This is my favorite month of the year because February has the best weekend of the year, which is, of course, INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION! IC is a celebration of all the amazing things BBYO does over the course of the year. From Plenary to sightseeing and everything in between, there are so many exciting moments I am eager to reminisce about.
GAW was an opportunity I was always excited about. I always loved meeting teens from new communities at IC, and I saw GAW as an amazing way to do that. I am one of the lucky Americans who got to participate in this week, and it lived up to all my hopes and dreams. I stayed in a hotel with all of the staff, but as teens came off their long flights from every corner of the world to unite with their Denver host families, the energy was electric. But the energy did not stop there—we opened the week at the Denver Jewish Day School and spent time getting to know each other. We got into Shabbat, and host families did everything from experiencing the great Rocky Mountain nature to checking out clothing pop-ups, enjoying the mall, and, most importantly, indulging in some American fast food. To say "Shavua Tov" and head into the next week, we went to the Temple Nightclub in Denver for an incredible Eric Hunker Havdalah and party.
Sunday came quickly, and we were complete as the rest of the Global Ambassadors coordinators and participants arrived while RMR teens hosted Super Bowl parties. Monday was another day of connecting with new teens and the fan-favorite Global Showcase, where each community brought their own snacks and toys to exchange. We finished the night at a Nuggets game, arriving early to see the team warm up before playing the Trail Blazers, and we got to see Israeli Trail Blazer Deni Avdija. It was amazing to be reunited with the teens on Steering I had met on community visits, and we got to see so much more of them when we moved to the IC hotel the next day.
We arrived at the Gaylord, ready to hit the ground running and start building the convention. We came to prepare our various position responsibilities while helping the Steering team finish stuffing name tags and wristbands. My favorite position responsibility was Execs! We spent Wednesday setting up our room for the business meeting as all the presidents we had spent the prior Executive Conference with began to filter in. That night, we engaged in deep, heated discussions about pivotal legislation that was passed to propel BBYO into its second century. We also had the chance to meet with the many adult stakeholders who had come to experience IC during our Executive Banquet.
The next day, we boarded the buses to head to an amazing sports complex, where we got to run the presidents through an out-of-the-box LTI. After lunch, we boarded our buses to join the dozens of others meeting us at the Gaylord because it was time for IC!
Thursday flew by quickly as Plenary doors opened and 3,500 teens came running into the room, belting out spirited chants. We kicked off the convention with a bang, from announcing our new Miller Institute for Democracy to a gripping October 7th story from a Maccabi Tzair teen and the favorite community roll call! Not to mention an awesome Andy Grammer performance.
The next morning, several teens left for AZAA/BBGG competitions and Lead Labs, while many more came together to elect the 101st Grand and 81st International Boards. It was very clear that the Movement was in good hands with stellar candidates across the board, and we were successful in electing two full boards! Huge congratulations to all the candidates—I cannot wait to see what Logan Reich, my successor, will accomplish.
The tracks returned to the hotel to prepare for a very special Shabbat. This Shabbat is so special because, through our plethora of options, you can see pluralism at its finest. After the traditional chicken dinner and some great onegs, we headed to sleep before the fun of Saturday.
Saturday is exciting not just because of our great services but because of the incredible celebrities. From the focused Limmud sessions throughout the day to the Mainstage, where they addressed the full convention body, it was a day to remember. But it was not just celebrities on the stage that night—our International Board also took the stage to give the annual State of the Movement. It was indescribable speaking on stage in front of so many teens, and I was proud of the amazing year BBYO had.
To close out the State of the Movement, we launched the brand-new AZA and BBG Ritual Showcase. Teens led amazing Separates, Bootcamps, and so many more enriching programs to highlight all sides of BBYO’s traditions.
Sunday, we split up once again to go on various sightseeing trips around Denver. I was excited to be on the food tour and got to try tasty tacos around downtown Denver. After some time at a mall, we came back to the hotel with full bellies for some restful chofesh before the Block Party. From sports to goats to our headline performances, there was something amazing at every turn of the Block Party. It is such a joyful night to end an incredible weekend. The night finished with sad goodbyes after the experience of a lifetime.
Being home felt foreign after spending so many nights at the Gaylord, but, as for so many, the post-IC sickness hit. I spent time at home recovering and getting excited for the end of the month so I could hit the road again. I am excited to spend the next three months continuing to fill this amazing role, and you can follow along @azagodol and #mapmez!
Dan is an Aleph from Evergreen Region and is serving as the 100th Grand Aleph Godol.
All views expressed on content written for The Shofar represent the opinions and thoughts of the individual authors. The author biography represents the author at the time in which they were in BBYO.
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