AIT: Aleph in training.
AZA: Aleph Zadik Aleph; the male component of BBYO.
BBG: B’nai B’rith Girls; the female component of BBYO.
BBYO: The B’nai B’rith Youth Organization. An international, teen-led, Judaic movement that includes BBG, AZA, and BBYO chapters.
Beau: Beau/Sweetheart Dance. A formal BBYO dance occurring around December.
Beau/Sweetheart: An honorary member of the chapter from their brother/sister chapter. Announced at Beau/Sweetheart dance.
Business Meeting: A chapter or regional meeting to focus on past and upcoming events, what officers have been working on, and new chapter/ regional projects.
Caucus: A candidate announcing they are running for board to the Godol or chapter advisor.
Chairman: An international, regional, or chapter officer chosen through an application process. Chairman help board through planning events/conventions, making releases, etc.
CLTC: Chapter Leadership Training Conference.
CRW: Central Region West BBYO, a region in the international order that includes all of Northern California and Hawaii.
Delegation: The rank of officer positions of the board.
Election: An annual event regionally/internationally and biannual event in chapters where members are elected board positions through voting.
Event: A few hours spend with BBYO made up of multiple programs.
Folds: The five categories of programming that are the basis of AZA and all events.
GAG: Grand Aleph Godol, aka the International Godol.
Gary: A grizzly bear who is CRW AZA’s mascot.
Gavel: A mallet-like instrument used by the Godol to keep order during meetings.
Gizbor/Gizborit: Treasurer.
Godol: Male President.
Good and Welfare: A brotherhood program in which all event participants are given a chance to express their feelings. A lighted candle is passed from member to member as they speak. Everything that is said is confidential.
Havdallah: A Jewish Ceremony used to conclude Shabbat and start the new week. Havdallah is followed by cheers.
High Board: The Godol, S’gan, Moreh/N’siah, S’ganit, and Morah.
IC: International Convention at which International elections take place.
ILSI: International Leadership Study in Israel.
ILTC: International Leadership Training Conference.
Inductions: A ceremony to official bring AITs into the chapter or region.
Installations: A ceremony held to officially install officers into their new positions and discharge officers from their past position.
International Kallah: Summer program based around Judaism.
Kickoff: A fun regional dance to kick-off the BBYO year.
Life Ceremony: A BBYO graduation ceremony where a graduating senior has the opportunity to share what he/she learned from AZA or BBG and where others can tell stories about him/her.
Mazkir/Mazkirah: Secretary. Keeps chapter updated about events
Midstates: A speech given in the middle of the term to discuss accomplishments, problems, and future goals.
Moreh/Morah: Vice president on membership. In charge of the three R’s: recruitment, retention, and re-education.
N’siah: Female, BBG Chapter President.
Opening Ceremonies: The official way to start an AZA/BBG business meeting.
Oratory: The only serious spirit competition where chapters prepare a speech/performance on a specific social action topic.
Paper Member: A member who rarely or never attends events.
Parli-Pro: Parliamentary Procedure. Official rules for carrying out business.
PIT: Parent in training.
Politicking: Discussing what you are running for with anyone besides your chapter advisor or Godol or discussing what others are running for.
Programming: The activities at an event
Prospective: A guy or girl who hasn’t joined BBYO but has attended an event or is considering attending an event.
Quorum: A certain number of people needed for certain events (elections, Midstates, etc.). For the region, one member from 2/3 of the chapters must be present and four regional board members. Chapters need half their members plus one.
RAG: Regional Aleph Godol.
Recording Mazkir: Recording secretary who takes minutes at business meetings
Regional Kallah: A regional convention based around Judaic learning.
Safran/Safranit: Memory keeper; photographer.
Servers: A purchased regional board member purchased by a chapter of the opposite sex who must do what that chapter requests from the chapter at a convention; formerly known as slaves.
S’gan/S’ganit: Vice president of programming; in charge of planning events.
Shark: A member of Dreidel. Unofficially adopted in reference to one another but not used by other chapters
Sister Chapter: For a BBG chapter, a close-by BBG chapter they are paired with through the region and has frequency events together. For an AZA chapter, a BBG chapter in the same territory they have frequent events with.
SiWi: Simon Wiesenthal AZA.
Spooey: The international BBG food. Pretzels dipped in frosting.
Spirit Competitions: A series of competitions between chapters. They include making/writing a scrapbook, banner, movie, cheer, slow song, fast song, story, and oratory.
Spring: The last convention of the programming year where elections and installations occur.
Stairway to Heaven: Played as the last song at BBYO dance; the song where Alephs and BBGs hook up.
Stand-Up: An International campaign to raise awareness and money for a cause. The campaign is focused around regions standing up for what they believe in.
States: A speech delivered at the end of the term to reflect on the past term, discuss current problems, provide solutions, and give goals for the next term.
The Shofar: The International BBYO newspaper.
Visitations: When the regional board goes to events for other chapters to try and understand what the chapter is doing well and what they can improve on.