GMR Elections BBG 2026

Hallie Horwich

B’nai. B’rith. Girls.

Three words, one heartbeat, one vision.

B’NAI- Children. From those that grew up to the people we are. As descendants, we will keep our legacy alive and well. For years, our people have been targeted based on one shared characteristic: Judaism. But more than ever, we will redefine who we are not just as a movement, but as the future of the Jewish people. Through open conversations based on advocacy, workshops surrounding movement growth and identity, and authentically striving to be ourselves, the joy within all of us will be a part of the legacy we put forth into the world.

B’RITH- Covenant. Our binding pledge to stand as a united front. We come together for the purpose of accomplishing our business at hand: making the world a habitable place for more Jewish teens to take part in more meaningful Jewish experiences. It is our solemn duty to plan creative programming with the seven folds in mind, provide opportunities for members of all expanses to lead, and to develop skills taking us far and wide.

GIRLS- Us. You and I. Me and you. One—We Are the B’nai B’rith Girls, Strength and Dignity are Our Clothing. Every BBG is a part of something so much bigger than themselves. Therefore, when we all come together with a specific objective in mind, we will soar far beyond the sky’s limit.

So for 80 years, 80 more, and as YOUR 25th Regional N’siah:

BBG will be HOME.

Charley Finn

Open vision document

Tova Ben-Yoseph

My vision for the Great Midwest Region is to strengthen our community by continuing a supportive, welcoming, and innovative environment where every member feels safe, valued, and proud to be themselves. Especially in today’s world, it is more important than ever that GMR serves as a space where Jewish teens can be themselves and know that GMR will forever remain a safe space for teens to come together, build meaningful connections, and find a community where they truly belong. To achieve this, I will prioritize connecting and keeping communication strong throughout the entire region. I plan to hold monthly office hours open to all members, allowing a space where anyone can talk through ideas, share struggles, ask questions, or to share how their day went. I also plan to meet with each of my chapter counterparts at the beginning of the term to build strong relationships, because I know when trust is established, collaboration and success follow. By actively listening and valuing every voice, I will ensure our region continues to grow in a way that reflects what our members truly want and need. I am committed to being a present leader by showing up to programs across all chapters throughout the term. My goal is for every member to feel seen, heard, and supported, because our region is made up of incredible individuals, and we grow stronger through each other’s successes.

Camilla Dadashev

If I am selected as S’ganit for the 2026-2027 year . My goal for programming is to design events that are creative , meaningful, engaging , and that reflect our GMR community. I want to ensure that the programs have a balance of fun and our Jewish identity . One of my main goals is to include more variety with events . For example; not only social programs , but service events, educational programs, and identity building . This will have something for everyone and an opportunity for even more inclusion . Also , I want to collaborate with chapter boards to encourage the same vision for their chapters . I want to make sure there chapters are organized and impactful with their programs . In addition to that, I want to include more member involvement , like asking for feedback on events and programs to see what our community likes the most . Also, ensuring that the GMR members feel that they can form new friendships and take on leadership roles with help from me. Finally , I want to increase attendance and enthusiasm for programs by promoting events with my Mazkirah early and effectively . In conclusion , my ideas and vision for the programming is to make all the events something that members look forward to and have something they can take away from them .

Blake Atlas

GMR is the place where I feel truly seen, and if elected as your 25th Regional Aym Ha’Chaverot, I will work to ensure it becomes a space where every member consistently feels welcomed, supported, and genuinely excited to be part of something meaningful. At the heart of our region are its members; without them, our community would simply not exist. I strive to create an environment where engagement and connection are not obligations, but natural outcomes of belonging. Through intentional use of social media, we can thoughtfully highlight not only new members but also returning members, ensuring everyone feels recognized, valued, and fully included within our region. To expand on this foundation, I want to focus on outreach that feels personal and genuine. Everyone should have the opportunity to experience the amazing community within GMR. By working closely with my counterparts to continue reaching out to teens within the Chicagoland area. Ensuring potential members are not just informed about BBYO but truly invited into the magic. Through texting, flyers, and social media, I will strengthen our region's visibility while maintaining a welcoming environment that reflects our region's values. Finally, I want to make sure that every member not only participates in BBYO but truly understands its core traditions and values. By creating interactive and meaningful learning experiences, such as MIT Bootcamps, memorable sisterhood events, and continuing to engage families from the last programming year, I will help members build a deeper connection to an organization larger than themselves.

