Editing BBYO

[[Image:BBYO.gif|frame|thumb|Current BBYO Logo]]
'''BBYO''' is a worldwide youth-led organization for high-school age [[Jewish]] [[teens]]. It is separated into [[Aleph Zadik Aleph]] (AZA), the young men's order, and [[B'nai B'rith Girls]](BBG), the women's order. There are also "BBYO Chapters" which are co-educational, though these are usually in smaller communities. Considered a high school fraternity, the mission of both groups as a whole is to provide Jewish youth opportunities to form leadership skills and to commit to their own personal development. 

==History==
BBYO, formerly the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization, originated in 1923 as a men's high school fraternity in [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]], [[Nebraska]], though it was actually not affiliated with [[B'nai B'rith]] until April 1925. It began as a protest against the local Greek high school fraternity, Alpha Zeta Alpha, which did not allow Jews to become members. The boys who organized it began their own high school fraternity and decided to name it Aleph Zadik Aleph, or AZA, the Hebrew letter equivalent. In April 1925, AZA was adopted by B'nai B'rith at the B'nai B'rith National Convention.

An alternate history found in ''Dealing in Futures'' by Max Baer describes a schism between the founders of the AZA and members of the local Zionist youth group. The AZA founders split from the group and formed their own with the Greek-letter college fraternities in mind. When Nathan Mnookin, the first advisor, left, Sam Beber took over and chartered the Aleph Zadik Aleph on May 4, 1924, with the early vision of an international youth movement. The first International Convention of the Aleph Zadik Aleph was held July 4-6 of that year.

In 1944, B'nai B'rith Girls became recognized by B'nai B'rith, and BBYO as it is today was born. Anita Perlman is credited with the development of BBG as Sam Beber is credited with the AZA. BBYO as it is today was born. In 2002, BBYO changed its name to BBYO Inc., becoming a legally independent organization in the process. Lynn Schusterman now leads the organization's Board of Directors. The Aleph Zadik Aleph is currently celebrating its 90th year of operation, and the B'nai B'rith Girls its 70th year.

==Regions/Councils==
Help WikiBBYO by editing/creating your region's page. Please read this before proceeding --> [[How to edit your region's page]]!!

*[[Atlantic Canada Region]]
*[[Big Apple Region]]
*[[Central Region East]]
*[[Central Region West]]
*[[Connecticut Valley Region]]
*[[Cotton States Region]]
*[[Eastern Region]]
*[[Eastern Canada Region]]
*[[Evergreen Region]]
*[[Gold Coast Region]]
*[[Great Midwest Region]]
*[[Greater Jersey Hudson River Region]] 
*[[Kentucky-Indiana-Ohio Region]] 
*[[Keystone Mountain Region]] 
*[[Lake Ontario- Toronto]] 
*[[Lake Ontario- Western New York]] 
*[[Liberty Region]]
*[[Lonestar Region]] 
*[[Miami Region]] 
*[[Michigan Region]] 
*[[Mid America]] - [[Iowa Region]]
*[[Mid America]] - [[Kansas City Council]]
*[[Mid America]] - [[Omaha Council]]
*[[Mid America]] - [[St. Louis Council]]
*[[Mountain Region]]
*[[Nassau-Suffolk Region]]
*[[New England Region]]
*[[North Florida Region]]
*[[North Star Region]]
*[[North Texas-Oklahoma Region]]
*[[Northern Region East]] - [[Baltimore Council]]
*[[Northern Region East]] - [[DC Council]] 
*[[Northern Region East]] - [[NOVA Council]]
*[[Northwest Canada]]
*[[Ohio Northern]]
*[[Pacific Coast Region]]
*[[Philadelphia Region]]
*[[Red River Region]]
*[[Rocky Mountain Region]]
*[[South Jersey Region]]
*[[Southern Region]] - [[Atlanta Council]]
*[[Southern Region]] - [[Dixie Council]]
*[[Southwestern Region]]
*[[Westchester Region]]
*[[Wisconsin Region]]

===Board Positions===
The youth-elected officials have their own set of titles, derived from [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]. In AZA, the men's sect, the president is referred to as ''[[Godol]]'', (meaning "Senior" or "great one"); followed by the ''[[S'gan]]'' ("deputy" or First Vice-President of Programming), ''[[Moreh]]'' ("guide" or "teacher" for Second Vice-President of Membership), ''[[Mazkir]]'' ("Secretary"), ''[[Shaliach]]'' ("representative" or "emissary" for the Vice-President of Religion, Community Service, Social Action, and Israeli Awareness), and ''[[Gizbor]]'' ("Treasurer"). Other, less ubiquitous positions and chairmanships also exist, (such as ''[[Sopher]]'' ["scribe"] for the newspaper editor), though it is dependent on the Chapter or Region as to which positions they wish to elect.

