Serving as my chapter’s Sh’licha (shoutout Yachad BBG #41) for two terms has really allowed me to come up with creative and engaging Israel reports. I know when chapter meetings were in person, it was much easier to get the members to answer your questions and listen to what you were trying to relay to them. But when things switched over to Zoom, it became much harder to make sure that you are being heard and that people are listening to you. I am here to give you some fun, maybe never seen before ideas of an Israel Report or Judaism based programs that will get the whole International Order talking about it!‍

1. Mystery Program‍

During Sukkot, I reached out to my S’ganit (collaboration is KEY), and we brainstormed a super fun “Who Stole the Lulav and the Etrog” program. Everyone had so much fun, and you can be super creative with it. We used Google Slides and other outlets to create the clues! Collaborating with your chapter S’gan or S’ganit can allow for some super fun and interactive programming!‍

2. Padlet‍

I recently found out that Padlet has a bunch of features other than the anonymous sticky note option. A really cool feature they have is creating your own map, so if you need to show a visual of different countries and areas, you can share your screen so the participants understand what you’re talking about. I used this when asking more personal questions that some people may not feel comfortable talking about to other people and this way it is anonymous.‍

3. GimKit‍

I have never used this software in a BBYO setting before, but it could be super fun for an Israel Report. I used it in my AP Gov class for test review, and it was much more interactive and competitive than a standard Kahoot. After answering questions correctly, the participants can get “money” and buy power-ups. They can even freeze another participant's screen so they cannot answer questions! I would use this when testing holiday knowledge such as Hanukkah, and you and your chapter board can maybe coordinate a prize for the winner!‍

4. Skits‍

Although breakout rooms can be super stressful, it is a great way to interact and get to know people in a smaller setting. One of the ideas I have for this is using the breakout room tool and having people pick their favorite Jewish holiday. When in those breakout rooms, they have to create a skit based on the holiday and you can create certain criteria (must include a celebrity, act as if it was a ‘Saturday Night Live’ Sketch, etc). There are so many things you can do with this resource, and skits are a fun way to get people laughing and paying attention. 

I hope some of you found some inspiration from these and use them! I know Zoom and being all virtual can be very stressful so I hope this took some of the burdens off of you and gives you ideas for the future!