Josie Hallie Singer

My vision for the 2025–2026 programming year is to strengthen the connections that make Great Midwest Region feel like home. As Regional Mazkirah, I strongly believe communication is more than announcements or social media posts; more so, it is how we share our stories, celebrate GMR members, and shape the identity of this region. I aim to build a communication system that is clear, consistent, and purposeful. Through structured, intentional content, I will make sure that information is not only shared.. but understood. By highlighting every chapter, uplifting each member’s individuality, and creating opportunities beyond board positions: introducing the GMR Creative Collective!!I hope to foster a community where every BBG feels seen, valued, and included. Supporting Chapter Mazkirim is vital to my vision. Through mentorship, accessible resources, and collaboration, I will help our current & future leaders feel confident and prepared in their roles. Strong leaders create strong chapters, and strong chapters create a stronger region. I also plan to strengthen our global connections by fostering relationships with our sibling regions in Ukraine and the Greater Atlanta Region. By creating meaningful opportunities for collaboration, I want members to feel connected beyond their chapter and part of something larger. Through communication, creative opportunities, and collaboration, I hope to build long lasting connections, strengthen the Great Midwest Region, and ensure every single member feels proud to belong.

Sophie Lichtenstein

As your regional Sh’licha for the 2026-2027 programming year, my vision is to create a community where we are able to freely embrace our identities, celebrate our heritage, and continue to strengthen our traditions for future generations to come. My top priority is to create various programs in order to strengthen our Jewish identities and traditions. From Israel-focused programming to bringing in guest speakers, I will ensure that every member in our region feels a deep connection to our roots. These are the roots that have guided our people for generations and I want each member to feel inspired to carry them forward. Not only must we preserve our heritage for future generations, but we must also ensure that we give back to the world around us, using our values and traditions to make a difference in our communities. Throughout the year, I will ensure that chapters take part in a variety of service activities through hands-on initiatives, going beyond simply donating items or money. By participating in meaningful acts of Tikkun Olam, we will be able to create a lasting change for those around us. Together, we will create a future rooted in tradition and a legacy that will last for generations. It's not about what we can do alone, but the change we can make when we work as a community. As a region, we will embrace our heritage, strengthen our community, and shape a future that we will all be proud of.

Sloane Pearlman

Open vision document

Maya Freedman

The biggest thing that connects all teens within the international order of BBYO, GMR included, is being Jewish. Our Jewish identities are something to wear with pride. If elected as GMR’s regional Sh’licha, one of my top priorities is to ensure that each and every teen in the region is comfortable expressing who they are, both in a BBYO setting and in their outside lives and experiences. I want to achieve this goal by having genuine and meaningful conversations about what Judaism means to us at conventions or as regional events. I want everyone to feel comfortable sharing their experiences with their Judaism and have teens from different areas talk to each other to learn how their experiences may differ. In order to wear our Jewish identities with pride, we must feel comfortable talking about our experiences and acknowledging that sometimes it is hard to be a Jewish person in the world today, but that we are stronger together. Along with this comes our pride in Israel, and not letting constant hate and stereotypes diminish our pride and connection to the country. I want to have a region wide Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebration and celebrate our connection to the country. All in all, I would love to help strengthen the love and pride that each teen in the region has for their Judaism and for Israel.

