by Erica Arbetter, North Texas Oklahoma Region
Though it was a bit unconventional due to the change in weather, The Day of Service was just as, if not more, compelling, engaging, and stimulating than originally planned. Instead of going out to organizations in the Dallas community, we spent the day with each other; speaking about various proposed bills, ways to get involved with our own communities, and the possible causes in which we as Jewish teens can make a difference. Overall the day was not only invigorating, it got every single participant ready and excited to get active both as an order and as individuals in our own communities.
From the Dallas Morning News Neighbors Go Section:
“Can you change the world without changing yourself?”
Over 700 Jewish teens from around the world considered their answer to this question as they participated in an advocacy simulation program designed to teach them real-world lobbying skills. The program was part of an international convention hosted by BBYO, the world’s leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement.
The question came from Max Klau, Director of Leadership and Development at City Year, a leading service organization working with youth and partnering with BBYO. Klau was kicking-off the convention’s Day of Service programming which included educating teens on today’s “hot” issues and then dividing them into groups to advocate for their position.
“I really enjoyed the simulation,” said Rose Pansick, 17, of Dallas. “It was cool to take a side on an issue. We studied immigration and in the end everyone was divided on what the legislation should say.”
Throughout the day, teens ran through a series of intensive programs surrounding different aspects of service, advocacy and social entrepreneurship. Through a Jewish lens, the teens discussed how their values encourage them to play an active role in changing the world, such as getting involved in environmental awareness and activism, or Haiti disaster relief efforts.
Many of the teens in attendance could speak from their own personal experience as part of an international BBYO board working to rally teens across the world for Haiti recovery. Acting on what they’ve learned through similar programming, the teens have already created a Facebook group with over 10,000 friends to help provide education around the recovery needs, and they’ve worked through their individual chapters to raise money for the cause by hosting benefit dinners and dances and creating a Haiti disaster relief t-shirt for sale.
Before Dallas received record snow accumulation, the Day of Service program was intended to place the teens in the community, working at 18 service locations including Texas Trees, Goodwill and the American Red Cross. When the weather prohibited transportation and outdoor service activities, BBYO quickly enacted their contingency plan with the advocacy simulation.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to serve the entire Dallas community in the way that we had planned,” said Shayna Kreisler, the convention’s director. “However, we really seized the opportunity to make the teens appreciate advocacy in a new way and learn how service intersects with Jewish values.”
The Day of Service was a headlining event of BBYO’s International Convention, which sets the course for the upcoming year, determining strategies for strengthening BBYO as a youth-led movement and connecting teens to the Jewish community at large. Nearly 50 teens from the Dallas-community are attending IC, which annually brings together Jewish teens from North America, Bulgaria, Turkey, France, the United Kingdom and Israel.
Be sure to check out the Day of Service Photo Album!
Interview with Max Klau, Director of Leadership and Development, City Year:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLQJMDgOy2A
BBYO Teens Stand Up:
