Updates from Naples and Fort Myers BBYO

By Cayla Schreier, BBYO Southwest Coordinator

Summer has come to a close, and the teens have returned to school. While the start of school can be stressful, Naples BBYO Chapter Board teens have gathered to create and plan some fun upcoming events for their fellow BBYO members and new prospects.

Naples BBYO’s first Fall 2024 event, an ice skating event, took place on Sunday, Aug. 25 at Hertz Arena. We had 19 teens attend this event. They ice skated and hung out with their current and new Naples and Fort Myers BBYO friends. The teens played an ice breaker and skated in groups to better get to know one another.

Our BBYO teens will be joining the Chabad of Naples’ Rosh Hashanah Shofar Blowing Event which will be held on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 4:30 p.m. at Lowdermilk Beach, Naples. The Shofar Blowing Event will last one hour. Thank you to Chabad of Naples for the open invitation. For more information, please contact Chabad of Naples at office@ chabadnaples.com. We will host International Convention Launch Night on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The time and location are TBD. The teens will also hold a pumpkin carving event later in the month of October. Details to follow.

Please keep an eye out for emails regarding all upcoming Naples and Fort Myers BBYO events. We wish everyone a happy, healthy and sweet Rosh Hashanah. May 5785 bring you happiness and joy.

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 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 me 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 the 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 us at mjs0821@aol.com.