early bird registration for all experiences will be open and our one-day-only deals will be live for our camp and leadership programs. A $250 deposit is all you need to hold your teen’s spot and lock in these discounts, and it’s fully refundable through February 28, 2023.

I hope you’ll join me on a call so I can help you find your teen’s perfect summer, and don’t forget to mark your calendar for November 3 to sign up for their best summer ever!

Sabrina Moore
Senior Manager, Customer Service

BBYO International Convention (IC) 2023 | We’re saddling up for the largest gathering of Jewish teens this February in Dallas, Texas. IC will unite teen members from all around the world to celebrate the strength of our Movement. Teens will engage in meaningful programs, hear from inspiring guests, speakers, and performers, bond with friends from across the Order, and help strengthen the Jewish future. To date, over 3,000 teens have signed up for our biggest event of the year. Visit the IC website to learn more about this historic event!

Applying to College? | Each year our CEO, Matthew Grossman, sends a letter to over 120 college admissions officers across the US and Canada. This letter aspects of the BBYO high school experience that carry over into a successful college career. Read this year’s letter here.

Convention Season is Back | All around the Order, communities are hosting incredible conventions this fall. Lake Ontario Region just hosted their first ever “Invitational Convention,” which united them with four other Canadian communities. They experienced Niagara Falls, the Niagara SkyWheel, and Niagara Speedway, along with other convention classics like Shabbat Shira and their annual Chapter Showcase. Visit our BBYO Near You page to find local events and be on the lookout for info coming your way from your regional staff.

Welcome to our newest section of Parent Pulse, BBYO Around the Globe. Our Movement spans 60+ countries, and each issue we’ll bring you a highlight from one of our global communities. To kick things off, we invite you to get to know BBYO Argentina!

Argentina is thrilled to celebrate ten years of success as a BBYO region, having embraced hundreds of teens and their families into the global BBYO Movement over the past decade. In 2011, BBYO expanded its reach to Argentina with activities, programs, and daily operations in Buenos Aires through an initial partnership with local community organization Hebraica, and today BBYO reaches approximately 2,000 teens across more than 16 chapters throughout Latin America—and continues to grow!

Home to five chapters in the greater Buenos Aires area, and with more on the way in the capital region as well as throughout the country, BBYO Argentina has had a tremendous impact on the community offering meaningful experiences, Jewish enrichment, and lifelong friends to both affiliated and unaffiliated Jewish families alike. The region is thrilled to be led by teen leaders who are the backbone of creating programs and making decisions for the future of BBYO Argentina. When teens join committees, are elected to chapter and regional boards, and take part in interest groups, they influence the direction of the region and shape the programs that are important and relevant to them. With accessible, fun, and meaningful events driving us, BBYO is thriving in this important, large, and spirited Jewish community.

To commemorate a decade of excellence, BBYO Argentina will host a celebration event in November where members, community partners, and alumni will gather together for an evening of dancing, music, food, games, arts, and so much more at one of Buenos Aires’ most iconic places, the Recoleta Cultural Center. This event will kick off a series of tenth anniversary celebrations throughout the year.

As BBYO’s professional leadership in Latin America, we look forward to celebrating these ten years while setting our sights on an even bolder next decade that will be filled with Movement milestones and further strengthen the future of Latin American Jewry. To stay up to date on all things BBYO Argentina, follow us at @bbyoarg and be sure to reach out to LATAM@bbyo.org if you are interested in learning more.

Here’s to an incredible first decade of BBYO Argentina; we already can’t wait for the 20th!

Jessica Rozenbaum
Director, BBYO Latin America
Global Movement

Daniela Rabinovich
Director, Chapter Development Latin America
Global Movement

In this edition of Trending Now, we’re sharing updates on what the most popular brands are among 13 to 39-year-olds, how an unsettled economy and job market are affecting Gen Z’s life plans, and the strategy behind where shopping directives are placed on social media ads targeting young consumers.

