By Zack Tabachnikoff
At the end of November, 50 Charlotte teens traveled to the mountain town of Montreat, N. C., to join 200 peers from across the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia for BBYO’ s first regional event of the year: L’ dor V’ dor Convention( LVC). The annual fall retreat brings together Jewish teens from across the region for a weekend of unforgettable memories, community-building, learning, and joyful, spirited competition.
The convention featured two dynamic program tracks. The first was a chapter-competition track, inviting teens to display their spirit through original songs, dances, banners, and pre-made music videos. The second track was designed for new members, created specifically for underclassmen as well as first-time participants to learn BBYO basics and to experience the heart of the organization.
Teens in the new-member track were placed into small“ mock chapters,” where they explored leadership, community, and creativity. This culminated in their writing as well as performing an original song and dance for the entire group during Saturday night’ s talent show. Participants also dove into lively Limmudim or learning sessions ranging from preparing homemade guacamole to playing glow-in-the-dark dodgeball. Both tracks united for meaningful, shared moments throughout the weekend, including Shabbat services, Havdalah, chapter spirit, and one of the most anticipated highlights, Maccabia. This full afternoon of team-based games included basketball, capture the flag, trivia, Name That Tune, Minute-to-Win-It challenges, and more.
The contagious energy carried into Saturday night with an epic silent-disco rave, where teens danced and sang until their voices gave out – always a hallmark of a successful BBYO convention! Throughout the weekend, teens shared their excitement, enthusiasm, and the personal impact the weekend had on them:
“ At LVC, I made tons of new friends from all over the region who quickly became family to me,” said Ethan G., chapter president and regional-track attendee.“ I also had the amazing opportunity to serve as captain for the Color War, representing the blue team in an enthusiastic, regionwide competition. The camaraderie, connections, and energy at LVC left a permanent mark on me, and I can’ t wait to build on these friendships at the next convention.”
“ At this year’ s new-member weekend, I had an incredible experience and connected with new friends right away,” said Zack A., new-member-weekend
The Charlotte Jewish News- Janurary 2026- Page 11
Charlotte Teens Lead and Shine at Regional BBYO Convention in Montreat, N. C.
attendee.“ Learning about the history and traditions of AZA( male-identifying BBYO participants) left a real mark on me, and I’ m already looking forward to the next convention.”
“ Leading new-member weekend was one of the best experiences I’ ve ever had,” shared Lindsay S., Eastern Region board member and new-member-weekend coordinator.“ I was fortunate to meet so many future leaders from Eastern Region BBYO and introduce them to just some of the many traditions and opportunities BBYO offers. Every new member arrived with an open mind and left with a clear sense of the incredible possibilities ahead.”
A special shoutout goes to a handful of Charlotte teens who played key leadership roles in orchestrating the convention: Daniel B., Niyana S., Sophie M., Jessie W., and Lindsay S. These dedicated young leaders spent months planning, designing and executing the weekend’ s programming. Their hard work, creativity, and commitment helped make LVC a resounding success and a powerful reminder of the strength of Charlotte’ s Jewish teen community.
BBYO’ s next regional convention will take place in April 2026. For questions about the convention or BBYO, please reach out to Zachary Tabachnikoff at ztabachnikoff @ bbyo. org.