Braedyn Friedman

My goals for GMR is to build a community where every member feels informed, and connected. BBYO has spent over 100 years bringing Jewish teens together, and GMR has carried that on. I want to continue that by improving the way we communicate with each other. Communication is the foundation of a strong region. I want to make sure important information is shared clearly and consistently, without getting lost or overlooked. That means being more intentional with social media, sending out regular updates, and staying in close contact with chapter counterparts so everyone feels heard and supported. At the same time, I want to strengthen the connections within GMR. A big part of that is building up prescorps, and creating a space where members feel comfortable stepping into leadership, getting involved, and sharing their ideas. By making this more engaging, and bringing back strong, active prescorps, we can help more members feel connected to the region. If elected as GMR's 25th Regional Mazkirah, I will work to create a clear and steady communication system that supports every member and chapter. I plan to have weekly or monthly check ins with chapter counterparts for support, to share ideas, and any updates to highlight in monthly newsletters and social media. I will listen to feedback, make changes when needed, and make sure every voice in GMR is heard.

Mia Kamps

My vision for the GMR programming year centers on two core ideas, reconnecting and reinforcing, brought to life through my initiative, “GMR Goes Global!” My biggest priority is creating a Regional Youth Senate to strengthen democracy within our region. This group would bring together one to two 8th graders and freshmen from each chapter to meet regularly with regional board, share ideas, and ensure underclassmen voices are truly heard and valued.

Alongside this, I want to focus on reconnecting both globally and locally. That means rebuilding our relationship with our sister region in Ukraine through cultural exchange and meaningful conversations, reminding our members they are part of something bigger than themselves. It also means creating stronger connections within GMR by increasing opportunities for suburb and city chapters to engage, building a more united and inclusive community.

Through reinforcing, I want to strengthen the way our region shows up and communicates. A Regional Content Creation Class, led by the regional mazkirim at the start of the term, would give chapter mazkirim the tools to create engaging, consistent social media that reflects the spirit of our region.

Together, these ideas will help create a more connected, empowered, and unified GMR where every member has a voice and a place!

Emerson Bass

My vision for the 2026-2027 programming year can be summed up in one word: connections. Strong connections between the KOMS Network, to our sister regions, and to each of you are essential to help GMR thrive.

To connect with our sister regions, GAR and Ukraine, I plan to create a globalization RLN committee. This committee will meet with our sister regions to exchange traditions and gather constructive feedback on what works well in their communities. They will then bring those insights back to GMR, which will help us grow and improve. Globalization also helps us realize that this organization is so much larger than ourselves and the true power it has.

Within the KOMS Network, I aim to create a welcoming and encouraging environment by holding bonding events, bi-monthly Zoom calls, and office hours to ensure that every Mazkirah, Mazkir, Katvanit, and Sopher feels valued and supported. Building these internal connections will make this network unstoppable.

Finally, and most importantly, I hope to connect with each of you. As Mazkirah, it is my job to effectively promote every regional program so that every member, active or not, receives clear, engaging updates. To achieve this, I plan to launch a GMR calendar, so no one feels out of the loop. I hope I can be more than just a name on WhatsApp or someone emailing, but a leader you can rely on and a friendly face to talk to. Making these connections will make this hope a reality.

Shayna Essington

My favorite part of BBYO is meeting people from all around the world.

Argentina, Canada, and Israel are all communities that I have become more familiar with because of BBYO, specifically through globalization initiatives.

Globalization is the concept of connection throughout the entire world.

Currently, GMR has connections with Ukraine BBYO and Greater Atlanta Region (GAR). While GMR has fostered these connections, we are not actively strengthening existing or actively seeking new connections. I believe this is due to the fact that many people in GMR are not aware of the potential opportunities and benefits globalization offers our region

My main goal for GMR during the 2026-2027 programming year is to enhance our globalization.

