ALEPHS

To start this off, I’m going to begin with a quote by Jimmy dean “ I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination”. Jimmy said this perfectly. While I have been reflecting on my BBYO career I think back to the struggles, the times where everything just wasn’t going well. Through the ups and downs there is always the light at the end of the tunnel. When I attended my first program I got on the bus not knowing what BBYO was or what it meant. I had no interest in going to Charleston to the convention and I did not plan to ever attend another program after that first night. Over the course of the weekend I was able to find out what BBYO meant and what it meant to the seniors that were attending their last convention. The Story of my life in BBYO has been “senior”. As a freshman, I was friends with the seniors, as a sophomore I was friends with a senior and so on and so forth. Every year I had lost my closests friends in this organization and would have to restart all over again each year. When Dixie made the switch to leave Atlanta council and join Eastern Region, I was very upset. I knew a lot of people in Atlanta and I knew no one in eastern. I contemplated quitting BBYO after my freshman year when the switch was made. But a close senior of mine, Daniel Nabert, took me under his wing and we became super close. I then really enjoyed BBYO again and at his last convention at the end of my sophomore year, he dedicated his life to me. I then decided to run for Council Godol, I came up just short and ended up sliding down to Moreh. Which at the time I had no idea would be the best thing that ever happened to me in BBYO. I got the opportunity to plan the new member convention my junior year. Not knowing barely any eastern teens because I was so connected to Daniel I didn’t really branch out and connect with any other teens. I showed up at MIT/AIT and I was welcomed by the rest of the trainers and coordinators. The running joke was that Noah Linfoot wasn’t real and didn’t exist. None of them knew me, I was barely on any calls... you should always been on calls. Leah Weinstock and I were the only juniors at that convention. I got to meet a whole new group of seniors that were the trainers and other coordinators. They became my closest friends. We would call each other and see each other outside of BBYO.. The relationships and friendships you make in BBYO can’t even be compared to you normal every day friends back home. The conventions when we got to see each other were AND ARE the best weekends and moments of our lives. The best times of my life stem from the moments that I had in BBYO. As I shared with some of the Alpehs last night in our good and well fare. I am not the person back home that I am here but the thing is, here, in BBYO, I am the person I am meant to be and back home I am not the same person I am here, I can’t be the person I am because of the size of my school and social constructs that surround it. Its very different and BBYO helped me grow and be the person I am supposed to be who I am today. The friendships I have made because of being myself, I am forever thankful for. From the late night shenanigans in the dorm and hotels rooms. To that one chofesh where you may have had your first kiss. Those are moments you won’t ever be able forget, nor would you want to forget them. Finding yourself, your friends and creating memories with each and every person in this room. That is what BBYO is all about ; There are many different ways to experience this organization of BBYO and not everyone is the same, which is what makes BBYO so different from anything else you will be involved with in your life. As the end of my junior year came to a close I was forced again to say goodbye to a chapter of my BBYO life. The chapter with the seniors of North Carolina and Virginia . Each one of them all changed my view and experiences and me in BBYO. They convinced me to be more 

outgoing and run for Dixie council godol, I did just that and won, I may have been unopposed,but that doesn’t matter does it?. It was then that I was actually a senior in BBYO and my BBYO career and time in this organization had finally caught up to me. Where did the time go? As I entered my final year i wanted to go out with a bang, I wanted to leave camp weaver for the last time in my life with a memory to last me forever, Zach Sissle, mission accomplished brother. I hadn’t really realize how fast it had all gone by until I started writing this speech. The fact that just 4 years ago I was the freshman that went to MIT/AIT blows my mind. At that convention I got to experience my favorite program in BBYO, even more than I love soundscapes which for people who know me, is a huge deal to me. This famous tradition in Dixie which is called the twig ceremony is what is always in the back of my mind at every convention I attend, it’s a main reason for me to stay in BBYO this long. Last year I was luckyenough to get the lead that program for all my Dixie teens at MIT/AIT 2018, leading that program is something I will never forget. Continuing with the MIT/AIT trend, over the course of my BBYO career I have been fortunate enough to attend 4 MIT/AIT and the strongest one, was by far the one this year. It was the smallest MIT/AIT in the past 4 years and it was attended by the most compassionate group of people who are so dedicated to this organization already. And they have only been at a convention for a total of 5 days including today. They are the future of this region and organization and I as well as all the people on this stage know it, yall are going to do great things for eastern. My advice to you freshman is you only have so much time in this organization, live it up and have no regrets, like a soda machine, if you put in 1 dollar you get one soda, BBYO is like that, you only get what you put in. Don’t get caught up on minor details and little things because it can ruin your experience and with the short amount of time you have here, you want to enjoy BBYO to its fullest potential. I know that I let my first two years slip past me and there not a day go by that I wish I got those 2 years back, but you can’t live in the past and can only change the future. Find your friends, find yourself and find what your Jewish identity is, because that it why we are all here, because we are Jewish. I never realized what being Jewish was until I got into this organization and even then I didn’t realize what it truly meant to me until 6 weeks ago, when my life really spiraled. The friends I had in this organization and the teens that I have never spoken to were all reaching out to me and had my back. Like our speaker talked about last night, the Jewish community will always have your back, even if they don’t know you, your, name or a single thing about you, they will always have your back. Jewish people are always there for you and that is that is what make our movement so strong and efficient. I never would have thought that I would want to go to Israel or be a leader of a Jewish youth group organization, but look at me now. I have decided that following my graduation I will not be going to college next year and I will be taking a gap year and spend 9 months in Israel working in the hospitals and as an EMT. I will spend 4.5 months in Jerusalem and tel aviv. I never would have consider doing that if I hadn’t joined bbyo. 

