Ramon

About Ramon

Ramon AZA #195 is the BBYO AZA chapter located in Cupertino and Sunnyvale. We were founded by the name Dr. Seuss AZA #195, but after almost getting sued, we changed our name to Ramon, named after the first Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon and also after Asaf Ramon, an Israeli fighter pilot who was killed in flight. We were founded on October 28, 1991, and have been going strong ever since. Ramon holds events every Saturday and Sunday, and business meetings every other Wednesday, meaning there are plenty of times to join and get involved in BBYO.

Prayers

Havdallah Prayers

Lai lai lai lai lai lai lai
Lai lai lai lai lai lai lai

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melech ha'olam, borei p'ri hagafen.
Translation: Praised are You, Lord, King of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.

Lai lai lai lai lai lai lai
Lai lai lai lai lai lai lai

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי בְשָׂמִים
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melech ha'olam, borei minei v'samim.
Translation: Praised are You, Lord, King of the Universe, Who creates fragrant spices

Lai lai lai lai lai lai lai
Lai lai lai lai lai lai lai

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha'olam, borei m'orei ha'eish.
Translation: Praised are You, Lord, King of the Universe, Who creates the light of flame

Lai lai lai lai lai lai lai
Lai lai lai lai lai lai lai

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, הַמַבְדִיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל
Baruch atah Adonai, hamav'dil bein kodesh l'chol.
Translation: Praised are You, Lord, King of the Universe, who distinguishes between the sacred and profane.

Lai lai lai lai lai lai lai
Lai lai lai lai lai lai lai 

Shavua Tov

 שָׁבוּעַ טוֹב (x8)
Shavuah tov (x8)

A good week, a week of peace, may gladness reign and joy increase
A good week, a week of sleep, may gladness reign and joy increase

Eliyahu Hanavi

 אֵלִיָהוּ הַנָבִיא
eliyahu ha'navi

אֵלִיָהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי
eliyahu ha'tishbi

אֵלִיָהוּ אֵלִיָהוּ אֵלִיָהוּ הַגִלְעָדִי
eliyahu eliyahu eliyahu ha'giladi

בִּמְהֵרָה יָבוֹא אֵלֵינוּ
Bim'herah yavo aleinu

עִמ מָשִׁיחַ בֶּנ דָוִד (x2)
im moshiah ben david (x2)

אֵלִיָהוּ הַנָבִיא
eliyahu hanavee

אֵלִיָהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי
eliyahu hatishbee

Key Terms

BBYO Terms to Know:

  • Chapter: The smallest and most fundamental thing in BBYO is a chapter. A chapter is simply a group of Alephs that have events each week and live in the same general area, Ex: Ramon AZA
  • Brother/Sister Chapter: A chapter that shares your chapter’s recruitment territory, but is for the opposite gender, Ex: JSZ BBG and Ramon AZA
  • Region: A group of chapters that are all located in a relatively close proximity to one another, Ex: CRW
  • Board: A group of people with specific roles that help lead their section, BBYO as a whole, each region, and each chapter have their own board
  • Term: The 6 month period that a board serves
  • Advisor: Adults who supervise each chapter, they ‘will let you skin your knee, but not break your neck’

Chapter Terms to Know:

  • Inductions: An event with an inductions ceremony at the end to induct new members into the chapter and re-induct old ones
  • Aleph in Training (AIT): An event planned by the moreh where we learn about chapter heritage
  • Parent in Training (PIT): An event, usually planned (in Ramon) by the Metaksher, used specifically to educate the parents of the chapter about BBYO and how they can be more involved in the chapter
  • Anniversary Night: Once a year on the Saturday closest to October 28th, we eat at Jake’s Pizza and play minigolf to commerate Suess AZA’s first event
  • Midstates: An event planned by the Gadol in the middle of the term, where he reviews the chapter’s progress
  • Fraternity (Frat) Night: The event the saturday before elections where we chill and do some karaoke before the unfraternal event the next day
  • Elections: A sunday event where we select the alephs for the next term’s board positions, labeled ‘the most unfraternal day of the term’
  • Installations (Installs): A ceremony where the old officers are retired and the newly elected ones are installed
  • Convention: A weekend long regional or chapter event
  • Leadership Summits (LS): The fall convention specifically made to teach people about leadership and how to be better leaders.
  • Kallah: The convention with an emphasis on Judaism, both the chapter and the region hold one
  • Spring: The spring convention comprised mostly of chapter spirit, Seniors’ last convention
  • Balaban: A convention at Steve Balaban’s cool property in the mountains, there is a pool, and after the event portion, we climb Scar and sleep in tents

