November 2017

On The Road-November 2017

A Look Back at August Executives Conference

This past August, the AZA and BBG teen executive body came together in Pennsylvania to enhance our skills for leading our Movement during August Executives Conference (Execs). It was a meaningful occasion and historic moment, with international delegates and global staff joining us for the first time, representing 21 countries from around the world. During Execs, BBYO teen leaders took a stand in response to the renewed uprising of hate, bigotry, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism seen around the world. The Executive Body drafted and passed a resolution confirming BBYO’s immovable stance that hatred towards any people will not be tolerated by our Movement. As teen leaders, we are demonstrating the value we see in ensuring that victims of hate and injustice know we are on their side and willing to stand with them regardless of their culture, religion, or ethnicity.

Want to learn more about what took place at August Execs? Check out our recap.

Summer on Ambassadors to Bulgaria

As International Presidents traveling to meet our peers around the globe, one of my favorite moments is Shabbat. Shabbat connects our entire Order, from Baltimore to Bulgaria, and everywhere in between. Learning and experiencing how different communities celebrate Shabbat has become one of my favorite parts of visiting these communities. Over the summer, I traveled as part of Ambassadors to Bulgaria and was awestruck walking into the synagogue in Sofia with its high, arched roof, golden chandelier and menorah, and colorful and detailed archways, alongside 50 of my peers from nine countries across the Order. We spent Shabbat with the Bulgarian Jewish community; we davened, laughed, danced, and sang late into the night; we shared stories of what our personal Jewish world is like and bonded over our shared vision of a flourishing Jewish future. Through this incredible experience, we learned what it means to be a global ambassador and make a commitment to learn from our diverse Jewish community.

Learn more about the Ambassadors to Bulgaria program I went on, and the BBYO Summer Experiences that 2,000+ teens attended this past summer.

A Game-Changing Stand UP Initiative in Alabama

Each year, chapters are empowered to identify a cause that inspires them as a part of BBYO’s Stand UP initiative. These initiatives demonstrate our members’ year-long commitment to community service, advocacy, and philanthropy. I had the privilege of joining the Birmingham, Alabama chapter of Mesch AZA for the annual Jam4Sam, a fundraiser for the local children’s cancer hospital in honor of Sam Lapidus, an Aleph who passed away after battling cancer in 2008. Everything about the Mesch Stand UP program was game changing for me. Over 200 members from the community, both Jewish and non-Jewish, came to support the chapter’s fundraising efforts for cancer research, and listen to fantastic music while they were at it. Mesch Alephs promoted the event for weeks, got local press coverage of the event, and raised $5,000 in celebration and memory of Sam’s life.

International Convention 2018 Registration Breaks Records

On September 26, 2017, International Convention (IC) registration night, BBYO broke a new record! With nearly 60 launch parties across North America, our members showed their dedication to the Order loud and clear when more than 3,000 teens registered in under 48 hours. From chapter members’ basements to local restaurants to parties at neighborhood parks, members signed up with excitement, eager to be a part of the largest annual gathering of Jewish teens worldwide.

Read more about how we will be coming together over President’s Day weekend to lead, learn, and celebrate.

A Growing Movement

Communities across the Order are growing our Movement by starting new chapters in entirely new territories. New England Region (NER) started a new chapter in Newton, Massachusetts, to empower area teens to connect with their Jewish identity in ways that resonate with them. They welcomed more than 40 Alephs and BBGs since the beginning of the programming year. South Jersey Region (SJR) expanded into Princeton, New Jersey last year, and this year they welcomed 37 members in only three weeks. Big Apple Region (BAR) expanded their reach by chartering a new chapter in Brooklyn with a second on the way. Since the start of the year, nearly 2,800 Alephs and BBGs have joined BBYO across North America, continuing our incredible trajectory of growth. As presidents of our movement, we have the privilege of driving our network forward and watching it change lives. It’s moments like this, when we’re making efforts to reach every Jewish teen we possibly can, that we feel proudest of the incredible momentum we’re experiencing.