BBYO’s International Convention is a huge convention with thousands of Jewish teens. Going to IC virtually made me a little scared—how am I supposed to meet new people across the order when you can’t meet anyone in person? After exploring IC programming a little more, I realized that there are so many ways to connect with other Alephs and BBGs. 

Number one: The Meet Up feature on Hopin! 

When you log into Hopin, there is an option to click “Meet Up.” If you click it, you can connect to another random teen participating in IC. This is a great way to meet people from all around the world. I have made so many new friends this way talking about the order, mutual friends, even BBYO summer programs that we’re attending this summer!

Number two: Attend an Oneg Program

Today I joined Oneg in the BBG lounge and it was super fun! We did icebreakers in breakout rooms and then we all joined more breakout rooms with one of the members of the International Board. I had fun learning about BBGs in this session, and I had so much fun!

Number three: Attend awesome programming!
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This may sound obvious, but joining sessions about topics that you’re passionate about will make it so easy to connect with people!  I attended a Karaoke program yesterday night, and danced the WHOLE time. Programming is such a great way to learn new things and meet other people who share your interests! Don’t be shy, put your camera on, and maybe drop your contact info in the chat! 

Number four: Roommates!

Another great way to meet new friends is to connect with your IC roommates! If you guys have a group chat, reach out and see if someone wants to attend a program with you, or see if you want to all Zoom together. It will make your experience at IC so much better. 

Going to a virtual convention can be scary, but being willing to make new friends makes the whole experience so much more fun. Step out of your comfort zone and have fun! You’ll never know who you might meet.