Parent Pulse -February 2024

PARENT PULSE

Parent Pulse is a bi-monthly newsletter for BBYO member parents to help keep up to date with goings on across the Order. For a century, parents have trusted us to provide a safe space in which their teens can thrive, and Parent Pulse offers an insider’s glimpse into those spaces every other month. Take a look through our past issues here!

Issue 25 | February 2024

WELCOME NOTE

Last week, someone asked me to describe BBYO International Convention 2024 in one word, and the most ridiculous one popped into my head: indescribable.

It is truly impossible to describe what it’s like to be in an environment with 3,700 Jewish teens—laughing, dancing, singing, learning, having the time of their lives. What other festival-like event can bring together thousands of young Jewish people and give them access to meet with celebrities and high-profile speakers, to participate in one of the largest Shabbat dinners in the world, to attend powerful programs led by brilliant educators, to learn how to develop their leadership skills to serve their communities, to enjoy private concerts with the top musical talent in the industry, and most importantly, to celebrate being Jewish in an environment where they can feel safe, loud, and proud? In the words of a teen participant, “It’s so cool to see that even in the midst of everything with all the Jewish hate that’s on social media right now, it doesn’t stop us from coming together.”

As we carry our wonderful memories of IC forward, I can’t help but feel excited about the upcoming summer. Not only will BBYO be marking our Centennial Celebration Summer this year, but we are witnessing unprecedented participation from teens joining us on trips across Europe and the Americas, in addition to our domestic leadership programs, CLTC, ILTC and International Kallah, which are rapidly reaching capacity. We’ve also pivoted some of our summer offerings in Israel so that we can continue to bring meaningful experiences to teens through this difficult time. In addition to our flagship program, Israel Journey, and our capstone leadership experience, ILSI, we’re thrilled to offer a brand-new service trip—Volunteer Israel—for teens to find deeper connection with the Jewish homeland.

As always, we are grateful for your continued support—and for enabling us to dream, grow, and explore alongside your teens.

Debbie Shemony
Senior Vice President Marketing & Communications

AROUND THE ORDER

Summer 2024 + IC 2025 Guarantee | Our Centennial Celebration Summer is right around the corner! From domestic programs to traveling around the world, there is a program for everyone! Plus, any teen who registers for a Camp Leadership program by March 15 gets a guaranteed spot at IC 2025! IC sold out in 40 minutes this year, so this is the perfect way to gain priority while giving your teen the summer of a lifetime!

IC Partners | We want to give a huge THANK YOU to all of our brand partners who made IC possible this year. From the BBYO Boulevard to special surprise moments, IC wouldn’t have been possible without their generous support. We were so lucky to welcome representatives from WJC, Repair the World, RootOne, Jewish Youth Pledge, TalkIsrael, and many more to Orlando to make our Centennial IC that much better! Visit this page to see all of our gracious partners and supporters.

J-Serve 2024 | The annual day of Jewish youth service is almost here! This is the perfect chance for your teen to join your local BBYO region to give back to your community. This year, chapters are challenged to do hands-on activities, so you know it’s going to have major impact. Find out more about J-Serve in your local area at bbyo.org/jserve.

Advisor Appreciation Month | Our advisors are essential to the success of our chapters and regions as they volunteer their time to support our teens. You can learn more about the crucial role BBYO advisors play here, and we invite you to join BBYO to celebrate your local advisors throughout March!

ACROSS THE WORLD

This year's International Convention (IC) welcomed the largest-ever Israeli delegation from Maccabi Tzair—BBYO’s sister movement in Israel—including eight teens from Kibbutz Magen Am. This Kibbutz, near the Gaza border, was heavily impacted on October 7. Following the attack, residents were evacuated and moved to a hotel in the Dead Sea, where they remain today.

After BBYO and Maccabi Tzair learned that many of the teens from Kibbutz Magen Am lost friends, family members, and community members, we invited them to join the Israeli delegation at this year's IC.

At IC, these teens got to participate alongside 3,700 fellow Jewish teens from around the world to experience a community like no other. They were warmly welcomed by the BBYO community, enjoyed some time to relax with friends, and celebrated their Jewish identity. One of their most significant highlights of the convention was singing Hatikvah in a room filled with hope and love.

The teens from Kibbutz Magen Am also got to share their story with more than 300 teens who joined their Limmud session at IC. During the session, they recounted what happened on October 7 and how they felt during the attack. For some, it was their first time sharing their story out loud and in person. They were courageous, and this session was one of a kind.

On Sunday during one of the sessions, Sharon Younger, a member of the Kibbutz, shared her story and the Kibbutz’s story as part of the Centennial Speakers program alongside survivors from the NOVA festival. While difficult to share and hear, it was a moving moment of solidarity and community.

Ultimately, the teens got to be teens, building friendships with teens from around the world, and enjoying all IC has to offer for young Jewish people. They were amazed by the warm welcome from BBYO and the Maccabi Tzair family and it was an honor to host them and have them as part of our vibrant IC community.

THE NEXT 100

Alumni Association Launch | As we celebrate 100 years of impact this year, BBYO officially launched our Alumni Association at IC! Membership in the Association is open to all BBYO alumni, and will provide opportunities for engagement, networking, and connection with members across the world. A robust digital platform will roll out this spring, enabling alumni to engage in mentorship and professional development opportunities, meet friends in their communities, and leverage a network of hundreds of thousands of fellow BBYO alumni. If you are an alum yourself—or the parent of a graduating BBYO senior—visit this page to sign up for early access to the platform!

Spring Signature Events | In nearly a dozen cities worldwide, local communities will gather for special celebrations in honor of the official 100th birthday of BBYO on May 3, 2024. Signature Events will take place in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. as well as Buenos Aires, Sofia, Toronto, London, and Tel Aviv.

Be sure to save the dates below and fill out this quick form to sign up to be notified when registration officially opens:

Election of the 100th and 80th Boards | BBYO celebrated a big moment at this year’s International Convention—the election of the 100th Grand Board of the Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA) and the 80th International Board of the B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG). The role of Anita M. Perlman International N’siah, the teen president of BBG, will be held for the first time by a member from outside of North America, Joelle Abaew of BBYO ZWST Germany. Joelle, her Grand Aleph Godol counterpart, Daniel Mezistrano from Evergreen Region, and ten peers from around the Order will work with teen leaders in the coming year to continue strengthening the BBYO Movement across the world.

IN THEIR WORDS

Dive into the heart of International Convention as we bring you a roundup of all the captivating content captured by our teen Press Corps, including news desk anchors, Shofar articles, podcasts, photos, videos, and more.

SHOFAR ARTICLES
The Shofar is the International AZA and BBG newsletter and home to the IC 2024 blog, which featured behind-the-scenes articles on all things IC. Check out three of our top pieces below:

VIDEOS
See all IC video content on our YouTube channel, and check out two of our favorites:

PODCASTS
Table Talk with BBYOInsider is the International AZA and BBG Podcast with the inside scoop on all things BBYO. Check out some greatest hits recorded onsite at IC!

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

We're reaching out to the alumni community with a special request. Geoff Schoenberg, an AZA alum from Central Region East (now Liberty Region), is in need of a kidney donor. Click here to read how the BBYO family is springing into action—and how you can support Geoff by sharing his story with your networks, or even by being screened by the National Kidney Registry as a potential donor to Geoff and others.