The 5(6) Folds

Each and every program at an event should fall into one of the folds. Basically, the folds are a guideline for what should be included at an event. The official BBYO definition for them are as follows:

  • Athletics: Sports in AZA have always been vital to the building of brotherhood and fraternity. Many councils and regions throughout the Order compete in several different sports. Not only do AZA chapters among the Order compete in sporting events, but also participate in games and athletic-based programming.
  • Community Service/Social Action: In accordance with Jewish tradition, AZA emphasizes the values of tikkun olam (repairing the world) and tzedakah (charity). Community service can entail a wide range of hands-on activities that involve direct service to those in need. Social action involves mobilizing and educating members to address problems that exist in society, and it requires a group not only to learn about these issues, but also to do something about them. AZA encourages members to take an active role in the community around them.
  • Education: Through AZA, Alephs are challenged to learn about things beyond themselves and the borderlines of our Jewish faith. Through educational programming teens learn material that broaden our knowledge and give each individual Aleph a new understanding about the world around them. Education also entails teaching members the traditions of AZA.
  • Judaic: Judaic programs bring a unique, spiritual aspect to life in AZA, seeking to develop an understanding of, and appreciation for, the religion and culture of the Jewish people. Through programming in the Judaic fold, we not only learn about our denomination of Judaism, but also about the ones around us, and about the branches that other members practice. Also, creative Jewish programs incorporate the popular culture of today, as well as traditional Jewish rituals.
  • Social: AZA chapters sponsor and participate in a wide variety of social programs, often with BBG chapters. While there is nothing wrong with simple social programming, it is important to be creative and use the fold in the proper proportion and to combine this with other folds for effective, meaningful programming.
  • Health: The newest fold, health represents physical, mental, and emotional well being. Seeing as the Athletic fold covers physical health, this fold focuses more on mental and emotional health, and includes various programs such as disability and mental health awareness programs.

The 7 Cardinal Principles

The 7 cardinal principles of AZA, often referred to as the 7 cards, are essentially the basic values of AZA. The official BBYO definitions for them are as follows:

  • Patriotism: Loyalty to my homeland, to its laws, to it’s principles, to its ethics. To die for it if need be, but primarily to live for it.
  • Judaism: Always to observe the tenets of my faith; ever to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the lord my G-d.
  • Filial Love: Ever to honor and love my parents. To be considerate of my elders and to respect age.
  • Charity: To give of myself and my substance for all worthy causes; to be kind and generous to all in need, regardless of race or color.
  • Conduct: Never too bold, never too forward, ever humble, ever observing the principles of gentlemen.
  • Purity: To keep my soul pure, my mind active, and my body healthy.
  • Fraternity: A spirit of sociability, of cooperation, and of friendship toward all AZA’s that shall make of us one fellowship; a love of and a loyalty to AZA and it’s Ideals.

Event Planning Guide

How to Plan an Event

If you’re thinking of making an event for your brother alephs to enjoy, here are a few helpful tips to get you started!

Step 1: Come up with an idea

It can literally be anything, EX: magnets

Step 2: Begin Brainstorming Programs

Again, can literally be anything, EX: magnet tower building competition

Step 3: Talk to the Sgan

The Sgan is not only super cool, but also manages the calendar, and probably has experience. You should ask the Sgan for advice about your ideas and how to implement them best, and a date for your event.

Step 4: Put the finishing Touches on your Event

Disclaimer: this is normally done like 20 minutes before the event is supposed to start. DON’T DO THAT, try to give yourself at least an hour, you know? Oh, and make sure you have all of the necessary materials (there is a chapter event budget, but you need to get that approved)

Step 5: The Event!

