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We love AZA and BBG, and we want to share our fraternity and sorority (and all its benefits) with Jewish teens around the world. Through our one-of-a-kind experiences and rich traditions, Alephs and BBGs develop a strong Jewish identity, are passionate about making the world a better place for future generations, and are ready to lead. It's not about numbers, it's about enriching as many lives as possible. Let's build a future where someone's Bar or Bat Mitzvah is the beginning of their Jewish life, not the end.
We're a member-first movement, and growing it starts with each of us. Membership is an ongoing effort; as we say "see you later" to seniors, we're saying "welcome" to younger members. Membership isn't about getting someone in the door, it's about the experience they have when they find themselves here. When someone becomes a member of AZA or BBG, we want them to be active in their chapter, attend regional gatherings, and experience BBYO on an International level.
MRIHA, BBYO's relationship-driven recruitment model, is the secret sauce that has year-after-year grown AZA and BBG's membership worldwide. As members, we're all responsible for recruitment because we all know someone Jewish that's not in BBYO (yet!). MRIHA stands for Meet, Record, Invite, Host, Ask. The process will take your prospect from introduction to induction.
Become an ExpertThroughout the year, we meet (or know of) Jewish teens through events, school, social media, sports, camp, family, and beyond. These Jewish teens who are not yet in BBYO are just waiting to be asked. Most teens are not a part of BBYO because no one has ever thought to invite them.
To do this right, the names can't live only in our heads. When we work as a team, we can record a smart, long list of teens to bring closer to our Movement.
Every Jewish teen who is not a part of BBYO yet should be on a prospect list. A prospect list is a shared online document (i.e., Google Docs) where information about prospects is stored and managed. When your chapter gets together, you should always be looking at your prospect lists to keep them up to date.
A good prospect list will help you build a strong relationship so making any ask is easy. Knowledge is power and understanding a prospect's interests, current involvement, who they are friends with, and basic information goes a long way.
MRIHA doesn't just apply to recruiting members. Explore some of the different types of lists we make to grow our Movement:
If you're not having fun while prospecting, you're doing it wrong. Make the process of prospecting fun by ordering food, blasting music, putting something on TV, or going somewhere fun with your chapter.
Once you have your list, it's time to send out some invitations.
So many teens miss out on BBYO experiences because they are simply never invited to come. With our excellent prospect lists, we can strategically invite prospects to upcoming events to give them a taste of BBYO and learn about the perks of membership.
Strong calendaring drives healthy recruitment. It’s important that calendars are planned well in advance so there are plenty of opportunities that cater to everyone's interests.
It's not enough to get them in the door. How they are hosted during an event will make or break their want to return.
It’s on us to make sure every prospective member has a great time. We can make sure they have a ride, give a special gift during the event, or assign an experienced member to look out for them. The goal for any prospect is to create a desire for continued involvement. If no one talks to them or pays attention to them at the event they were invited to, they probably won't want to come back.
A good prospect list will make hosting easier because you already know a little about them!
MRIHA is an ongoing cycle. Typically, we repeat the invite and host phase a few times before making the ask. It's important to build the relationship so the ask comes naturally.
This is when it gets really fun. Once a prospect member is interested in what AZA and BBG has to offer, you get to give them the greatest gift of all: membership.
Leveraging AZA and BBG traditions like AIT/MIT classes, big and little brother/sister pairings, bid cards, inductions, conventions, and international experiences are all surefire ways to amplify your ask. More than anything, being direct and expressing to any teen that this is a community that will support them, embrace them, and from which they can do great things is what is most compelling. Everyone wants to belong to something bigger than themselves. You can make that possible for every Jewish teen.
This button below will be pretty important when it's time to make the ask to join AZA or BBG.
But wait, what if the person I'm asking to join has some pretty legitimate reasons for not wanting to sign up? They have basketball practice every day after school, their parents don't see the value, or maybe it's too much money. Learn how to combat these common roadblocks to registering. It's a good idea to have these in your back pocket when making the ask.
Combat RoadblocksOnce they are a member, MRIHA doesn't stop. We continue to use this model for prospecting members to make asks about attending local events, conventions, summer programs, IC, and more.
