Shana Tova!

With another year comes a new IC Launch, new summer promo, new chapters, and so much more! From the West Coast to the East Coast, I have been visiting communities throughout October, and there is a lot for me to tell you.

South Jersey Region:

After a restful and reflective trip back to Mercer Island for the High Holidays, it was time to hit the road with a full tummy from break fast. I went straight to the airport to board an overnight flight to wake up in South Jersey. South Jersey was a very full trip. I came straight from the airport to Masada’s parent barbecue, and it was packed. It was great to meet so many teens interested in getting more deeply involved in BBYO, as well as to see them engage their parents in a meaningful way. The regional board meeting the next day was just as amazing. I had the opportunity to join the presidents for their meeting and got to see their planning process and strategic thinking for convention, general membership, tradition, and more. One of the most enriching parts of this visit was meeting with two former Grand Aleph Godolim. I had the opportunity to meet with Evan Herron and Adam Bloom, the 84th and 85th Grand Aleph Godolim, who shared incredible insight into my year. After some great chapter presidents and AZA regional board dinners, we finished the visit with an AZA ritual night and got to see Alephs of all ages grapple with AZA’s history and traditions in a really meaningful way.

‍Connecticut Valley Region:

After a troublesome train ride up north, I arrived in Stamford, Connecticut! Currently holding the highest Dine With Dan rating, they had some very tasty food to try. From prospects to members and alumni, I met with a wide range of stakeholders in the area and enjoyed every conversation. With the regional board, we discussed legislation they want to pass at their conventions and what we are looking for on college campuses. We also talked about calendaring, programming, and how to facilitate events in a way that engages members. With alumni, we discussed traditions that had been lost and how to re-educate current members on those traditions. After several meetings, we took the bus up to the Woodbridge JCC for CVRPALOOZA! This event featured many incredible BBYO boy bands, games, scavenger hunts, and more. It was great to see such a huge kickoff pulled off at such a high level, with the regional board crushing the H of one of BBYO’s favorite acronyms. After one final great meal, we reflected on the wins and growth areas of the event and enjoyed the overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Rocky Mountain Region:

For my longest trip to date, I crossed the country to Denver for some RMR time and to see the IC site. Wow. I think this IC site is the best one I have ever been to. From incredible facilities and food to the vibrant views of Denver, this is going to be quite the convention. The food tasting was a dream for a foodie like me, and you should check out @dinewithdan100 for the inside scoop on our IC eats. RMR time was full of meetings. We kicked off the weekend with regional meetings where all of the Denver chapters gathered at a local temple to meet in their chapters and run a variety of activities. From good & welfare and official business meetings to rap battles, everyone was engaged in their own unique, fun program. We also had the opportunity to meet with the teens as a region and elevate the excitement about IC. From 6 to Klutznick to Boulder, I met with a myriad of boards for a myriad of reasons. Each board is doing incredible work and building their chapters in a different way, but each has seen so much improvement. A week after those first regional meetings, I attended the next Regional Board & Steering meetings. After leaving last week's meetings with many questions and some lack of clarity, the team took the week to recenter and came into this meeting with a clear vision and goals, making immense progress on their convention. I am excited to see this convention continue to come together and to come back in February!

Coast to Coast

I am sad to leave my home on the West Coast once again, but there are so many fun stops on the East Coast to come see. Go follow @azagodol and #mapmez to follow along with my travels, and I will see you on the road!