BBYO UK joins thousands of Jewish youth at international convention

“Teenagers have a fresh perspective on the world that adults may not have, and their ideas are strongly shaped by the world around them,” Annie told the JC. “Soon, the voices of teenagers are going to be the voices that dictate our society, so giving them a voice from an early age helps them ease into the role and feel comfortable with their choices.”

Annie (L) and Hannah at the convention[Missing Credit]

The points of discussion in the resolution were community security and crisis preparedness, Jewish identity and mental wellbeing, digital strategy and information integrity, and global Jewish solidarity and partnerships.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of the recommendations centred around antisemitism: for instance, supporting collaboration among global Jewish organisations; encouraging comprehensive security planning in synagogues and Jewish schools; and calling upon social media companies to take harsher stances on hate speech.

Hannah said: “When talking about antisemitism, I was shocked by stories of my friends from Germany and Bulgaria, who talked about some terrible experiences. But it also made me realise that having those conversations and being aware of antisemitism is incredibly important and strengthens us as a Jewish community.”

Aside from the resolution meeting, the convention featured many events to allow the teenagers to celebrate their Jewish identity with their far-flung friends. They included Shabbat services including one with drag queens, a music jam session, talks from universities, a panel session with the cast of Hamilton, and performances from British singer Natasha Bedingfield and American rapper Quavo.

BBYO UK[Missing Credit]

The experience was very beneficial in allowing the teens to broaden their horizons, said the two leaders. “I was surprised to meet people from some countries that I didn’t even know had a Jewish community let alone a BBYO community, like Kyrgyzstan and Taiwan,” Hannah said.

Annie concurred: “There were thousands of people who, despite the cultural differences and language barriers, all share two passions: Judaism and BBYO. The feeling is irreplaceable, and it is a memory that will stay with me for life”.

For both, the role of president has developed their skills, priming them to be Jewish leaders in their adult lives.

“At the age of 17, I’ve learnt to work cohesively with peers and adults from the UK, learnt how to delegate tasks and plan events, all while managing six UK chapters with my national executive body,” said Annie.

BBYO UK at the convention[Missing Credit]

“I would summarise [being co-president of BBYO UK] as exciting, stressful, and empowering,” Hannah added. “It has taught me a lot about teamwork, the importance of peer leadership and the amount of effort and organisation needed to plan events.”

Both Hannah and Annie credited the impact that BBYO has had on their teenage years. “BBYO gives every Jewish teen a place to be comfortable in their Judaism, no matter their level of belief or practice, which I think is so valuable at the moment,” Hannah said.

Annie said: “BBYO gives you lifelong skills, friendships, and global connections. It’s changed my life.”