AZA and BBG, it’s me again with another #KeepingPace, and this time it’s November! I’m pretty sure that I’ve lost all concept of time because as I was looking back at which visits happened this month, my jaw dropped because it felt like ages ago. With that being said, it’s been a special month and I’m excited to get into it with you:

You know the drill! My #KeepingPace Table of Contents:

• Hey!
• North Texas Oklahoma
• New York City – ADL Conference
• Kentucky Indiana Ohio
• Home
• Poland – European Leadership Training Institute
• Takehomes

Let’s get into it…hey everyone! When we left off, I was at Board of Directors in Chicago, meeting with the Perlman family and presenting to the Board on what’s going on with BBYO’s teens. After an extra few days in Chi Town with my mom, I headed south to North Texas Oklahoma for their convention. All I have to say about my NTO visit is wow! From separates to the hypnotist and the NTO Carnival, every minute of convention was fun. And, not to mention all of the incredible friends that I made! NTO was full of notable moments even after we (sadly) left convention: I tried Torchy’s for the first time, went to Buc-ee’s, and even watched a Mavs game. It was definitely hard to say goodbye, but I know we’ll all be back in Dallas very soon 😊!

Next, I flew to New York City for ADL’s Never is Now Conference where I met up with other members of 98/78. It was so great to see everyone again as we got ready for the conference. Thursday was a day at the convention center, full of learning, sessions, plenary moments, and networking. I loved hearing from professionals who are fighting antisemitism everyday and from teens who aren’t even Jewish yet decided to attend the conference. I was able to reflect on the world we currently live in and how we can all make a difference. The summit was extremely inspiring and I encourage all of you to look into the ADL’s work as we just solidified BBYO’s partnership with the organization. After a quick 1.5 days in NYC, I was off again!

It was time for another convention as I landed in Kentucky Indiana Ohio. When I got there, I spent some time with staff setting things up for a wonderful weekend ahead. Convention was super special with an awesome Olympean speaker, intense chapter competitions, and the fun KIOdeo. It was even my first snowy visit!!! Convention was a blast but unfortunately, I was feeling a little under the weather, so I decided to cut my visit a few days short and go home after convention. My short and sweet visit to KIO was such a great time, and I’m missing everyone already!

Ahhh home sweet home! It was super nice to get to decompress in the comfort of my own home after a few weeks away. I saw a few friends, drank a lot of tea, and got ready for my next visit. I had also gotten a double ear infection so my time at home was filled with physical ~healing~ in addition to taking care of myself mentally. It was very nice to spend some time with my family before heading to my next visit right before Thanksgiving!

This time, I flew a liiiiitle further than normal and after two flights, I landed in Warsaw, Poland for BBYO’s European Leadership Training Institute, and my first visit outside of North America this year! ELTI was absolutely magical. From the moment people started getting there, every minute was exciting. It all started with BBYO Spain initiating a snowball fight, and then every community being the loudest yet with their cheers, and watching the first group of teen-coordinators welcome everyone to the weekend. It was honestly extraordinary! I feel so lucky to have been able to help support the leadership sessions and to have met so many incredible leaders from around Europe. We learned together, we laughed together, we danced together, and so much more. After very sad goodbyes, I still had another day in Poland that was full of exploring (and Black Friday weekend shopping) which was really awesome, especially because it was my first time in Poland. Now, I’m back home for a few days after such a great time and I can’t help but reminisce while being excited for all that’s to come in Europe.

So, there we have it! My November. A wild and wonderful month where I learned a lot about myself. It was an extremely difficult decision to cut my KIO visit short, but I know that it’s what I needed. I’m starting to understand that even if you’re having the best time, you can still get overwhelmed and it’s totally normal to! I’m never one to listen to my own needs, but I’m going to start to. For you, that might be deciding to always go to sleep at 10 PM even if you have a few more things to do because you need sleep. Or, it may be canceling plans because you really just need to lay in bed and watch a movie. Whatever it is, I encourage you all to keep your own wellness needs in mind, always. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here, and I’m excited to go on the journey with y’all!

AZA and BBG, how is it already December? I hope y’all are enjoying yourselves and getting ready to reunite very very soon. You’ve heard it before but I want to reiterate, you know where to find me if you need anything – can’t wait to see more of you soon!

Respectfully submitted,

Avi Gorodetski

78th Anita M. Perlman International N’siah