Realizing the value of diversity across the International Order, GMR needs to build and strengthen connections across the International Order. To achieve this, programming focused on globalization first needs to be introduced on a chapter level. To facilitate this, I plan to outline and help Chapter Mazkirim execute globalization programs. I want to work with the Mazkirim of GAR assigning each chapter a sister/brother/bbyo chapter so that they can initially create connections on a smaller scale. By starting with connections within the United States, Chapter Mazkirim will have the resources and experience to reach out to chapters in regions outside of the United States.

The key to maximizing globalization is rooted in communication.

By enhancing communication within our region, we can leave a lasting mark on the International Order.

Dana Morgen

My favorite part about BBYO has always been its ability to bring people together. There are numerous steps to building a community, but the first is having the funds. Funding is how our region accomplishes so much. As Gizborit I will help to strengthen this foundation. My goal is to show everyone – from members and counterparts to GMR as a whole – the creativity involved in being Gizborit and the impact we can make together. GMR’s success starts with chapters, and chapters can’t function without money. By providing new fundraiser ideas and tips for execution, chapter Gizborim will have the opportunity to plan their most successful fundraisers yet. On top of that, through assistance with filing grants, chapters will be able to host more original programs for significantly lower costs.

Regional funding is crucial for continuing the momentum created by chapters. This year I want to utilize new and innovative strategies to take Giving BBYO Day to the next level. Using constant social media engagement, participation games like bingo, and correspondence with businesses, we can raise more money than ever before. Finally, I want every teen to have the ability to join BBYO and experience the magic of GMR. With increased ISF education at the chapter level and regional incentives for donations, I want to normalize ISF contributions in GMR in order to encourage participation in years to come. All in all, I aim to help strengthen GMR both today and for a brighter future.

Noa Weinstein

My vision for GMR this upcoming programming year is to create a region where every chapter is confident, supported, and successful in maintaining financial stability. As Regional Gizborit, my goal is to create a standard of what financial success looks like in our region while ensuring that no chapter ever feels overwhelmed or unsure of how to reach it. To achieve this, I will effectively communicate with every branch of the region consistently throughout the year. This will look like structured monthly financial check-ins where chapters gain a clear understanding of their financial standing along with steps to improve. This way, there is consistency and transparency so chapters know where they are and how they can get where they need to be. Bi-weekly counterpart calls will also be essential, letting chapter Gizborim get together to share ideas, solutions, and learnings with each other. I also aim to create more engagement and effectiveness in fundraising efforts through the introduction of a regional merchandise committee. This is where members are encouraged to have a collaborative voice in what we create. Whether that’s designing apparel, choosing themes, or helping decide what products best represent our region. This way, we create more enthusiasm and participation in the fundraising efforts. Ultimately, my goal is to make financial responsibility something chapters feel confident in, not stressed by. It is an opportunity for growth, creativity, and making an impact. By giving structure, connection, and opportunity, I will ensure every chapter of GMR thrives financially and in community.

Sophia Garfield

We all joined BBYO because of the opportunities GMR offers. My goal for the 2026-2027 programming year is to work with my counterparts to grow the opportunities GMR has. With passion, I will encourage all counterparts to have fundraisers that are meaningful. From experience, I know meaningful fundraisers are more successful, so this is how I will guide my counterparts to have successful fundraisers. Fundraisers are important to have fun and engaging programs, so I will enforce this idea to my counterparts for good chapter events. I will encourage teens to think outside the box when thinking of fundraiser ideas. To do this, my goal is to make a fundraiser/Gizborim database to help counterparts when planning their first fundraiser. Since Gizborim is many teens' first position on board, having a database will ensure all chapter Gizborim will have the support they need when having fundraising events. On giving BBYO day, I will work with teens to make sure they understand the meaning of this event, as it benefits the scholarships GMR can offer for teens in need. Since my goal for giving BBYO day is over $80,000, I want to establish that teens know the goal for the region and their chapter goals. As a part of being on board, I want to make everyone very aware of the International Service Fund, as I feel many chapters forget the importance of the ISF. By working together, we can make a lasting impact on so many teens.