Updates with BBYO Naples and Fort Myers

By Cayla Schreier, BBYO Southwest Coordinator

Asuccessful kickoff event provided the Naples BBYO teens a strong start to the 2023-2024 school year. Our newly elected Naples BBYO chapter board planned and hosted the “Maccabiah Games” held at Lowdermilk Park on Sunday, Aug. 27, where Naples BBYO welcomed returning members, new members and prospects to the games. Nineteen teens attended and four teams competed in volleyball, spike ball and cornhole games. The teens learned about the significance of Judah Maccabee and the Maccabi games, and how we can tie their teachings into our daily lives. The events ended with pizza, snacks and BBYO trivia.

Our region, the North Florida Region, hosted a regional kickoff on Sunday, Sept. 10 at Andretti Indoor Karting and Games in Orlando, Florida. Southwest Florida teens traveled, along with the Sarasota and Tampa teens, to this event. They were excited to reunite with their old BBYO friends and make some new ones.

September has been busy with Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and the High Holy Days. BBYO wishes everyone a happy, healthy and sweet new year 5784 — L’Shana Tova!

While Naples BBYO had a quiet September, our teens are planning a strong return with numerous events in October:

• On Sunday, Oct. 1, they will have an event to celebrate Sukkot.

• On Sunday, Oct. 15, the teens are throwing their first ‘Wow’ Event: Naples BBYO Mockmitzvah. This event will be open to all Jewish teens attending eighth through twelfth grades in Southwest Florida. Numerous BBYO chapters within the North Florida Region are hosting different ‘Wow’ events to provide BBYO members and prospects throughout the region an opportunity to attend a spectacular event.

• Ending the month of October, our teens will have a haunted corn maze bonding activity.

Please keep an eye out for more details regarding these events.

What is BBYO?

BBYO is a diverse and inclusive Jewish youth group with the purpose to encourage Jewish teens to become more immersed and interested in meaningful Jewish activities and programs. This organization accepts Jewish teens attending eighth through twelfth grades of all backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, races, denominational affiliations and socioeconomic status. BBYO currently reaches more than 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 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 with 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 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 Jewish Federation of Greater Naples and Temple Shalom Men’s Club. Please contact me for more information on scholarships as well.

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.