Bridging Oceans With BBYO

ENP continues to expand its network of friends and supporters with an exciting new collaboration! This spring, as part of ENP’s SPACE Bridges program that works to enhance Ethiopian-Israeli youth's spoken English capacity, ENP kickstarted a special pilot together with the Baltimore chapter of BBYO – the United States' foremost Jewish youth movement. Ethiopian-Israeli 9th grade Bridges participants from Ashkelon and Jewish teens from Baltimore got together on Zoom -- the app of the day -- sharing their life experiences, exchanging thoughts, and just generally getting to know each other.

For the ENP students, it was an excellent opportunity to practice their English, while the BBYO teens got to learn about the Ethiopian-Israeli community and life in Israel. Participants shared their hobbies, favorite school subjects, and experiences being home-bound during the COVID-19 lockdown. The chats became an instant hit with both parties and quickly assumed a weekly basis.

Despite their different backgrounds, the teens – fully engaged and curious -- forged instant connections which naturally also spilled over to their social media accounts. For Maya Taylor from Baltimore, the initiative has had a lasting impact: "This project has allowed me not only to make new friends but also learn about the Ethiopian culture and how Ethiopian Israelis live in Israel. It makes me want to come back to the calls each time for more. I hope to continue this collaboration for years to come because these connections are so valuable." Maya is taking a leading role as a youth leader to help ensure the success of this exciting new endeavor.

Nitzan Ben-Shaya, an Israeli emissary at BBYO International, helped organize the pilot from the US side, recognizing the importance of personal connections in strengthening the bond between American Jewish youth and Israel. She is eager to extend the pilot to other communities, noting that "nowadays teens can build relationships from the other side of the ocean, which is beautiful to see."

BBYO Regional Director Ilana Kornblatt was especially pleased with the new connections being forged: "It's amazing to see how much the teens have in common and the wonderful conversations they can have despite coming from different backgrounds."

For Grace Rodnitzki, Director of International Relations of ENP, this newly-forged partnership with BBYO completes a circle: “As a BBYO alumna myself, Israeli teen delegates at a BBYO summer camp first forged my love for Israel, while BBYO led me on my path to where I am today. My hope is through these BBYO-ENP connections, more Jewish youth in North America will be inspired by and connect to Israel as both they and their Israeli friends discover and share the extraordinary Ethiopian Jewish story.”

A resounding success, ENP seeks to expand the pilot to other cities, giving more Ethiopian- Israeli and Jewish American youth the opportunity to engage, learn from each other and make lasting connections. Would your local BBYO chapter want to become part of our initiative? Contact ENP!