Literally a hang out event is considered awesome, programming is an added bonus, basically anything you will do will be made super awesome because of the amount of super cool alephs there to support you.

Elections Information

Please check the official member list to make sure that you are eligible to vote!

Every six months the chapter holds an election ceremony to decide who is going to take on the responsibilities of each board position next term. Refer to here to see what board positions there are and their individual responsibilities. Getting elected to a certain position means the chapter trusts whoever got elected to not only fulfill their responsibility, but to do the best they can with that position.

Why you should go:

Chapter elections, unlike country elections, have less people voting, and more competent candidates. Your vote really does count, as many board positions have been decided over one vote. That being said, it’s your vote going to decide who is next going to lead the chapter and have it accomplish bigger and better things. Going also shows that you support your brother Alephs in their wins – and their losses.

To qualify to vote/run you need to be signed up on b-linked and fully paid for your membership. If you’re an eighth grader, you need to promise to pay as soon as you can and have an account on b-linked.

Fraternity:

Elections are often quoted as being the “most unfraternal event of each term”. That is because it is a time where the chapter comes together and chooses one Aleph over another. This is almost always avoided, but elections is the time where it’s unavoidable. In order to minimize the unfraternalness before and during elections, many things occur:

Running for a position:

Choosing which position:

In order to run for a position, you need to first figure out what position you want. While technically, everyone is allowed to run for anything (except for Kohen Gadol), it’s generally advised for younger members to stay away from the more taxing positions (ex. Gadol, Sgan), and to run for things that doesn’t require much experience to fulfill, but has a lot of room for people to do things beyond the position itself (ex. Historian Shotare, Katav, Machshev).

If you can’t figure out what position to run for, but still want to be on board, talk to one of the advisors. They can help guide you into a position that you’ll be able to do.

Let’s say you want to run for a position, but think that the responsibility will be too much for you alone to handle. Something you can do is run with a counterpart (abbreviated as Co). Doing that will have the position be held in both of your names, and have the responsibility go to both of you.

In order to get a Co, you need to talk to the gadol, any previous gadol, or an advisor. They’ll be able to set you up with your person of preference (assuming they also want to run for that), or someone else who also wants to run for the same position. Do NOT talk to the person you want to be in a Co with directly, as that will count as politicking. Once you are given a Co by one of the aforementioned people, you can freely discuss with your Co about speech topics and plans for that board position.

Once you figured out what position you want to run for, although not necessary, it is highly advised to tell an advisor or the gadol about it.

Preparing for Elections:

To run, it is best to write out a speech highlighting your qualifications for the position, and what you will do if elected to that position. The speech should cover what project(s) you want to execute, how you will achieve that, and any other things that you feel are important for the chapter to know when it comes to voting for you in that position. Many speeches incorporate an idea/life lesson as an overall theme. How you write it is completely up to you, but be mindful of your positions time limit on speeches (5 min for Gadol, 4 min for Sgan and Moreh, 3 min for everything else).

It is also advised to prepare speeches for positions lower than yours to “run down.” Do this so you can have a chance to still have a position if you don’t get the one you wanted.

Cheers

Chapter introduction

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Up You Men

Up, you men,
And sing to AZA
Time will pass,
And we'll be on our way.
As the years go by,
There will be
Happiest of memories. (Ra Ra Ra)


Stand, and then,
We'll sing this song again,
All you loyal men.
Sing the praises of
our Order,
Sing up, you men of AZA.


Brothers we'll be,
As we share our cares each day.
Happy and free,
Though the years go on their way.
Starting anew,
Face to Face with destiny.
Hearts beating true,
For the Friends and loves to be.


So, up, you men,
And sing to AZA
Time will pass,
And we'll be on our way.


As the years go by,
There will be
Happiest of memories. (Ra Ra Ra)
Stand, and then,
We'll sing this song again,
All you loyal men.
Sing the praises of
our Order,
Sing up, you men of AZA.

For Tomorrow and Today

For tomorrow and today,
We believe in the AZA,
And with voices loud,
We say we're proud,
of the AZ-Aleph Zadik Aleph.
We all know that Jewish life,
Had its share of trouble and strife.
So we'll never cease,
To work for peace,
For the AZ-Aleph Zadik Aleph.


