A new joint program of BBYO and the JCC Association of North America offers membership in local BBYO chapters to teens, in grades eight to 12, with at least one parent in the U.S. military or diplomatic corps.
“Teens will maintain their membership status in BBYO, even if the family moves to a new duty station, and will be eligible for discounts and scholarships for BBYO regional, national and international events,” stated the nonprofit Jewish teen movement.
Membership typically costs $249—a one-time fee when teens join.
“By becoming a member, teens can attend exclusive member-only events like regional conventions and international programs like International Convention,” Jen Appel, marketing communications manager of events and experiences, told JNS. “In addition, teens that are members are eligible to run for a leadership role within their home region or at the international level.”
Gary Levin, senior vice president of community impact at BBYO, told JNS that the partnership “extends BBYO’s reach to teens from military families and communities that don’t typically have access to a robust Jewish infrastructure or programming.”
“As a diverse and expanding global movement, it’s opportunities like this that truly enhance our mission of ‘more Jewish teens, more meaningful Jewish experiences,’ ” he said.