BBYO & We The Future - The Jewish Standard

Two weekends ago, I had my Jewish soul touched and my commitment to the vitality of Judaism, the Jewish people, and Jewish community in America and Israel reinvigorated. I had the privilege and pleasure to volunteer my time for BBYO’s international convention, held in Philadelphia. More than 3,400 Jewish teenagers from across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa — every continent except for Antarctica! — and from Israel converged in the City of Brotherly Love to demonstrate their passionate, devoted, and dedicated commitment to Judaism, Amcha, and Israel.

As a Jewish communal executive, I have proudly served the Jewish community for more than 47 years, and during that time I have had many wonderful, memorable, and meaningful Jewish experiences. Each conference, mission, workshop, and program have filled my heart and my soul with Jewish awareness, knowledge, pride, purpose, and inspiration. They strengthened my personal Jewish identity and commitment as well as my professional dedication and devotion to Amcha.

However, nothing could prepare me for what I experienced at BBYO’s IC. Just being in the Philadelphia Convention Center halls as thousands of Jewish teens gathered to celebrate themselves, being Jewish, Israel, and the whole of the Jewish people was inspiring. To be in the presence of our Jewish young adults as they welcomed Shabbat in a dining hall filled with thousands of proud young Jews was, simply, mind-blowing! Listening to them sing Shalom Aleichem and chant the Kiddush and Hamotzi was an emotional high unlike any I had experienced.

I watched them excitedly and eagerly attend a wide variety of plenaries and workshops ranging from leadership development to Israel affairs and advocacy, Jewish learning, and music labs, tikkun olam, and even an IC film festival showing short videos produced by BBYO teens that centered on Jewish pride, confidence, and joy.

They also heard from and listened attentively to important messages from Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, freed Israeli hostage Omer Wenkert, as well as TikTok stars Danny and Zach Guarino, actress Rebel Wilson, and chef Michael Solomonov.

Several hundred BBYOers gathered a week before the IC began for an intensive global ambassadors week, with cultural exchanges and leadership development workshops. The entire convention body participated in a full day of social action and tikkun olam projects across the greater Philadelphia Jewish and greater community. The teens enjoyed local sightseeing and activities across the region. And of course, there was plenty of fun, camaraderie, singing, and dancing, in both large and small groups, or just a few teens engaged in conversation and friendship.

There were young Jews from around the world speaking Hebrew, Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese, and many other languages but sharing in one common Jewish language of Jewish pride, community, service, and Israel. There was the unmistakable sense of passion, dedication, and commitment to vibrant, dynamic Jewish life, and unabashed and clear love for Zionism and Israel.

The theme of this year’s BBYO International Convention was “We The Future.” It noted Philadelphia’s legacy as the birthplace of American democracy 250 years ago. More importantly, it loudly and clearly voiced BBYO’s mission and commitment to empower young Jews to lead the Jewish people and community with courage and purpose, both today and into the future.

I have no doubt that most of the 3,400+ Jewish teens at the BBYO IC returned home to their families, communities, and the whole of the Jewish people committed to moving from conversation to action and to live and lead meaningful and purposeful Jewish lives.

Is our collective Jewish future alive and hopeful? In our post-October 7th Jewish world, where so many are struggling with questions and issues of Jewish identity and Israel, where many of our young people are afraid to openly celebrate and share their Jewish identities, wear a mezuzah or magen David, or display an Israeli flag for fear of antisemitism and Jew hatred, BBYO has found an important answer and pathway toward the Jewish future. Where many Jews today are running away and hiding, BBYO is nurturing a Jewish generation that is running toward joyful Jewish life.

Having been in the presence of these amazing Jewish young adults, as well as the hundreds of BBYO staff, volunteer advisors, and generous donors, I fervently believe our future is both hopeful and bright. BBYO has created, nurtured, and sustained something special, and has developed a secret sauce for Jewish awareness, pride, and commitment for young adults that quite frankly is a formula for other Jewish youth groups to adopt and that today’s adult Jewish leadership community can learn from and embrace.

Todah rabah and kol hakavod, BBYO!

Elliot B. Karp, the director of philanthropy at Temple Emanu-El of Westfield, has been a Jewish communal professional for more than 45 years. He is the former CEO of both the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas and Hillels of Georgia.

Opinion