Brotherly Love and Charity,
We cherish and promote,
Harmony and Democracy.
To these our lives we'll devote.
B'nai B'rith we'll never stray.
Jewish youth is on its way.
And it all began,
With the Beber plan,
For the AZ-Aleph Zadik Aleph.

World of AZA

In the time
Of AZA
There lived a Jewish boy
Named Mordechai
He was young
And insecure
He spent his Saturdays
Killing flies


But there was
This guy at school
Who treated Mordechai
With sympathy
And he told
Him of a place
He could be anything
He wished to be


We all live in the world of AZA, 'A'!
The world of AZA, 'Z'!
The world of AZA, 'A'!
(repeat x2)


At his first
Event that night
He saw fraternity
He saw the light
He mailed in
His check the next day
With the power,
Of USPS!
Badadadabopbadopbadopbadadada


We all live in the world of AZA, 'A'!
The world of AZA, 'Z'!
The world of AZA, 'A'!
(repeat x2)


Mordechai
is now a man
And his life
No longer bland
And he lives
His every day
With the power
Of AZA


We all live in the world of AZA, 'A'!
The world of AZA, 'Z'!
The world of AZA, 'A'!

AZA all the Way

Aleph brothers of the order
We're all Jewish boys
Some young and some older
Life is great here
Greater than NIFTY
We support each other
We're a fraternity


AZA all the way
For tomorrow and today
For the chapter, and what we're after
AZA all the way


All my memories gather round her
She's in BBG and the one I'm after
Maybe next year we'll hook up at JLC
So what if you've seen her tits
She's the one for me


AZA all the way
For tomorrow and today
For the chapter, and what we're after
AZA all the way


I hear the prayers in the evening at havdallah
Traditions remind me that I'm in AZA
And as we sing Airforce Ranger our bonds grow stronger each and every single day


And we saaaaaaaay
AZA
All the way
For tomooorrrow and todaaaaaaaaaaaay
ONE
TWO
THREE


(run around linking elbows with others)


For the chapter and what we're after
AZA all the way


AZA all the way
For tomorrow and today
For the chapter's and what we're after
AZA all the way
repeat 2-5x

Proud to be an Aleph

If tomorrow I'd be facing death
And saying goodbye to life
I'd be looking at the israelis in the South bay
And the East bay growing hyphe (like hyphy)
I'd be looking back
At my time in AZA
And the seven cardinal principles
That I live by everyday


So I'm proud to be an Aleph
Where I have fraternity
And I won't forget the memories
And the sexy BBG's
So I proudly stand up
With my fellow Jews
during havdallah on Saturdays
Cuz I love my brother Alephs
And I love AZA


From MoAd to Saratoga
To Sunnyvale's JSZ
From Peninsula AZA
And Machar and DBG
From San Fran down to Ramon (that's us!)
And SiWi to LHA (and Chai)
We're all connected by Cal-Train and Bart
And by being from the Bay


So I'm proud to be an Aleph
Where I have fraternity
And I won't forget the memories
And the sexy BBG's
So I proudly stand up
With my fellow Jews
during havdallah on Saturdays
Cuz I love my brother Alephs
And I love AZA


So I'm proud to be in AZA
Where everyone accepts me
And I won't forget the cool events
And the sexy BBG's
So I raise my hand up
And teach prospectives
The handshake of AZA
Cuz I love my brother Alephs
And I love AZA

Never too Many

 Never too many
Never too strong
Always AZA

Gentlemen

 Gentlemen
Put your hands together


I said Gentlemen
Put your hands together


Ready Go
Ready Go


Gentlemen, Who are we?


