Meeting the Jewish leaders of tomorrow at BBYO’s International Convention
Over Presidents Day weekend, the Hillel International Student and Alumni Marketing team traveled to Orlando, Florida for BBYO’s International Convention (IC), the largest gathering of Jewish teen leaders worldwide. Nearly 4,000 high school students from across the country and around the world gathered together for several days of learning, leadership training, celebration, and service. And BBYO celebrated its Centennial year too!
Our favorite moments from the weekend included:
1. Free swag!
Who doesn’t love free Hillel swag?!? We gave out branded hats, fuzzy socks, belt bags, first aid kits, stickers, buttons, and more — plus freedom tags to display our continued commitment to bring home the hostages held by Hamas — so students could show off their Jewish and Hillel pride throughout the conference.
2. Sponsoring the senior lunch
As many high school seniors prepare to head off to college in the fall, Hillels on campuses across North America will be ready to welcome them to their Jewish home away from home for the next four years. And as seniors make their college decision, we encourage them to sign up for the free Hillel Welcome Gift!
3. Spending the day at Central Florida Hillel
With a state-of-the-art building, volleyball court and swimming pool (hello Florida sunshine!), and one of the largest undergraduate Jewish populations in the country, the UCF Hillel was a prime location to host events during IC. Plus, BBYO students who attended programming held at the Hillel building got a glimpse of what Jewish life on campus is like. Hillel students from UCF, University of Southern Florida, and other local schools also served as volunteers.
4. A mobile petting zoo
We had the joy of bringing in baby animals from Bella’s Little Farm. Students got to spend some quiet time during the conference with the cutest bunnies and guinea pigs, a chicken, a baby pig, and the sweetest little goat. Hillel understands the importance of mental health and wellness, and we hope this was a welcome break from the craziness of the conference for the students and staff who stopped by.
5. Connecting with partner organizations
From BBYO and RootOne to AEPi, AEPhi, and ZBT to Masa and Repair the World, there’s a whole collection of organizations that we work with to best serve Jewish students at all phases of their lives in high school, college, and beyond.