Updates from Naples and Fort Myers BBYO

By Cayla Schreier, BBYO Southwest Coordinator

Naples BBYO teens planned and hosted numerous events this past November. On Sunday, Nov. 17 our teens hosted a pizza party for the 7th grade Hebrew school students at Temple Shalom. While teens are required to be in 8th grade in order to join BBYO, we believe it is important to engage with younger teens to encourage a continuation of their Jewish journey beyond their bar and bat mitzvahs. Five Naples BBYO teens welcomed four 7th grade students with a delicious pizza lunch. We look forward to continuing our rapport with the younger teens throughout the school year.

Later that Sunday, four of our Naples BBYO teen Board members participated in the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County’s 21st Annual Kristallnacht candle-lighting ceremony and commemoration. This ceremony was held at Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Naples. Our teens assisted 2nd generation Holocaust survivors with the candlelighting ceremony. They also honored the group of people who were honored by each candle. The audience was impressed with the teens' articulate speeches and respect for all the speakers.

The teens ended the month with a Friendsgiving Potluck Shabbat Dinner at Mimi’s house on Friday, Nov. 22. Each of our 15 teens were assigned a Thanksgiving-style dish to bring to the potluck. The teens celebrated Shabbat with a delicious challah and grape juice. We were excited to see the teens celebrate Shabbat and Friendsgiving at the same time and hope that they have a nice Thanksgiving holiday with their friends and family.

Naples BBYO participated in BBYO’s Annual Giving Tuesday on Tuesday, Dec. 3. We appreciate the community's support of the Naples BBYO chapter, ensuring that there will always be a place in the local Naples community for Jewish teens to connect and feel supported.

Naples BBYO held elections for the Spring 2025 Naples BBYO Board. Elections took place on Sunday, Dec. 8, and we are excited about the election of our next Jewish teen leaders.

Our chapter also hosted our own Shabbat dinner on Friday, Dec. 13, to take part in BBYO’s Global Shabbat. Global Shabbat is an international BBYO initiative which encourages BBYO chapters across the globe to celebrate Shabbat together even when they are physically apart. Our Global Shabbat included an awards ceremony for two alumni and a Naples BBYO Board of Directors member. These individuals were inducted into the Naples BBYO Hall of Fame.

Our chapter also had a table at this year’s Jewish Federation of Greater Naples CommunityWide Chanukah Celebration that took place on Dec. 26 from 5 to 6 p.m. at Mercato on the Lawn in Naples.

Upcoming events and thanks

More details on all upcoming events to follow. Please keep an eye out for emails regarding all upcoming Naples and Fort Myers BBYO events.

Naples BBYO wants to note our appreciation for the Men’s Club of Temple Shalom. The club’s continued support and donations provide scholarships to assist with the cost of Naples BBYO membership, BBYO conventions and summer programs for teens in need of financial assistance. Thank you from all of us at Naples BBYO.

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 Naples BBYO chapter has entered its 11th year of partnership with Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, Temple Shalom, Chabad 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 me, the Southwest Coordinator, at cschreier@bbyo.org. You can also follow us on Instagram: @Mishpacha_BBG and @Negevaza.

Scholarships to attend BBYO conventions and summer programs are available through both Jewish Federation of Greater Naples and Temple Shalom Men’s Club. Please contact me 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 mjs0821@aol.com.

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.