What’s up, BBYO?! It’s Ari and Logan here, letting you all know what’s been up with us. While we are not in election season quite yet, we wanted to keep you in the loop and share our top 10 list of what we’ve been doing these past couple of months. Here are some of our favorite moments (in no particular order, of course):

1. Execs: In August, we joined the 100th executive body of BBYO in Fairfax, VA. The weekend kicked off with our official installment and continued engaging in guided training, hosted rituals, and international business meetings alongside 126 teens. Additionally, we participated in programs for the global extension and continued working with leaders outside of North America to ensure the movement is strong across the world.‍

2. Ari at Kallah: We had an amazing time exploring my Jewish identity alongside 210 members from around the world. It was a privilege to connect with four of my regional counterparts and hear what they have in store for this year. Our favorite part was engaging in meaningful discussions about Israel, Jewish identity, and antisemitism. We are so excited to return to Kallah next summer as a coordinator!This year will be full of no shortage of #ShlichimWins, and we are ecstatic for you all to be a part of it. This year, by building the strongest BBYO foundation ever, we can propel BBYO into the next 100 years! Watch out for that Shlichim network to stay up-to-date with more amazing moments throughout the year!

3. Retreat: In early June, the 100th and 80th Grand and International Boards came together in Washington, DC, to plan an amazing centennial year for our movement. We set goals and priorities, met staff from around the order, and even bowled in the White House! The time spent in DC not only set us up for an amazing first couple of months but for the strongest year BBYO has ever seen!‍

4. Counterpart calls: Connecting with all our counterparts around the world has been a major highlight these past few weeks. Over the year, we hold multiple one-on-one calls with all of our community counterparts to see how we can best support them. It has been amazing to hear about all their hard work, and we are looking forward to future calls.‍

5. Follow-up on October 7th motion: At the August executives conference, we passed a motion that continuously commits our order to honor the lives of those that we’ve lost on and since October 7th. The executive body unanimously voted to pass the motion that each region will strive to host programs around October 7th, that IC 2025 in Denver, CO, will have an experience honoring the lives lost since October 7th, and that our order will continue to find ways to support strong and engaging Israel Exploration programming. This strong statement proves that our order is united to educate around Israel!

6. ILN: The international leadership applications closed just this past Monday. We saw huge applicant pools for the many committees and coordinators we work with. The Rise Up committee and Global Israel Fellowship will be full of amazing Alephs and BBGs from throughout the order. During the year, we will also work alongside the Global Shabbat Coordinators, Explore Israel Coordinators, and J-Serve Coordinators to grow and develop BBYO’s global initiatives.

7. Summer recruitment: Summer 2025 is already around the corner! We have started recruitment for Perlman this summer. Many CLTC alumni are eager to participate in ILTC or Kallah next summer, and we are looking forward to seeing them there!

8. Celebrating #ShlichimWins: There have been many #ShlichimWins across the order. The CVR Sh’lichim has been working on a weekly Parsha podcast, our CRW counterparts just held a regional beach cleanup, and in GAR, the Sh’lichim are rolling out brand-new custom siddurs. Seeing all the wins across the order makes me excited for the many, many more to come!

9. Logan at ILTC: ILTC was a blast! I spent time with 275 other Alephs and BBGs in the largest EVER ILTC. We had six Shlichim and six Shlichot in attendance, and the amazing Blueprint curriculum gave us so many ideas for stronger Judaic programming. I engaged with alumni, motivational speakers, and Jewish Education staff for three amazing weeks around the Perlman tree! I also won Maccabia! GO, PURPLE TEAM!

10. Preparing for the High Holidays: We are gearing up for the High Holidays. Throughout the month of Elul, we will be posting on our Instagram @BBYOShlichim as we self-reflect with members of the International Sh’lichim network. Stay tuned for more holiday-oriented programming as the year comes to an end.

This year will be full of no shortage of #ShlichimWins, and we are ecstatic for you all to be a part of it. This year, by building the strongest BBYO foundation ever, we can propel BBYO into the next 100 years! Watch out for that Shlichim network to stay up-to-date with more amazing moments throughout the year!