What a year! We’re wrapping up the Bnos 5782 season, and there’s hardly time to catch our breath. Bnos is busier than ever, serving frum girls from kindergarten through adulthood.
How? Fasten your seatbelts, and let’s go on a whirlwind tour of Bnos 5782.
K-5 – To our youngest Bnosers, we provide fun with a purpose. Girls have a chance to shine in a relaxed, non-academic setting. This year’s theme was “Come Grow with Us,” and what a year of growth it was.
Bnosers attended Bnos Shabbos groups, called into the Bnos Hotline, sang the Bnos theme song, and read the weekly newsletter. They participated in tefilla, sefira, and chesed contests. There were local in-person membership events and national call-in events. We partnered with schools with Ki Heim Chayeinu’s “Shabbos Malkisa” program, teaching the beauty of Shabbos. Bnosers even got their own Bnos membership cards!
Middle school – 6th-8th graders are no longer the forgotten middle child. With Tween Light’s exciting debut, they now have programming tailored to their needs. Middle-schoolers enjoyed a tween-appropriate Shabbos afternoon curriculum, theme, and song. Tween Lighters also had their own hotline, penpals, and activities.
Bnos One on One isn’t new, but it grew this year. Even more middle school Little Sisters were matched with high school Big Sisters. Besides each pair’s weekly activities, there were also group events and activities.
High School (and up!) – Our oldest girls are looking for inspiration, direction, and a chance to start giving back to the klal. We prioritized our teens with programs addressing them from all angles. We had virtual speeches and tefilla gatherings throughout the year. Aseres Yemai Teshuvah, Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah, Taanis Esther, and Pesach were just some of the times we got together. There were often over 1000 girls on the line! Most precious was a session at the Agudah convention when we were privileged to hear from Rebbetzin Temi Kamenetsky, a”h.
We hosted live events and activities, too. Bnos Convention at Camp Malka in upstate New York drew 420 girls from 32 cities. Our high school Big Sisters did activities with their Little Sisters. And we also held a Big Sisters Appreciation Event.
We encouraged the girls to reach out to others through Bnos Bikur Cholim (BBC) programs. BBC’s mishloach manos nursing home event involved 20+ schools, 3000 mishloach manos, and over 15 nursing homes. The “Adopt-A-Bubby” program and BBC Phone Pals have hundreds of participants. Our teen-friendly BBC Guide and live trainings taught the girls how to interact successfully with seniors.
Leaders and Advisors – This was an important focus of 5782! “We want to empower our leaders and advisors with the knowledge that they’re part of a national team,” says Mrs. Chana Baila Hass, national director of Bnos Agudas Yisroel. “We have many resources to support them, and we’re creating even more.”
We went all out to encourage and develop our leaders. There were networking experiences, trainings, and appreciation events. “Leaders to Leaders” penpals connected leaders in different cities. Through extensive guides and curriculums, we supported the girls in their avodas hakodesh.
What’s next for Bnos? Summer Bnos Shabbos groups and BBC programs are in the works. And we already have big plans for next year, including Friday night and Sunday programming, leader’s initiative.
“We’re here to meet the needs of all Klal Yisroel’s girls in the most up-to-date way possible,” says Mrs. Hass. “We’re also here to inspire and train our girls to be tomorrow’s leaders. Bnos is THE address for girls who want to give back to our communities.”
Would you like to get involved? Be a leader? Start a Bnos group? Call Bnos at 212 797 9000 ext. 330 or e-mail [email protected].