This world we live in has some sort of terrible reality just waiting to unveil itself at every twist and turn. We walk on egg shells – dodging market volatility, global pandemics, gunshots, mounting debt, traffic jams, and about a billion other things. The buffet of fear presented by present days leaves us wanting, yearning, and urgently searching for hope. After five days with the teens of B’nai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO) at their International Convention (IC) in Dallas, Texas, I can tell you, as a first-hand witness, the future is bright and help is on its way.
For those not familiar, BBYO is the largest Jewish youth organization in the world. More than 70,000 members and affiliates touching all corners of the earth build upon the framework set by more than 250,000 alumni before them. They weave the values of inclusivity, tolerance, and mindfulness into their everyday lives and programming. They leverage these values and their power in numbers to steady their voice, claim their rights, and drive the growth of this 95+ year old global movement forward.
While day-to-day programming is left to localized chapters, IC is the main event. It is the Dreamforce, the SXSW, the Lollapalooza of the Jewish world. It’s one of those things you have to see to believe, and once you have, you’ll never forget it.
Every year, more than 3,000 high school aged teens from more than 50 countries congregate to share experiences, ideas, and create everlasting bonds. Driven by their pursuit of a better world and the opportunity to personally create it, these teens travel in droves, some over thousands of miles, to gather and create their plan for the year ahead.
Assisting their great work are some of the most important minds, leaders, and artists on the planet. This year, IC’s main stage both physically and virtually played home to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senator Ted Cruz, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Cornell Brooks, Sophia Bush, Jesse Eisenberg, Zach Barack, David Dobrik, Michael Skolnik, Avi Garbow, Matt Pohlson, Bari Weiss, and many more. On the bookends of this incredible list of advocates, leaders, and otherwise motivating speakers were musical guests Loud Luxury, Bryce Vine, Quinn XCII, and Matoma.
But don’t let the guest list fool you. The real stars of the show are the teens.These young adults are wise beyond their years, driven by a higher power, and represent all that is right in the world. They are fearless in their approach to troubling social issues, staunchly against hate, and completely invested in building a movement that’s aimed at making this world a safer and more accepting place to live.
As a photographer, I have an incredibly unique view of the show that is IC. I get to see it from all angles, from all sides, from the outside looking in and inside looking out. This is an event that keeps me on my feet for 80 hours in 5 days, sleeping less than four hours per night, and when it wraps up at the end of the week, I’ve never felt more inspired.
It’s my pleasure to share with you a window into how I saw it all play out. (Allow a few minutes for all images to load.)
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