We are, Ramon one! (alternatively: We Are, AZA!)
(repeat)

El Hama’ayan

El hama'ayan
ba g'di, ba g'di katan
el hama'ayan ba g'di
(1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
(Alternatively you can say the seven cardinal principles)
katan
ba g'di
(1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
(Alternatively you can say the seven cardinal principles)
One of these few paragraphs follow after that intro:


Once there was a wizard
Who went to Africa
To study the Megillah
Megillah
Megillah Gorilla
Megillah Gorilla Gorilla Megillah
Megillah Gorilla Gorrila Megillah Megillah Gorilla Gorilla Megillah


Once there was an Aleph
Who went to India
To study the Mishna
Mishna
Mishna Krishna
Mishna Krishna Krishna Mishna
Mishna Krishna Krishna Mishna Mishna Krishna Krishna Mishna


Once there was a wizard
Who went to China
To study the Torah
Torah
Torah Horah
Torah Horah Horah Torah
Torah Horah Horah Torah Torah Horah Horah Torah

Chapter Cheer

The chapter cheer has only been written down in all entirety twice, both times by the founding fathers of then Dr. Seuss AZA #195, and will continue to be passed down orally at AITs, from chapter member to chapter member. 

Secret Cheers from Prior Years

...

BBYO

About BBYO

B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO), in the most basic sense, is a teen-lead Jewish youth organization split into two sectors, Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA) is the division for boys, and B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG) is the sector for girls.

BBYO’s History

Throughout BBYO’s 90 year history, the organization has brought leadership training, community service opportunities, Jewish education, a connection to Israel, and positive identity to thousands of Jewish youth in North American and beyond. Although the structure may differ depending upon the needs and design of the Jewish population, the basis is the same; BBYO provides fun and meaningful Jewish experiences for Jewish teens everywhere.

BBYO has always been the world’s leading pluralistic Jewish youth movement. As the first and the most dynamically inclusive organization of its kind, every Jewish teen, of all backgrounds, anywhere in the world, will find an experience that provides the foundation for a meaningful Jewish life.

BBYO’s Vision

BBYO’s pluralistic movement of Jewish teens, alumni, parents, volunteers and philanthropists will serve as the Jewish community’s most valuable platform for delivering to the post- Bar/Bat Mitzvah audience fun, meaningful and affordable experiences that inspire a lasting connection to the Jewish people.

BBYO’s Core Values

  • BBYO offers safe and welcoming opportunities for learning and growth to all Jewish teens regardless of background, denominational affiliation, disability, gender, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.
  • BBYO encourages Jewish teens to find meaning in Judaism and to develop their own Jewish identities. Committed to a pluralistic experience, BBYO attempts to accommodate and provide a comfortable environment across the halachic (Jewish law) spectrum.
  • BBYO’s international leadership model, AZA and BBG, prides itself on fun and meaningful teen-led programming, its responsibility to the global Jewish community, an unwavering commitment to the State of Israel, and its dedication to tikkun olam – repairing the world.
  • BBYO’s stakeholders define the organization and are the stewards of its brand. They must act in a way that represents and celebrates BBYO’s rich history and tradition.

Why Should Someone Join BBYO?

BBYO is a place where you can do anything. It is completely teen-led, so you can follow whatever passions you desire with the support of thousands of members by your side. Have a dream? BBYO can help you accomplish it. Beyond this, the International Order is a fantastic place to meet people and to create friendships that will last a lifetime. BBYO is also a place to find and further connect with your Jewish identity, whatever your believe in. BBYO truly is, the experience of a lifetime.

Aleph Information

This is the aleph information category.

The AZA Story

As written in the 6th edition of the Traditions Packet

In 1923 there was a group of 15 Jewish teens who wanted to join their school’s fraternity, the Alpha Zeta Alpha. The fraternity would not let them join because they were Jewish. They decided that they would protest the Greek system and start a Jewish fraternity using Hebrew letters. From this point on, they would be the Aleph Zadik Aleph. At first, the letters had no meaning. Two years later, when the Aleph Zadik Aleph for Young Men was adopted by B’nai B’rith, the name was interpreted to represent the motto of the sponsoring organization. The first Aleph was to stand for Ahavah, brotherly love; Zadik, T’zedakah, benevolence; the second Aleph, Achdoos, harmony. This first group would be known as Mother Chapter #1. Abe Baboir was elected as the Aleph Zadik Aleph’s first president and Nathan Mnookin would be the fraternity’s first advisor.

