Monthly Newsletter

To our Members, Prospective Members, and Parents,  

April is here, Shabak! We have an amazing month full of fun events (following Passover to begin the month) planned for everyone, with Spring Convention in the middle! Although the year is beginning to near the end we are happy to see everyone at all these events and hope we continue to have everyone show up strong to all our events! As always, make sure to recommend BBYO to teens you may know as we are always open to new members! We can’t wait to see you all at events this month, and chag sameach pesach, Shabak! ☀️🏨🤩

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April Events:

GMR Regional Good Deeds Day, April 12th, 3:00-5:00PM, @Solomon Schecter

Join the GMR at Solomon Schecter for a day of performing mitzvot, and charity for those less fortunate! We are going to be packing and creating cards for those who need in collaboration with the temple! Can’t wait to see you all there!

Shabak Chocolate Seder, April 15th, 7:00-8:15PM, @JCC

Come with Shabak to the JCC for a belated Passover celebration! We’ll be playing a series of Purim games and catching up as we prepare for spring convention this weekend!

GMR Regional Spring Convention, April 17th-19th, 5:00PM-1:00PM, @Renaissance Hotel, Northbrook

Get ready for the weekend we’ve all been waiting for, GMR’s Annual Spring convention! This weekend will be full of fun events, ceremonies, and traditions as we celebrate the beginning of the end of this year, and look towards next year with regional elections! Can’t wait to see those of you who signed up! Signups for this event have closed.

Shabak Movie Night, April 26th, 6:00-9:00PM, @Andrew Cohen’s House

Join Shabak for a fun movie night after Spring Convention! Bring snacks and a cozy outfit as we come to watch a movie that members will vote on! Excited to see you all there!

Shabak Throwback Sports Night, April 29th, 7:00-8:15PM

End the month with Shabak with a fun night at the JCC of head-to-head sports where everyone will compete in teams to see who will come out on top! Bring your best throwback jersey and get excited!

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Shabak AZA #2342 unequivocally condemns Hamas, a terrorist organization, and its continued violence. We stand firmly with the State of Israel and affirm its right to defend its people and its future. As the Hamas–Israel war continues, we recognize the immense human cost, the uncertainty, and the emotional toll this moment has taken on Jews around the world. We acknowledge that this war has made it an especially difficult and isolating time to be Jewish in America, as antisemitism and hostility toward Jewish communities have increased. We also especially continue to support Israel as the conflict with Iran in the middle east intensifies. To those with personal connections to Israel, to those feeling fear, grief, or exhaustion, and to anyone struggling to navigate this moment: you are not alone. As a board and as a chapter, we are here for you. Lean on us, reach out, and know that our strength comes from standing together as brothers and sibling Alephs, united in care, support, and Jewish pride.

- Shabak AZA #2342’s 9th Chapter Board

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Spring Convention Packing Tips

Spring Convention is an amazing convention, and we want to give some advice on what to bring to these conventions for Shabakites who are attending this as their first overnight convention.

•  1 pair of Shabbat Clothes

Spring Convention opens with a shabbat dinner/services, come dressed!

• 2 pairs of clothes

Make sure to pack enough clothing for each day of the weekend!

Also make sure to pack a cozy outfit for Regional elections as they may take long!

• 1 sweatshirt

The Renaissance Hotel can get cold, we advise you to bring a warm layer!

• Toiletries

While the Renaissance Hotel does provide shampoo and conditioner, make sure to bring your own toothbrushes/toothpaste!

• Snacks

Make sure to pack some snacks for regional elections this convention as elections are known to take a while so pack something to snack on while you vote! 

While this is not a comprehensive list of things you may want to bring for Spring, these are the items we highly suggest you pack for the convention. ———————————————————————

Additional Information: 

WhatsApp:

Here is the link to join our chapter WhatsApp. WhatsApp is the main platform that our chapter uses to spread information. All events, chapter or regional, as well as any relevant information for our members, can be found in the chapter WhatsApp, so please join if you have not already.

Reminder:

Follow our Instagram and Tiktok!

Any suggestions?

Fill out our suggestion form to help us out with programs, posts, and other ideas! We are open to any ideas.

Final Notes:

For any parents or members, please let us know if you know anyone who might be interested in joining BBYO who lives in the Highland Park/Deerfield/Northbrook area. Those interested can email Jacob Weissman, our Chapter Moreh (Head of Recruitment) at weissmanjacobh@gmail.com, Ethan Horwich, our Chapter Godol (President) at Ethan.horwich@gmail.com, or Isabel Strauss at  istrauss@bbyo.org We are so excited to see what's in store for the future of our chapter and we all hope to see Shabak grow as much as possible.

Lastly, please check out or download our calendar at Shabak’s official website to have the most up-to-date information on all of our chapter events. Let us know if you have any questions! Thank you and we can't wait to see all of you at our events!

Sincerely, Brad Feinstein and the 9th Shabak AZA Board