K-F's Spotlight on Seniors

For the past 3 years, I have been an active member of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO), which is the largest Jewish Youth Group in the world, with over 16,000 members from 42 different Regions. I am a member of the Big Apple Region (BAR), covering the five boroughs. I held the position of Chapter Treasurer/ Vice President of Fundraising my sophomore year, raising over $2,100 through many different fundraisers. Simultaneously, I served as the Regional Summer Program Promotions Chairwoman.

During my junior year I served as Regional Treasurer/ Vice President of Fundraising of BAR, raising over $4,500 by running many fundraisers and I also wrote a 53 page book teaching all Chapter Treasurers about fundraising. In addition to serving as Regional Treasurer, junior year, I also served as the International Fundraising Chairwoman and was in charge of keeping in monthly contact with 40 Regional Treasurers.

This year, I have taken on an even greater load in the Organization. I am currently the Regional President of BAR, in charge of visiting all 8 female chapters around the region, overseeing the Regional Board as well as the entire Region and representing BAR to the International Order. I also wrote a 70 page training manual for all Chapter Presidents. In addition to serving as Regional President, I serve as the International Secretary/ Treasurer of BBYO. I was actually one out of ten youths elected to represent our 16,000 members throughout the US, Canada, Israel, Bulgaria, France England, Australia and Africa. I’m responsible for Co-editing our international newspaper, maintaining monthly communication with 80 Regional Secretaries and Treasurers worldwide, producing packets and booklets to train those secretaries and treasurers, attending Board Meetings in Washington DC, paid for by the organization and co-coordinating International Leadership Training Conference 2006, the organizations’ largest summer program.

The workload is certainly plentiful, however, it’s this work that has shaped me into the person I am today. This organization changed me as a person. I owe every skill of mine regarding public speaking, time management, being a leader and working under pressure to this organization. Aside from the lessons I learned in BBYO that will forever impact my life, I have also made countless friendships with many members of the organization. I can honestly say that if I were to show up in about 90% of the states in the US, I can comfortably call up someone I became close with on a summer program and ask if I could stay at their place. I even talk to people from Israel almost every day before I leave for school. I am the person I am today because of this organization. Though it takes up a great deal of time and energy, joining BBYO is and always will be the best thing that ever happened to me and one of the most important aspects of my life.