B’nai B’rith Youth Organization alive and well in New England

Historic group still attracts teen participants

BBG members at an event. If you recognize these girls, let us know. /R.I. Jewish Historical Assn.For the first time since she began high school, Emma Margulies of Barrington will not be participating in BBYO, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, activities. Since Margulies will be attending college, she is leaving behind her position as N’siah, or president, of her local BBYO chapter. However, there is plenty about BBYO that Margulies will carry forward with her.

Margulies initially joined BBYO, a youth group accepting of any and all Jewish denominations, including nonpracticing Jews, because she saw that her involved friends were having fun. Since joining, she decided to stay involved with BBYO because of the sisterhood she found with the girls in her chapter.

She says that the chapter was comprised of nice, welcoming people, including the older girls, which she found to be a “refreshing” change from school. In fact, Margulies says that, “you can really tell any of the girls anything.” Sometimes at chapter events, the girls hold a program called Sisterhood. This is a time when members each have a turn to talk based on a prompt or question. Despite the orientation toward a specific topic, the conversation often turns into a time when girls share personal things they may need advice on or need to simply express. Often, members who meet each other through BBYO see each other outside of planned BBYO events.

BBYO separates itself into a program for girls, BBG (B’nai B’rith Girls), and a program for boys, AZA (Aleph Zadik Aleph) for grades 9-12, however, there are opportunities for BBGs and AZAs to attend and plan events together. There is also a program available for children in grades 6-8, called BBYO Connect.

Events are held in three tiers: chapters, regional, and national. Margulies’ chapter has held events including laser tag, tea parties and mall scavenger hunts. Their programming generally “includes elements of creativity, social action or recreation” to develop sisterhood. They also include Jewish programming such as discussions on identity, meal blessings, services and activities such as making hamentashen or holding a potluck Passover seder.

Though many events foster community within the chapter, all chapters have community service aspects and each chapter has a stand-up cause. Community service ties into BBYO’s mission: “More Jewish Teens, More Meaningful Jewish Experiences.” Margulies’ chapter’s stand-up community service cause is Crossroads Rhode Island, a local homeless shelter. In fact, Margulies says that playing with the children at Crossroads is one of the most meaningful things that she did while participating in BBYO.

Regional conventions are held as a way to meet other Jewish youth in the area. There are also national conventions. Last year, 1,500 teenagers were in attendance at the national convention. Speakers included Sheryl Sandberg, author of “Lean In” and chief operating officer of Facebook, who sent in a video address.

Reflecting on her experience with BBYO, Margulies says she gained many things, including self-confidence. Because she met so many friendly people, Margulies says it “helped me to talk to others without being really self-conscious.” She also gained leadership experience because, as she got older, the younger members looked up to her. She says she learned “how to be a positive role model, especially how to lead by example.” Margulies feels she has gained a lot in the area of personal relationships. Since her fellow BBYO members were farther removed from situations (they often did not attend her school) and less judgmental, “I could talk to girls at BBYO about things that I couldn’t talk to my best friends at school about.”

Founded in 1923 in Nebraska with a chapter of AZA, BBYO’s first permanent chapter of BBG was organized in 1927 in San Francisco. For 90 years, the organization has brought leadership training, Jewish education, connection to Israel and positive identity in addition to community service opportunities to Jewish youth in North America and beyond.

Currently, BBYO’s New England region is in a transitional phase as it looks for a new regional director. Josh Cohen, senior regional director of the Connecticut Valley region for the past seven years, is now the area field director for the northeast. Cohen says that he is looking to continue partnerships, grow programs and add chapters. There will be new training for all adult advisers who work with the teens. Cohen says the training will cover everything from “program excellence to what happens when” scenarios.

At the recent regional conference, which took place in late August in Connecticut, the members discussed what they want to focus on “and then those goals trickle down to the chapters.” Though it has not been done in the New England region, Cohen hopes to bring over a system from the Connecticut Valley region for this upcoming year that sets parameters surrounding topics that must be covered in a chapter meeting.

 Cohen says, “This is the coloring book I’m giving you. It’s up to you to fill it out. You can color inside the lines or outside the lines but at the end of the year I want it filled in.” Essentially, it will add some structure into the program while continuing to allow each chapter to tackle the required programs in any way they would like.

There are 11 chapters in the New England region – four are in Rhode Island. Providence has Achim Robbie Kahn AZA as well as Judy Ann Leven BBG. The Cranston/Warwick area has David Hochman AZA and LeOlum BBG. Altogether, the chapters have approximately 100 active participants.

New members can register online at www.bbyo.org.

DANA COHEN is the summer communications intern at The Jewish Voice.