Andrew Guckes and Braden Hamelin | Staff Writers
In February, some 3,500 Jewish teens from 52 countries will gather in Philadelphia for the BBYO International Convention, the organization’s “Super Bowl,” so to speak.
Over 40 teens from Baltimore-area BBYO chapters will travel north to attend the largest gathering of Jewish teens in the world, and Carly Lerner, regional director of the BBYO Baltimore Council, said that there is a lot to look forward to.
“Our teens are most excited for the opening ceremonies, when [participants] come together to celebrate the kickoff of the convention and proudly represent their regions,” she said. “Baltimore teens are also especially thrilled to cheer on Baltimore’s own international s’ganit — vice president of programming — who is serving as one of two lead teen coordinators for the event.”
Lerner thinks that the Baltimore BBYO members are going for reasons other than just proximity. The International Convention is unlike anything else in the world for Jewish teens.
“Teens choose to attend because there truly isn’t anything like IC — it’s a chance to join Jewish teens who share a deep sense of identity and connection, even as they come from diverse backgrounds, countries and experiences,” she said.
The Jewish teen movement’s gathering from Feb. 12-16 brings together approximately 5,000 people in all, for what the organization states is the second-largest Jewish communal event in North America.
While the 2026 conference is close to home, the 2027 event will be right in Baltimore teens’ backyards. Lerner said that the 2027 event will take place in Charm City and that planning is already underway to bring in plenty of big names.
Actor Giancarlo Esposito, Brigham Young University quarterback Jake Retzlaff, author Sarah Hurwitz and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft were among those who participated in the 2025 convention.
“This is our Super Bowl. Every February, delegates, teen leaders from across the globe, as well as community leaders, executives, philanthropists and a lot of other folks that support Jewish teen life and care about the Jewish future gather for this conference that feels like a festival, that feels like a leadership-immersive experience, that feels like an annual meeting. It feels a little bit like a Jewish Teen South-by-Southwest,” said Ian Kandel, the senior VP of movement building at BBYO, referring to the collection of music and media festivals that takes place in Austin, Texas, each year.
BBYO, originally the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, is the “world’s largest Jewish youth movement,” according to Kandel, a pluralistic movement reaching around 70,000 Jewish teens across 750 communities in 65 countries. The organization works to “involve more Jewish teens in more meaningful Jewish experiences,” according to its website.
Kandel said that the convention is so popular because teens of today want to attend events that are bigger than themselves and enrich their lives through interpersonal connections. He doesn’t think that Oct. 7 and its aftermath are the reason for the convention’s increased popularity, as it was a trend BBYO saw for years prior to 2023.
“We do not believe that the enthusiasm for BBYO or the International Convention specifically is a result of what’s hard or scary about being Jewish, but it’s the best of being Jewish. We have a proud tradition. We have a lot of opportunities to share goodness and meaningful contribution with the world. This is one of the ways in which teens who happen to be Jewish get to access that,” Kandel said.
The senior VP said the interest displayed by teens around the world is a positive sign for the next generation.
“It’s really impressive that at this day and age, where everyone’s always bemoaning whether the next generation of the Jewish community is going to really care about being connected and really care about leading and really care about contributing, we have built something that teens fight aggressively to get a spot and be a part of,” Kandel said.
Lerner said that Baltimore-area BBYO members are ready for an experience that will hopefully help them make big strides not just as BBYO members, but as Jews.
“Baltimore teens are excited for a quick train ride that brings them to a global gathering of friends from up and down the East Coast, across the country and around the world,” she said. “An international Convention expands Baltimore teens’ understanding of what it means to be Jewish in today’s world. By hearing from world-renowned speakers, politicians, influencers and entertainers, teens broaden their horizons and strengthen their pride in being Jewish.”
