Keeping Pace: Welcome Back to Joelle's Journey!

September 5, 2024
Joelle Abaew

Berlin, Germany

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This past month has flown by in what feels like a day, yet so much has happened! Buckle up for an exciting update on everything I’ve been up to.

At the start of the month, I headed to Washington, D.C., to finalize preparations for August Execs, meet with Dan, and gear up for a momentous weekend. And then, it finally arrived: August Execs. I drove to Fairfax, Virginia, and I was thrilled to reunite with the 180! We spent two days preparing ourselves and each other to ensure we maximize this experience for everyone. We also celebrated Dan’s birthday with a fun Dave and Buster’s party.

Soon, the first delegates from outside North America arrived. We kicked off our programming with icebreakers, prepped our global delegates for the weekend, and listened to what they hoped to bring back to their communities. In the blink of an eye, all the delegates had arrived in Fairfax, and together with 80, I got ready for our installation ceremony. It was an incredible honor to address our movement both virtually and in person and share our priorities for the year, our vision for the next 100 years of BBYO, and, most importantly, kick off our movement’s second century.

After my installation, I had the privilege of installing the 80th International Board, while Dan installed the 100th Grand Board. We capped off the evening with a delightful dessert reception. It was wonderful to reunite with old friends, meet the executive body, and even be joined by some of NRE’s leaders and special I-Board alumni. The entire evening was wholesome, memorable, and definitely a night I will never forget.

The rest of the weekend was equally unforgettable. From Execs Essentials (August Execs’ Core Training) and an enhanced BBG Bootcamp to the energy of Movement Launch Night, meaningful Separates, and the special moment in a spirit circle with all the N’siot—I will never forget the passion and dedication everyone brought to kick off Year 100 with a bang.

I was fortunate enough to stay a few extra days with delegates from outside North America. I connected with teens, learned more about their communities, and even discussed future visits. This week was so well spent and will always be a highlight of mine.

Since it was such an action-packed month, a vacation was much needed. Luckily, I had already planned a beach getaway! I headed to Bella Italia to meet with everyone who worked on ZWST Machane this summer. After a beautiful Shabbat together, we said our goodbyes, and I stayed a few more days with ZWST’s N'siah, Rebeka, to get to work. We spent two days planning the upcoming year for ZWST Youth, working on leadership training, and preparing for their board transitions.

Now that I’ve had some time at home, I’m incredibly excited to kick off my part of the 180° Tour! Guess where I’m heading first? Stay tuned for more on that next time.

Joelle Abaew is a BBG from Germany and is serving as the 80th Anita M. Perlman International N'siah.

All views expressed on content written for The Shofar represent the opinions and thoughts of the individual authors. The author biography represents the author at the time in which they were in BBYO.

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