BBYO Teen Leaders Re-Commit to Gender Inclusivity

On Friday, August 14, 2015, the Executive Leaders of the Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA) and the B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG), the high school leadership fraternity and sorority of BBYO, passed a motion to ensure BBYO continues to be fully gender inclusive and pluralistic. The motion from teens across the BBYO International Order asserts:

“Young people who genuinely identify as Jewish – no matter their gender identity – are given full eligibility to join and afforded full status as members of the Grand Order of the Aleph Zadik Aleph and the International Order of the B’nai B’rith Girls in any matter, business or forum.”

When AZA and BBG were founded in 1924 and 1944 respectively, it was to provide Jewish young men and women, previously excluded from Greek Life and other societies based on their religion, their own social groups through which they could serve their community and observe Judaism freely. To embrace the ever-changing Jewish community and continue to be a safe space for all Jewish young people, the leaders of the BBYO Movement recommit to BBYO’slong-standing tradition of inclusivity.

This motion was passed at the annual AZA and BBG International August Executives Conference, during which BBYO teen leaders from across the BBYO International Order work together to set the priorities of the Movement for the upcoming programming year.