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Federation Star
September 2021
FOCUS ON YOUTH
Developing leaders By Jessica Zimmerman, Regional Director, North Florida Region
S
halom Naples! We are so excited that BBYO is back and stronger than ever in Southwest Florida. Our community sent five teens to BBYO domestic summer programs this past summer. One of those teens, Kylie Bell, shares her experience with us in this month’s column.
I’m Kylie Bell, and I’m the 2021 fall term N’siah (President) of Mishpacha BBG, North Florida Region’s Naples BBG chapter. Over the summer, I had the privilege of attending the Chapter Leadership Training Conference (CLTC), a BBYO summer experience leadership camp. Ever since learning about CLTC, I’ve wanted to go. BBYO has been a passion of mine for the last few years and that passion has grown even more because of my time at the leadership conference. I spent 12 days in Poyntelle, Pennsylvania learning leadership and life skills while making lifelong friends. While there, I brainstormed with other Jewish teens on how to create successful programs, including how to make them engaging for all members and how to correctly host them.
Programming is a vital we in a COVID pod together, part of the organization. Since but we made the most of it by beginning my own BBG meeting new people. Both of journey in 8th grade, I’ve been us grew closer to the girls in our fortunate to attend several cabins as well as the AZA boys. local, regional, national and When our pods were finally international events. CLTC able to commingle, we each taught me that even small introduced all of the friends programs can have an amazwe’d made, and our friend Jessica ing outcome. Additionally, groups grew larger. Zimmerman I learned how to improve Making new JewNaples’ small chapters and how to ish friends and creating memories increase membership. with them was my favorite part of Inclusivity was one of the themes at CLTC. I’ll miss the cabin story “tells” CLTC. We had the unique opportunity at 1 a.m., filming weird TikToks, talkto watch the movie, “The Hate U Give,” ing about life problems and taking followed by a recorded interview with funny photos. the screenwriter. Afterwards, our cabins I believe that every BBYO member discussed how the movie related to the should have the opportunity to attend world today. In BBYO, we talk about a BBYO summer experience. Everyone the world’s problems and how it affects who attends CLTC comes back with us. Making our chapters inclusive is a a different story to share about their priority in BBYO. experience and how it positively shaped Another theme at CLTC was sisterthem as a person. Attending CLTC comhood. My cabin was made up of the most pletely changed me. Going in, I was so amazing 13 girls I’ve ever met. nervous, but as soon as I got there, I felt We quickly bonded with each immediately welcomed. other. Now I can say I have I would like to thank Jewish Fedfriends in north Texas and eration of Greater Naples and BBYO. the Denver, Colorado area. In Without these organizations’ support, I fact, I made friends from all wouldn’t have been able to attend. As a over the international order. result of the conference, I will be a stronI’m already counting down ger leader and my passion for BBYO will the days until February’s never stop growing. BBYO International ConI can’t wait to utilize everything I vention in Baltimore, when learned at CLTC with the Naples chapters I’ll see my friends again. If I this year. hadn’t attended, I wouldn’t To help more teens like Kylie attend sumhave met them. mer programs and assist our community to I traveled to CLTC with host epic Jewish programming in the Greater my close friend and MishNaples community, consider donating to pacha, BBG’s S’ganit (Vice Naples BBYO’s fundraising effort. You President), Elinor Levy. We can find us on the web at https://fan.bbyo. didn’t share a cabin nor were org/support/donate/nfr or you can send a check directly to headquarters at Naples BBYO, 800 Eighth Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. Naples teens gather every Wednesday at the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples from 7 to 8 p.m. for programming, all teen led. We are kicking off the year by taking in the sunset from kayaks and paddleboards at Lowdermilk Beach Park from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 5. All eighth- through twelfth-grade Jewish teens in Southwest Florida are invited and encouraged to attend this epic event. You can find more information at https://bbyo.org/bbyo-near-you/regions/ north-florida-region/fall-kickoff-southwatersports-and-sunset. Or feel free to email me at jesszimmerman@bbyo.org.