In the women's sect, BBG, there exists usually the ''N'siah'' ("[female] President"), ''[[S'ganit]]'' ("[female] "deputy" First Vice-President of Programming), ''MIT Mom'' /''[[Aym Ha Chaverot]]''/''Morah'' ("mother" / "teacher" for Second Vice-President of Membership), ''[[Mazkirah]]'' ("Secretary"), and ''[[Sh'licha]]'' ("representative" of the Religious Chair). Lower board positions include ''[[Orechet]]'' (newspaper editor), ''[[Safranit]]'' (scrapbook chair), ''[[Mashgicha]]'' (parliamentarian), and ''[[Yalda shel Shemesh]]'' (sunshine girl). Much responsibility is given to individual chapters and regions as to which officials they wish to elect.

BBYO chapters typically contain the same basic positions as AZA and BBG chapters, with the gender corresponding with the name of the position. Some may have double positions, where an AZA and a BBG share the same position. For example, the BBG office of MIT Mom corresponds to Moreh for AZA.

===AZA vs. BBG===
While other Jewish youth groups have often criticized BBYO for its gender-segregated nature, many BBYO members actually view this characteristic as one of its greatest strengths. [[Fraternity]] and brotherhood is emphasized in [[Aleph Zadik Aleph|AZA]], just as [[sisterhood]] is in [[B'nai B'rith Girls|BBG]], and the single-gender environment often allows richer conversation and brotherly or sisterly interaction. Though meetings of the two groups are usually separate, AZA and BBG chapters frequently interact and often hold events together. Chapters typically refer to their alternate city chapter as being their sister or brother chapter. This is not to say that mixed-gender chapters do not exist; in some cities, particularly where the Jewish population is very small, some chapters of both sexes exist, called "BBYO Chapters", though interaction is typically quite different at the chapter level. BBYO chapters may grow big enough to split into an AZA and a BBG chapter, but that decision is left up to the individual chapter.

Articles like these put the consumer in the driver seat-very imrpotant.

==Regional Website links==
*[http://www.geocities.com/onrbbyo23/ Ohio Northern Region BBYO]
*[http://www.nsrbbyo.org/ Nassau-Suffolk Region BBYO]
*[http://www.bigappleregion.net/ Big Apple Region BBYO]
*[http://www.crwbbyo.org/ Central Region West BBYO]
*[http://cottonstatesbbyo.org/ Cotton States Region BBYO]
*[http://cvrbbyo.org/ Connecticut Valley Region BBYO]
*[http://www.erbbyo.com/ Eastern Region BBYO]
*[http://www.miamibbyo.org/ Miami Region BBYO]
*[http://www.goldcoastbbyo.org/ Gold Coast Region BBYO]
*[http://www.gmrbbyo.com/ Great Midwest Region BBYO]
*[http://yesbbyo.org/ Greater Jersey-Hudson River Region BBYO]
*[http://kiobbyo.org/ Kentucky-Indiana-Ohio Region BBYO]
*[http://www.freewebs.com/kmrbbyo/ Keystone Mountain Region BBYO]
*[http://www.lonestarbbyo.com/ Lonestar Region BBYO]
*[http://mibbyo.org/ Michigan Region BBYO]
*[http://www.northstarbbyo.com/ North Star Region BBYO]
*[http://www.bbyonre.org/ Northern Region East BBYO]
*[http://www.nwcbbyo.org/ North West Canada BBYO]
*[http://www.bbyola.org/ Pacific Coast Region BBYO]
*[http://www.rmrbbyo.org/ Rocky Mountain Region BBYO]
*[http://www.wibbyo.org/ Wisconsin Region BBYO]
*[http://www.lonestarbbyo.com/ Lonestar Region BBYO]
*[http://www.acbbyo.org/ Atlanta Council BBYO]
*[http://www.freewebs.com/dcnewspaperers.com/ Dixie Council BBYO]