Happenings

Dawn Stern, a participant in both the BBYO Israel Summer Institute and the International Leadership Training Conference, has been named Coordinator of Jewish Student Activities at the State University of New York. Dawn is a former Regional N'siah of Greater Los Angeles Region BBYO.

Covenant AZA, reportedly the largest chapter in Greater Los Angeles Region, has just completed a membership drive netting five new members. The chapter began by developing a list of prospective members from friends of chapter members. Each prospect was then called, told about AZA, and invited to a few activities. Unfortunately, the response was poor. As Aleph Godol Joe Carmel puts it, "They were mostly afraid of trying something new . . . We knew they would join if they could only come to a few things. We also realized that if we gave up, these Jews would not be able to experience what the Aleph Zadik Aleph has to offer."

The chapter came up with a solution. A Chapter Snatch Breakfast was scheduled. Parents of the prospectives were informed and, early on a Sunday morning, the alephs of Covenant snatched five prospective members. Over breakfast--paid for by the chapter--the members talked about AZA and some of the things Covenant had done. The members explained--and it became obvious to the prospective members--that AZA was like a family, a covenant of brothers.

After breakfast, the entire group went to a local high school and played volleyball with sister chapters, Dalya BBG and Santa Monica BBG. A picnic lunch concluded the day's activities.

ALL FIVE PROSPECTS ARE NOW ACTIVE MEMBERS OF COVENANT AZA. Your chapter can plan a similar program. It's easy. The secret is to make the prospective member know you care about him.

Edmund Edelman, alumnus of Beverly Hills #400, has been elected as the first Jew ever to serve on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Also in California, Alan Robbins, alumnus of a San Fernando Valley AZA chapter, was re-elected as State Senator.

More Happenings

Yiddim BBG #1396 of Greater Los Angeles Region wants to share with the rest of the Order its approach to building membership. Obviously, their approach works since, with 35 members, they are the largest Chapter in their Region. According to Orechet/Safranit, Sharon Grobman "The way we got our members is that girls who found BBG enjoyable brought in their friends who also found BBG--and especially Yiddim-- worthwhile. At the start of this term, we had 11 M.I.T.'s and 2 prospective members. More than half the M.I.T.'s were given positions in the Chapter. Our Jewish awareness chairman (an M.I.T.) is in the process of planning our first Chapter Kallah--Conclave with the theme of Yiddim (close friends.) This promises to be the best event of the term. The programming will include all of the folds and help bring the Chapter closer together."

Ladera AZA, #1189, Los Angeles, under the chairmanship of Jamie Wolf, has set as its goal the liberation of a Falasha Jew. This may be done through the raising of $400 which is used for the payment of plane fare and other expenses. Ladera is accomplishing this by putting together an ad book with ads ranging in price from $3 for one line to $100 for the outside back cover. This ad book is to be distributed among the BBYO community.

Ladera AZA is a member of the ISF Hunderd Dollar Club.

Happenings

Michele Kaster of Sabra BBG om Milbrae California and Edy Gershbock, Greater Los Angeles Region N'siah, recently participated along with 150 other youth from throughout the United States in a Muscular Dystrophy conference in New York City.

As a follow-up to the Conference, Greater Los Angeles Region held a 24-hour dance marathon to raise funds to help combat muscular dystrophy. The dance-a-thon raised over $1700.

Late in October, Central Region BBYO held their "BBYO Dance for Those Who Can't" in which over 120 dancers from local Chapters participated with 60 dancers still on their tired feet when the 24-hour dance ended Sunday night. The dance raised a whopping $10,700.

Steve Lachman, of San Mateo, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Central Region BBYO congratulated the BBYO members on "raising the largest amount of funds of any dance marathon group in California for the muscular dystrophy cause."

Mr. Lachman also noted with warm admiration the special contribution of Kym Tyrebessey of BBG's San Francisco #1: "Kym is herself handicapped and uses canes. But she danced the whole night through and for the full 24 hours. She told me, "This is a very good cause and I'm glad to do my part. What we are doing tonight will prevent others from suffering from this dreadful disease."

As they have since 1948, Greater Los Angeles, Southwestern and San Fernando Valley Regions again this year conducted High Holiday Services for an estimated 500 BBYO members.

Although the services are conducted by youth for youth, the Southern California BBYO members are grateful for the assistance of the two adult co-chairmen for the supportive committee, Leon Rosenfeld (a former BBYO District Director) and Harry Davis.