A few months after the fraternity was started, Mnooking moved to Kansas City where he started another chapter of this fraternity. The men of Mother Chapter #1 asked Sam Beber to be their next advisor. Beber had many dreams for the fraternity. He saw the fraternity spreading throughout the U.S. and the world. His idea was to have an unmistakably Jewish fraternity. Sam Beber is now regarded as the founder of the Aleph Zadik Aleph.

On May 3, 1924, at a meeting at Harry Lapidus’s house, a constitution was drawn up and the Aleph Zadik Aleph was officially established. At the same meeting, the Supreme Advisory Council was started as the policy-making body of the fraternity.

During July 4-6 1924, the first National Convention of the Aleph Zadik Aleph was held at the JCC in Omaha, Nebraska. At this time, there were four chapters: Mother Chapter AZA #1 in Omaha, Nebraska: AZA #2 in Kansas City, Kansas; AZA #3 in Lincoln, Nebraska; and AZA #4 in Des Moines, Iowa. Two thirds of the membership (94 people) came for a weekend of brotherhood and friendship. There was a deadlock for the Grand Aleph Godol race between Charles Shane and William Horowitz. Eventually, the decision was turned over to the Supreme Advisory Council and, on the fact that Shane was 20 and Horowitz was only 17, Shane became the first Grand Aleph Godol and Horowitz the first Grand Aleph S’gan.

At the 1925 B’nai B’rith International Convention, Henry Monsky presented a petition to get the Aleph Zadik Aleph adopted by B’nai B’rith. Of course the petition was accepted, and the Aleph Zadik Aleph was now the junior order of B’nai B’rith.

In 1926, at the second International Convention, Philip Klutznick was elected as the second Grand Aleph Godol. After his term, Klutznick became the International Director of AZA; he would later go on to serve as President of B’nai B’rith, US Ambassador to the UN, Chairman of the World Jewish Congress, and Secretary of Commerce under the Carter administration. Also in 1925, AZA went international, establishing the first Canadian chapter in Calgary, Alberta, and the Shofar, the official AZA newspaper, was created. In 1928, Dr. Boris D. Bogen presented his Five-Fold-and-Full plan, which developed the five folds of AZA: athletic, social, educational, community service/social action, and Judaic programming. The five folds have been used ever since as categories under which events may fall.

Despite the crippling Greate Depression, the AZA managed to continue to grow. After 10 years (in 1933), AZA had 100 chapters in North America. However, one of the most tragic events in the history of the order happened in 1932: Harry Lapidus, former treasurer of the Supreme Advisory Council, was assassinated. The Lapidus Memorial Forest in Palestine was established in his memory. In 1936, the first European chapter was created in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was called Karmen Chapter. In 1938, the first Middle Eastern chapter opened in Tel Aviv.

In the forties, AZA mobilized for war. Massive war support efforts of dollars and man-hours were contributed by AZA. Over 10,000 members and alumni served in the Canadian and US armed forces, and as many as 250 were reported killed. As a result, the minimum age of membership was lowered from 16 to 14. In 1944, B’nai B’rith Girls was officially recognized and BBYO was born. On November 10, 1944, the Supreme Advisory Council was replaced by the BBYO Commission, with Henry Monsky as its first chairman.

On the Silver Anniversary of AZA (1949), the order had about 420 chapters worldwide. The fifties held a time of great prosperity for BBYO just as it did for the rest of the US. The fraternity focused more and more on the leadership aspect, establishing International Kallah, ILTC, and ISI programs.

In 2002, BBYO Inc. split from B’nai B’rith and became an independent corporation.

When the Golden Anniversary of AZA took place in 1974, BBYO was at its height, with over 40,000 members worldwide. New programs, such as CLTC, had been created, and new regions of the world had enjoyed their first taste of BBYO. Noar Lenoar, the counterpart of BBYO in Israel, had been established.

BBYO’s membership declined following its height in the 70’s. Membership decreased to just over 15,000 in 2005. Although membership has decreased, BBYO is certainly not down-and-out. The many teens that now belong to the order experience the same feeling of brotherhood that those 15 boys felt 95 years ago when AZA was born.