The New Member Experience is meant to make the newest members of your chapter feel valued and a part of our community. AITs (Alephs in Training) and MITs (Members in Training) should be nurtured and educated from their first introduction into AZA and BBG all the way through their Induction Ceremony at the end of a new member experience.
The MIT/AIT Curriculum is a set of tools to teach new members the lasting traditions, history, and rituals of our Orders. The MIT/AIT Curriculum is split into seven modules, each with its own theme, activities, and resources. There are also links to external tools to help strengthen the educational experience and expand the new members' knowledge of AZA and BBG. We are confident that you will find the process of building this experience fun and rewarding.
Getting to Know Our Roots
What Are We Made Of?
Commitment to Community
Getting Involved in AZA & BBG
Finding a Home in BBYO
The Best Experiences for Any Jewish Teen
Beginning with the End in Mind
The strength of our Movement strong starts with our members. That means we have to provide meaningful engagement opportunities for every type of member in every grade level.
As members rise, their role in AZA and BBG often shifts toward being an experience facilitator or provider instead of a participant. They are planning programs, encouraging younger members to run for board, or inspiring their chapter.
One way to keep all members engaged is through a Big-Little program. Creating big and little brother/sister/sibling relationships is one of many ways to engage upperclassmen in unique programs that offer opportunities to build relationships with a new class of Alephs or BBGs. These relationships create a family lineage that can be carried year after year and strengthens the bonds between individual members and the chapter overall.
Learn how to set up a big-little program in your chapter to keep members involved.
Upperclassmen can be a difficult audience to keep involved. Some may be burnt out or begin to take on other interests in high school. For keeping these members engaged, your chapter can provide exclusive upperclassmen-only opportunities. Experiences could include barbecues, college tours, retreat weekends, swag, appreciation nights, and more. It’s important that we create intentional moments to celebrate upperclassmen just as we would a new class of MITs or AITs to ensure they, too, keep coming back.
One of the fastest ways to grow our Movement is by starting new chapters. We start new chapters to expand to new areas, target specific populations (e.g., Summer camp alumni or Russian-speaking Jews), and offer more leadership opportunities when a chapter has reached a certain size.
Starting a chapter is one of the greatest legacies any member can have.
There are important dates to keep in mind when prioritizing growing our Movement. These dates include hands-on training opportunities, Movement mobilization moments, registration dates, and relevant programs that tie to membership.
Explore the CalendarBy helping grow our Movement, you may be eligible for the highly esteemed AZA and BBG International Awards listed below.
The Tree of Life Recruitment Award is an honor given to those Alephs in good standing who have played a significant and lasting part in growing the Aleph Zadik Aleph. Their efforts have contributed to the strengthening of our Order’s future. Tree of Life Award recipients leave a legacy in their chapters, councils, regions and countries as they welcome a new generation to love, cherish, and preserve the traditions of the Aleph Zadik Aleph and BBYO.
ApplyThe B’nai B’rith Girls’ Eternal Light Recruitment Award is an honor given to B’nai B’rith Girls in good standing who played a significant and lasting part in growing the B'nai B'rith Girls. Their efforts have contributed to the strengthening of our Order's future. Eternal Light Award recipients leave a legacy in their chapters, councils, regions, and countries as they welcome a new generation to love, cherish and preserve the traditions of the B'nai B'rith Girls and BBYO.
ApplyWant to keep learning? Explore more in the Toolbox!
Checklist
Evaluate where your chapter is and plan goals for your chapter for the upcoming semester.
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Get to know the history of AZA & BBG, the principles of our Movement, and the values that BBYO stand for.
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Get to know what fun, meaningful, and exciting programs look like. Click here to access an overview of the MIT/AIT Curriculum and other modules.
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Identifying potential new members for your chapter is much easier when you work as a team.
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Use this guide to build a fun space to ask other teens to join AZA & BBG, attend an event, or sign up for summer.
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Get to know what makes AZA & BBG so special: the rituals that are decades old and the traditions we build around them.
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Use this worksheet to help make your chapter recruitment goals feel manageable.
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This guide provides step-by-step instructions for teen leaders to navigate and understand their chapter’s teen information on myBBYO.
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Check out this video to learn the basics of how to start a new AZA, BBG, or BBYO chapter in your community.
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