to: uur From: Our Leaders Seventy-five years and we're still here! Seventy-five years and it's still clear! Shalom chaverim m'Eretz Yisrael! Yes, I am here in Israel to help staff one of BBYO's premier programs - the International Leadership Study in Israel (ILSI). We have gathered together here at Beit Feldman near Natanya 110 teens, who have in common two impor- tant things - they are all Jews, and they are all involved in BBYO. They come from various parts of the world. Sixty-three are from North America - from Vancouver, BC, to Miami, FL, and from Irvine, CA , to Oceanside, NY, including two from our own Michigan Region. Thirty-four are from Israel itself, chosen with care from Noar L'Noar (BBYO District 14) chapters throughout the Jewish state. BBYO District 15 is represented by two youth - one from England and the other from Ireland, while Eastern Europe is represent- ed by eight young people from Bulgaria and three from Romania. These young people are paired with outstanding Jewish educators whose goal will be to examine Jewish thought and leadership from Biblical times through contemporary Israel and the Jewish world. They will participate in daily seminars, travel to sites where Jewish history actually happened, have opportunities for self-expression through arts and crafts, and actually form their own Jewish community. I can't help but be excited about the impact that this program will have on its participants. However, just being in Israel on a teen program is so important to the lives of our young people. Where else can they incorporate the different senses of Jewishness they will experience here, the idea of homeland, and how Israel and the Diaspora interre- late. For me, Israel visits have always resulted in unique, cherished memories. - I remember the first time I stepped off the plane, saw the "Welcome to Israel" sign at Ben Gurion airport, and realized that I had become the first in my family to reach the Jewish homeland. - I remember working the land at Moledet, a moshav sh'tulei near Afula, getting up at 4:00 in the morning to pick melons. - I remember traveling for five clays across the Sinai peninsula, with the highlight of climbing Mt. Sinai in the pitch black of night for three arduous hours. - I remember standing at attention in downtown Jerusalem with drivers who stopped their cars and did the same as the siren sounded on Yom Hazikaron (Israel Memorial Day) remembering those who had fallen in defense of the State. - I remember watching fireworks shoot into the sky over Tiberias from a boat in the middle of the Kinneret on Yam Haatzmaut (Israel Independence Day). - I remember seeing Yitzchak Rabin speak to us at an Israeli airbase, already a hero but not yet a martyr. - I remember the first time I approached the Kotel (Western Wall), our tie to the Second Temple, how I caressed it, and stood as a Jew, a part of history. How important is an Israel experience for today's youth? It adjusts our perspective, fans the flame of our identity, and makes a permanent connection to the Land and its People. Don't let your child or grandchild miss out on the Israel experience. And when you do decide to send him/her, consider all the opportunities that BBYO has to offer. From humble beginnings in Omaha, Nebraska, to tremendous growth throughout the nation, the continent, and the world. Through peacetime and wartime, from generation to 1 generation, through volunteer leadership and professional social workers, BBYO has stood the test of time. BBYO - an organization that has been constantly challenged to exhibit its relevance to the youth of the day...and one that has consistently met that challenge. Leadership Training - preparing our youth to be the leaders of tomorrow's community, both Jewish and secular. Jewish Heritage - helping our young people find a place for themselves in Jewish life - one with which they will be comfortable. Community Service - developing the concept of caring about others and putting that concept into action, both through personal involvement and a sensitivity to charitable giving. Brotherhood/Sisterhood - solidifying relationships among the many teens involved toward the end of creating "Friends For Life." Relation to Israel - fostering understanding and support of Israel's unique mission in the world and its strategic importance to Diaspora Jewish communities. Have we clone it? Has BBYO succeeded in its mission? Just look around you. Look at business leaders, civic leaders, rabbis and Jewish educators, synagogue and temple leaders, Federation leaders, and, of course, B'nai B'rith leaders. Walk into any gathering of Jewish people and take a poll. BBYO alumni are everywhere and involved in everything. From the storefront on Seven Mile Road to the one on James Couzens in Detroit, from the office on Ten Mile and Lahser to the one on Twelve Mile and Lathrop in Southfield, from Northwestern Highway in Southfield to Maple and Drake in West Bloomfield, the BBYO office has moved from place to place, following the pattern of Jewish demographics in the last 40 years. One thing that has not moved, however, is the place that BBYO holds in the hearts of those who came through the program. Toward that end, our BBYO Board shall continue to strive to provide the kind of support to our young people that will allow them to achieve success for themselves and, through them, for BBYO. Seventy-five years is not enough - here's to the next seventy-five years of serving our community's greatest treasure - its Jewish youth. B'shalom, Sincerely, Arnold J. Weiner, MSW Senior Executive Regional Director Deborah Stern Chairperson, BBYO Board of Directors BBYO ] OCTOBER 10 Council Caravans to Ann Arbor & Windsor - 12:30 p.m. OCTOBER 16 AZA 75th Anniversary Celebration Gem Theatre, Detroit - 8:30 p.m. OCTOBER 17 BBG Mind Body Attitude (MBA) Day West Bloomfield JCC FLANS B - B - Y - O Biggest Best Youth Organization! OCTOBER 29-31 Fall Conclave - Camp Maas, Ortonville NOVEMBER 21 Jewish Heritage Night - West Bloomfield JCC - 7:00-8:30 p.m. DECEMBER 23-28 Regional Convention West Bloomfield JCC JANUARY 21 Jewish Heritage Night - Synagogue/ Temple TBA - 8:00-10:30 p.m. JANUARY 28-30 Senior Getaway Weekend - Milan Conference Centre - Belle River, Ontario OCT. 17-DEC. 5 AZA Flag Football League - West Bloomfield JCC - 2:00-4:00 p.m. JANUARY 8-9 Advisor Training Overnight Windsor, Ontario FEBRUARY 4-6 Young Leadership Conclave I - Milan Conf. Centre - Belle River, Ontario OCTOBER 24 BBYO Summer Program Open House & Parent Meeting - WBJCC JANUARY 16-APRIL 9 AZA Basketball League - West Bloomfield JCC - 5:00-7:00 p.m. FEBRUARY 25-27 Young Leadership Conclave II - Milan Conf. Centre - Belle River, Ontario BBYO ITYACHAD 0 TOGETHER 0 BBYO aNACHAD 0 TOGETHER 0 BBYO BAACHAD 0 TOGETHER 0 BBYO BAACHAD 0 TOGETHER