Brands on Top | When asked recently what their favorite brands are, 13 to 39-year-olds’ unprompted answers make these the top brands they name as their favorite: Apple, Nike, Samsung, Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube. These brands are often related to things they use daily, such as smartphones, media, and clothing, and not surprisingly, quality is one of the top factors driving brand affinity. Interestingly, price is not the top contender for what makes a brand their favorite; while research indicates that price is a big driver of young consumers’ purchasing decisions, when it comes to affinity and loyalty there are different factors influencing their views.

Rewriting Family Plans | An unsettled economy and confusing job market could be affecting Gen Z’s expectations of getting married, having kids, or even adopting a pet. According to Goldman Sachs’ global internship survey of more than two thousand interns over the summer, 86% of Gen Z think a recession is coming, and many are reconsidering big life milestones. In 2021, 88% of interns said they expected to get married or be in a formal relationship in the next 10 years. Among the class of 2022, that expectation plunged to 45%. Meanwhile, 57% believed they’d have children in the next decade, but by the class of 2022, those expectations dropped to just 25% expecting to become parents.

Social Shopping | Many young consumers make their shopping decisions based on social media feeds, often linked to recommendations that influencers make. But, while some of this content is limited to a link in bio or a thread of comments with product names, content that comes with integrated product details and the ability to purchase directly from the post appeal to young consumers the most. 83% of Gen Z and millennial shoppers agree that if brands are posting a social media ad, there should be a direct link to purchase. Placing shopping directives correctly in posts is going to be the way forward.

Global Shabbat 2023 | This December 9 & 10, join us as we connect across 60+ countries to celebrate Global Shabbat—BBYO’s biggest annual Shabbat experience. Holocaust survivors, business professionals, faith leaders, cross-cultural activists, politicians, and entrepreneurs will join with Alephs and BBGs to share inspiring stories and take part in meaningful, teen-led experiences around the theme of Everyone, Everywhere. Visit bbyo.org/globalshabbat to learn more and find an event near you.

Summer 2023 Early Bird Registration | With travel experiences to over a dozen countries, the return of $3,000 RootOne vouchers for Israel experiences, and one-day-only SUPER deals for our signature camp & leadership experiences, now is the best time to lock in our lowest prices of the year. Join one of our upcoming Information Sessions to connect directly with our team to learn more, or visit our website to see the full schedule and registration options.

Giving BBYO Day 2023 | On November 29, our worldwide supporters will come together for #GivingBBYODay. As a part of Giving Tuesday, we expect to raise over $465,000 to support our local BBYO communities around the world. You can get involved in this exciting day by becoming a #GivingBBYODay Ambassador—learn more at bbyo.org/givingbbyoday!

Greetings, parents! We are Levi Fox and Avi Gorodetski, and we’re super excited to be serving as this year's BBYO International Presidents. We’ve both pushed off a year of college following high school to serve in these roles. One of our most important jobs is to visit communities all across the world, both virtually and in person—we’re on the road all year round seeing all of YOUR teens. During our visits, we meet with teens and leaders, run programs, and most importantly, work to ensure these communities have strong plans for a healthy year of welcoming more teens to our Movement, inviting those looking for meaningful experiences to IC and BBYO Summer, and collaborating on our bright future ahead.

So far this year, we’ve spent time in Michigan, New York, Georgia, California, and Colorado; met virtually with teens from Cincinnati to Japan; and connected with BBYO’s Board of Directors over Zoom. It feels like we’ve met so much of the Movement already, and still have tons coming up. For example, we’ll be heading to Europe next month to train and learn alongside hundreds of teen leaders from across the continent at European Leadership Training Institute. If your teen wants to see us in their community, have them reach out to Levi (Godol@bbyo.org) and Avi (Nsiah@bbyo.org) or fill out the presidential visit request form here. We look forward to meeting soon in a community near you!

Have a fantastic rest of your new year and, as always, we remain,

Levi Fox and Avi Gorodetski
98th Grand Aleph Godol | 78 Anita M. Perlman International N’siah