(L to R) Alexa Fleischer-Cerino, Eva Allison, Max Simon, Jenny Steinberg and Emma Strumpf

Among the 250 teens who attended the recent BBYO Winter Convention held on Feb. 1-3 at the Sheraton Hotel at Bradley International Airport, were five teens from BBYO’s Connecticut Valley Region who took the opportunity to be called to the Torah as b’nai mitzvah, with their family and friends in attendance. The teens were: Max Simon and Emma Strumpf, both from Monroe, Alexa Fleischer-Cerino from New Haven, Jenny Steinberg from West Hartford, and Eva Allison from Storrs. Each teen also wrote an essay explaining why they chose to participate in this ceremony. Singer/songwriter Rick Recht led the teens and the b’nai mitzvah in Havdallah and a celebratory concert.
In addition to the b’nai mitzvah celebration, teens attending the convention enjoyed a variety of learning sessions, including a fun, conversation class in “Hebrew 101,” led by two Israeli teens, Nimrod and Yoav Ravid, as well as the Israeli emissaries from Bridgeport, West Hartford and Springfield. The teens took part in advocacy sessions that touched on several topics, including autism, confronting antisemitism, school safety, GLBT, and learning disabilities.