Updates from BBYO Naples and Fort Myers

By Cayla Schreier, BBYO Southwest Coordinator

It’s been one busy December. The teens were dedicated to studying for mid-terms, along with celebrating Hanukkah with their families and attending BBYO events. On Sunday, Dec. 2, elections were held for the spring 2024 Naples BBYO chapter board. The following teens were elected to the upcoming board: N’siah (President) – Bella Schaab, Siganit (Programming Chair) – Emily Schaab, Mazkirah (Secretary) – Mimi Goldberg, Shaliach (Jewish Enrichment) – Adam Berman and Gizbor (Treasurer) – Noah Tsipursky. Mazel Tov to our new Naples BBYO chapter board.

Our teens celebrated BBYO’s Global Shabbat on Friday, Dec. 8 at Temple Shalom’s Hanukkah Friday night services. The teens donated canned goods to contribute toward building Temple Shalom’s Can-norah. They were then called up to the bema to recite the Kiddush and Hamotzi along with the congregation. Temple Shalom served delicious latkes and jelly donuts to celebrate Hanukkah. The teens also helped the younger kids build the Can-norah.

On Monday, Dec. 11, we were happy to participate in The Jewish Federation of Greater Naples’s Hanukkah Festival. Four of our teens braced the chilly weather to sit at the table for Naples BBYO. It was nice to see the local Jewish community come together to celebrate such a joyous holiday.

We are also excited to participate in Temple Shalom’s Mitzvah Day which was held on January 21. We plan to hold two events in early-February. Some of our teens plan to attend BBYO’s International Convention February 15-19 in Orlando. Please keep an eye out for more details about those upcoming events.

What is BBYO?

BBYO is a diverse and inclusive Jewish youth group to encourage Jewish teens to become more immersed and interested in meaningful Jewish activities and programs. This organization accepts Jewish teens attending 8th through 12th grades of all backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender, race, denominational affiliation, or socioeconomic status. BBYO currently reaches over 70,000 teens worldwide, with participants in over 60 countries and hundreds of chapters across the United States.

Supporting our teenage Jewish community

It is crucial to engage teens post-B’nai Mitzvah age in Jewish activities. Having teens get involved in BBYO and be eager to create and confidently continue their own Jewish community within their greater Jewish communities is critical to our future.

The BBYO chapter of Naples has entered its 11th year of partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, Temple Shalom, Chabad of Naples and Beth Tikvah. Each organization provides financial support, volunteers and community involvement opportunities for the BBYO teens. We thank each and every one of our BBYO Alum, friends and other supporters for making this a safe and positive environment for the teens of BBYO Naples and Fort Myers.

If you know of someone who has a teen who might like to join BBYO Naples or Fort Myers or know of someone who may want to be an advisor to our chapters, please email the Southwest Coordinator, Cayla Schreier, at cschreier@bbyo.org. You can also follow us on Instagram at Mishpacha_BBG and Negevaza.

Scholarships to attend BBYO conventions and summer programs are available through both the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples and the Temple Shalom Men’s Club. Please contact Cayla for more information on scholarships. If you are a BBYO alum and would like to be included in our Friends and Alumni of BBYO mailing list, please email us at mjs0821@aol.com.