If you are a Canadian/International member of BBYO (and yes, there is a difference), this article may be for you! As a Vancouver, Canada-born and raised BBYO member, I treasure my friendships with my US Alephs and BBGs. I also find myself adapting some of the BBYO practices to fit our local community, and I asked some of my international friends how they “BBYO.”  Here’s how some of the international chapters adjust their programs to fit local cultures and traditions while keeping BBYO’s core values.

Let’s start with what I love about the US. The US is loud and proud and creates an incredible atmosphere that is magnetic. Americans do not hold back! Their large population base and higher relative density of Jewish teens allow for more frequent and well-attended meetings with a full roster of positions and regional chapters.

On the other hand, in areas with a geographically dispersed Jewish teen population, such as Vancouver, we are collaborating with other Jewish teen-centered organizations like NCSY.  The “Regional” positions may be more akin to chapter roles in larger centers until the chapter grows. As such, the focus for BBYO is often on growth before being able to go deeper into Jewish programming. 

Smaller chapters internationally use program meetings where teens can hang out and make genuine social connections, as budgets and numbers may not allow elaborate events. Additionally, Advisors may be called upon to help out more and act as mentors where leadership skills may still be developing. Virtual meetings and leveraging global events are also ways for smaller chapters to stay connected with the rest of BBYO around the world. 

Cultural differences create a real need to adapt what we learn in ILTC to our local chapter. For example, Canadians are often noted for their politeness and tendency to use "sorry" or “pardon” frequently in day-to-day conversation. Canada is often treated as the amusing sibling to Big Brother USA. We have a more demure marketing approach (some may even say cutesy) and some campaign ideas simply don’t translate into the Canadian marketplace. 

Language can sometimes create different expectations. Before I joined BBYO, a fraternity was something I only knew from movies about US college campus life. When talking to prospects, I find myself needing to slowly introduce terms like “sorority” or “fraternity” so as not to freak out prospective new members who may otherwise think it is some sort of cult! This may be hard for some Americans to understand. 

My Bulgarian friends noted that scripts, in general, do not play out well in their community. Instead, they need to personalize the wording and approach to suit their members when delivering programs. They also engage in more frequent community service projects, which are valued in their community, and note that fundraising is not as socially accepted due to fundamental cultural differences. Lastly, not all teens are even comfortable publicly identifying as Jewish, so they find that a more pluralistic approach that emphasizes leadership first is better received.

At ILTC, I spoke to a Madricha from South Africa who shared some ideas that had worked in her community. Similar to Bulgaria, she found that a leadership program that happened to be for Jewish teens was better received than a Jewish teen organization that also taught leadership skills. She also had the idea to rally teens around the exciting prospect of attending IC but made a few of the preceding events a prerequisite. It allowed the teens to meet, create bonds, get excited about BBYO before IC, and reactivate some inactive members.

On a practical level, many BBYO systems are US-based and must be re-created by international chapters. Attending US events is also a more costly and logistically difficult endeavor for Canadians. Internationals are not even given the option to “choose” to go but must apply for limited opportunities to attend some US events. 

BBYO has a huge opportunity to grow in the Canadian and International communities, and I believe a great way to start this would be to have more programming delivered by the many international advisors around what they do in their home communities, recognizing that there are many differences, cultural and otherwise. I am so excited to bring the best of BBYO to my region and be a voice for Canadians at the BBYO table as well.