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A Word from the Advisors

An advisor’s job in Ramon AZA is best defined not by what we do, but by what we don’t do.

We don’t plan events
We don’t recruit
We don’t run the chapter
We don’t stop the teens from making mistakes (or as a past regional director said “it’s our job to let them skin their knees, not break their necks”)

The chapter belongs to the Alephs, and we aren’t Alephs.

So what do we do?

Our primary job is to ensure the health and safety of participants. In the rare occasion that somebody wants to do something that is actually dangerous, we ask them to stop. If they are planning something unreasonably risky, we help them find something equally fun that is acceptably safe.

Our secondary job is to interpret BBYO policy - for example: we decide how many staff they actually need for a given event based on what they have planned.

Our third job, and the one we probably enjoy the most and spend the most time on, is to be available for general advice. Whether it is about chapter issues or programs, school, or anything else, one of us is almost always available to chat either at an event, by phone, or online.

Occasionally we answer parents’ questions about the chapter - though it’s often difficult to convey to them how much their sons stand to gain by participating in AZA. So if you’re a parent who wants to know more about that, you might want to chat with the parents of some of our alumni. We’ll be glad to introduce you.

Ramon AZA currently has three advisors with a combined experience of over 40 years advising. Yet the chapter still has the ability to surprise us. That’s ok - because every day we see Alephs surprised at what they can accomplish as well.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Chapter

Chairmen

The chairmen of the chapter are a group of people that have official responsibilities. Chairmen are appointed by either the Sgan or Moreh.

Chairmen are almost never the same throughout terms, as the Sgan and Moreh get to decide what they are. Chairmen have smaller responsibilities than board positions.

Elections

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 the Key Terms page to see what board positions there are.

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. 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 a difficult decision.

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 don’t require much experience to fulfill, but have 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.

Speech time limits:

Gadol: 5 minutes
Sgan and Moreh: 4 minutes
All other positions: 3 minutes

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.

Key Terms

Board Positions

Aleph Gadol - Chapter President
Aleph Sgan - Vice President
Aleph Moreh - Recruitment and retention of new members
Aleph Gizbar - Treasurer
Aleph Shaliach - Religion/Judaism
Aleph Metaksher - Communications VP
Aleph Mazkir - Secretary
Aleph Machshev - Technology
Aleph Katav - Publications
Aleph Shotare - Sergeant at Arms
Aleph Kohen Gadol - Spirit/Religion

Organization

Chapter - Local AZA group
Region - Geographic collection of chapters
IC - International Convention

BBYO Terms

Brother/Sister Chapter - A chapter that shares your chapter’s recruitment territory, but is for the opposite gender (Ex: JSZ BBG and Ramon AZA)
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 Events and Terms

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 commemorate Seuss 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. The folds are a guideline for what should be included at an event:

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.
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.
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.

Past Kohen Gadols

Past Kohen Gadols (spiritual/religious VPs) of Ramon AZA #195.

Ethan Traister (Winter 2024-2025)

Yehonatan Savransky (Summer 2024)

Yaron Shekel (Winter 2023-2024)

Yo what’s up guys this is Yaron. If you are reading this props for you cause I didn’t even know we had a website until my sophomore year. Honestly biggest advice I can give you is to just come to as many programs as you can.

Shahar Ankonina (Summer 2023)

Hey all, how’s it going? This is Shahar and am THE Kohen Gadol! Yeah… know, pretty badass and awesome. Throughout the term, I swear that I will parliament beautifully, unlike anything ever seen before.

Nadav Ekshtein (Winter 2022-2023)

Tamir Eliaz (Summer 2022)

Amit Roth (Winter 2021-2022)

Hello all, and welcome to my ted talk. You might know me from my other addition to this page, but that’s just from bad luck with that Amit. I’m here to talk to you about good luck. Being part of this chapter is something else, and I consider you lucky to be a part of it.

Nir Reiter (Summer 2021)

Hello, my name is Nir Reiter and I am the Kohen Gadol. I plan to rule this term with an iron fist and enforce my rule on the chapter. For too long we have been a democracy.

If you would like help or advice here is my email I promise I am actually helpful: nirreiter195@gmail.com

Eyal Shay (Winter 2020-2021)

My last name isn’t Cohen :( #WorstKohenGadol ever. I like cool things like having fun and being awesome.

Email me at eyalshay32@gmail.com

Yuval Shekel (Summer 2020)

Hey how’s it going. If you’re reading this you must already be either deeply interested in Ramon and checking out the website or already on Ramon board and thinking about what next. Just know that Ramon has your back.

Yali Goldstein (Winter 2019-2020)

I am a nice Jewish boy who likes to mingle. I like cooking, eating, and Ramon AZA! I am enjoying my role as Kohen Gadol. I am looking forward to giving advice to people in order to enrich their Ramon experience.

Please call or email me at: (408)-718-0870 or Goldstein.yali1@gmail.com

Ron Barzilay (Winter 2018-2019)

What do you call me? A Kohen Gadol.
What would you call me if there were two of me? A Co-Kohen Gadol.
What would you call me if there were two of me made out of chocolate? A Cocoa Co-Kohen Gadol.
What would you call me if there were two of me made out of chocolate AND I was crazy? A Kookoo Cocoa Co-Kohen Gadol.

Frat Sub, Ronzi

Amit Klein (Summer 2018)

Raz Goldstein (Winter 2017-18)

To whom it may concern, As Kohen Godol of Ramon AZA #195, I played many roles and accomplished many tasks. I attended many events and continued to pour my passion into AZA.

Oren Erlich (Summer 2017)

Ori Klein

Roee (Rule of the Iron Fist)

No need to fear, Roee is here. I frequently like to wear Disney princess hats in my free time… Judge me, I don’t care <3

Ron Hasson (2016)

Amir Mazor (2014)

Hey guys! Amir here! Super excited for this term! I plan on helping every single member that wants my help (and even a few that don’t). I’m always here if you need some advice. Please email me at amirmazor195@gmail.com

Traditions

Cheers

AZA and Ramon cheers for meetings and events.

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.

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.

Prayers