For 78 years, BBG has been a home to leaders, activists, and most importantly, families. My grandmother was the first in our family to become a B’nai B’rith Girl. Being a woman from Southern Virginia, she had her fair share of struggles. However, it was because of her time in BBYO, and serving many positions, that she was able to become the leader she is today. She went on to go to college, become a nurse, practice for many years, become a professor, and then retire and serve as her synagogues president.

My mother, her sisters, my cousins, and now I have followed in her footsteps. Every one of us that became an Aleph or BBG has served as leaders in our communities, as my grandmother preaches giving back to the people around us. Through all of our terms and the countless positions the levinson-samuels-kamer-seigel’s have held, my grandmother was (and is) our biggest supporter.

My grandmother made me the person I am today. She inspires me to pursue the opportunities and positions which I now hold and persist when things get tough. She makes me more passionate about something which I didn’t know I could become more passionate about.

She IS what BBG embodies.

Over the years, I have been able to meet and become friends with the daughters and granddaughters of my mother’s and grandmother’s friends from their time in BBYO. Both from Norfolk, Virginia, they are proud alumna of Tidewater BBG.

At International Convention, I was able to bring my mother and grandmother to the convention for opening ceremonies (the first IC that she had been to in 60 years) and was able to surprise my Grandmother. We were then interviewed about our family’s story, where we had the opportunity to share why BBG has been so important to our family and bonded us more than we could ever imagine.

To learn more about my family’s story and our involvement in this amazing organization keep an eye out for that interview and hopefully my grandmother can inspire you too.

So, once again, happy BBG Founders Day from my family to yours.

❤️❤️❤️