Latest news from BBYO Naples

By Cayla Schreier, BBYO Southwest Coordinator

The time has come for the teens of BBYO Naples to wrap up their 2022-2023 school year. The month of May has been packed with final exams, school team sports final competitions and State of Florida end-of-course assessment exams. Even though school may be challenging, our teens have been able to take a break from academics with fun BBYO events, community service and a combined chapter board election.

The Naples teens held a Shabbat Beach Cleanup at Lowdermilk Park in Naples. Prior to the cleanup, the 13 teens were excited to recite the Shabbat prayers and Hamotzi over some delicious challah, pizza and chocolate chip cookies while looking at the gorgeous beach. The N’Siah (president), Bella Schaab, spoke about the Judaic connection as it relates to cleaning up the beach and keeping the Earth healthy. Our teens were given trash pickers and garbage bags to collect litter. They split up into groups and spent time walking along the beach picking up garbage and disposing of items such as bottle caps and cans.

The Naples chapter held elections for the upcoming fall 2023 semester. The consensus was that the best route to move forward and grow was to elect a combined chapter board comprised of members of Mishpacha BBG and Negev AZA. Our teens were successful in electing a chapter board and chairman. They were excited about their new BBYO teen leadership roles and started planning events for the upcoming school year.

Our new Naples BBYO chapter board

N’Siah (President) – Bella Schaab

S’gan (Programming) – Jonah Miller

S’ganit (Programming) – Emily Schaab

Aym Ha’Chaverot (Membership) –MJ Solomon

Shaliach (Jewish Enrichment) –Adam Berman

Mazkirah (Secretary) – Mimi Goldberg

Gizbor (Treasurer) – Gabriel Miller

Chairman – Noah Tsipursky

Naples’ final event of the 2022-2023 school year was the Cupcake War. The Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center generously allowed us to hold the tournament in their kitchen. Teens broke into three teams to decorate cupcakes in accordance with four different themes: animals, Jewish holidays, tropical and a judge look-a-like. The creative teens decorated their cupcakes to look like a tiger, matzah, apples and honey, sunset, palm tree, sandcastle, and a great cupcake portrait of one of our judges, Emily Schaab.

Naples BBYO had a very successful year. Our membership increased with a total of 38 teens registered as members. Naples BBYO is excited to increase its future membership goals.

Mazel tov to our graduating seniors and newly elected Naples BBYO Chapter Board. We wish our graduating seniors great success as they become BBYO alumni and enter a new and exciting chapter in their lives.

Thank you to our Naples advisor, Ben Yaffe, for supporting the teens. We’re excited to have him return in the fall.

New news

Any teen transitioning from seventh to eighth grade this summer can become a BBYO member starting July 1, 2023.

If you know of someone who has a teen who might like to join BBYO or you know someone who might want to become an advisor to our chapters, please email me at cschreier@bbyo.org.

Follow us for updates on Instagram at Mishpacha_BBG and Negevaza.

Supporting our teenage Jewish community

Post-B’nai Mitzvah-age teens' involvement in BBYO and eagerness to create and confidently continue their own Jewish community within their greater Jewish communities is critical to our future. BBYO Naples is partnering with Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, Temple Shalom, Chabad of Naples and Beth Tikvah. We thank everyone for providing a great environment for our teens.

Please email us at mjs0821@aol. com if you would like to be included in our friends and alumni of BBYO mailing list.