And with that I move into my dedications: 

I dedicate my past to gabe adler, Daniel nabert, Jennifer bereskin, , Andrew gross, jarret gouldin, drew Levin, bradlee Goldberg, ben rubestien, abby meyer, sarah baldwin, beakka Wilson and Shelby brown 

I dedicate my present to: 

Zach sissle, if you don’t know zach sissle, your not livng bbyo to its fullest potential, zach, you are one of craziest people and I know and I so happy we roomed together at this convention last year. The memories and good times we have created with eachother are ones I will never forget. We left weaver the way we needed to and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Love you man 

T markewiecz: where do I begin, sat scores? Phone calls? You mean to world to me, you are my right hand gal and I appreciate you so much, I hope your sat scores were sent to the right colleges, thank you for gravitating to me and alway keeping my hopes and spirits high even when I’m at my lowest of the lows, this year has been and will continue to be so much fun creating life lasting memories with you, luv you t 

Jack meltsner, projects baby, the amount of times had to hear you say that in room 206 last year are too many to count. You never fail to make me laugh or smile when we are hanging out. 

Leah Weinstock, thank you for being my survivor loving friend, I look forward to my Wednesday nights where I get to talk to you about the stupid plays and epic moves made in the game, ps Karishma never should have made it that far and missy or Aaron should have been final 3.

Asher bomb and mike stein, why did we just finally meet and talk for the first time 7 weeks ago, we have gotten so close since MIT/AIT and I’m so excited for the rest of this year, wish we had met 3 years earlier, BBYO would have be insane. 

Ben Goldman, 2 am weaver bathroom talk session are a BBYO memory I wont forget, the fact that I also just met you 7 weeks ago blows my mind. 

Ari, borther gets female dogs, what a guy, you are my brother and this year being godol with you has been one for the books, thanks for the memories and lets keep em rolling 

Seth ravid, man it was a great pleasure to get to bring you into our chapter. You have inspired us and helped us in so many ways. This year savannah bbyo for me was my most active year with the highest amount of alephs attending our programs since 2015. The fire and spark that you kept alive in me and Marc is awesome and i really hope you can get the boys to keep it alive for me as i did for the boys i took it over for. You are a real good guy, human being and person, thank you seth.

Allison comess, I’m so glad I met you, the countless hugs at conventions and the late night group talks with the rest the presidents at Lauren's house were a blast 

And now, I want to dedicate my future to:

 Ben budenstien: you're the man, you have are going to continue to do great things from, augusta, dixie, and eastern region. I'm so proud to have you as my successor next year. Keep dixie alive, you got this 

Marlie berger: you show more enthusiasm about this organization than anyone I know, you are a bundle of energy that won’t stop at anything in your way, you better live up to your aunts accomplishments and be the international n’siah, I know you can do it and so do so many others 

Max miller: take some notes from Zach, od will teach you how to clean and respect women, you show so much potential and were one of the chilliest kids I know, keep being you. 

Dylan arluck, you show so much potential in this organization, I see you being able to accomplish anything you can think of. You are AZA.

Fraternally submitted with an undying love for, uncle julio and aunt soureen, paintball, lrev and jmann, bradlee noises, zach noises, cream cheese on toes, turtle necks with blazers, don’t be basic, im from dixie; we are different, twig ceremony, lushes icee, projects baby, room 226, 228, and the final mit/ait...... I forever remain , aleph Noah Solomon Linfoot, your damn proud  56th Dixie Council Godol for forever and always and with that I accept my life membership into eastern region #6 and david finn 206.