Capc ?Vown
BBYO Power
Large Michigan delegation attends
international convention in D.C.
YEARBOOK
At IC: Joe
Freedman, 17,
Walled Lake; Jason
IP
Markowi z, AZA
Regiona godol
(preside t), 18,
Southfie d; Bri Dines,
BBG Regional n'siah
(president), 17, West
Bloomfield.
Noah Betman and
Jacob Nitzkin
Teen2Teen Staff Writers
0
ver President's Day weekend,
32 Michigan teens attended
BBYO's annual International
Convention. This year, IC was held in
Washington, D.C., and began with a
welcome video message from President
Barack Obama to an audience of more
than 1,500 Jewish teen leaders of AZA
and BBG from 18 countries.
"This gathering gives you a chance to
affirm your faith and recommit your-
selves to the enduring values this orga-
nization represents:' Obama said.
He then encouraged the teens to
return home, spread their enthusiasm
and show the important role that young
people play in making a difference in
society.
The convention body heard from
Michael Froman, assistant to the
president and deputy national security
adviser for international economic
affairs. Froman, an alumnus of BBYO
and former Grand Aleph Godol (inter-
national teen president of AZA), ref-
erenced BBYO as having contributed
most to who he is today.
At the BBYO Stand UP Day of
Service and Advocacy plenary, BBYO
welcomed alumni engaged in Jewish
communal service, educational and
entrepreneurial work around the
world. The annual BBYO Stand UP
Lifetime Achievement Award was
given to DNC Chairwoman and
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman
Schultz (D-FL), who spoke about the
importance of standing up for criti-
cal causes of the day. Participants also
heard remarks from Josh Mandel
(R-OH), a Marine Corps veteran and
state treasurer of Ohio.
Wrapping up the plenary, United
States Ambassador to the United
Nations Susan Rice delivered a call to
action before the delegates went into
the D.C. community for hands-on ser-
vice and advocacy training.
"International Convention in D.C.
was an experience I will never forget.
The magnitude of BBYO as a move-
ment can easily be expressed by the
sheer energy within the walls of the
convention. It was also an honor to
participate in the history of BBYO and
bring that experience back home to
my chapter and region:' said Matthew
Firsten, 18, of West Bloomfield.
"International Convention was a
display of BBYO's incredible move-
ment and thriving potential," said
Jenna Weberman, 16, of Bloomfield
Hills. "Thousands of Jewish teens from
across the globe gathered together in
D.C. with the most passion, energy
and excitement that I've seen in my
life! This experience was truly unfor-
gettable, and I cannot wait to go back
next year!"
Blake Isaacs, 17, of Farmington
Hills said, "IC was an experience of a
lifetime where I met new friends and
was a part of something bigger than
myself. Being there at the largest IC
ever and one of the largest gatherings
of Jewish teens is something I will
never forget:'
❑
Noah Betman, 18, lives in West Bloomfield;
Jacob Nitzkin, 16, lives in Farmington Hills.
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April 4 • 2013
49