BeSTY Makes Teens Besties!

By Adina Locketz, BeSTY Co-President and Talia Segal, BeSTY Board Member

BeSTY is Bet Shalom’s youth group for teens in grades 9-12. Belonging to BeSTY is a great way for Jewish teens at Bet Shalom to find a group of people they can really connect with. Countless friendships have been forged across grades and classes that would never have been made without BeSTY’s guiding hand. Our events foster relationships in a fun environment where teens can socialize with friends and meet new Jewish peers. BeSTY board invites all teens from Bet Shalom to join them at future events! If you are a parent or family member of a teenager in grades 9-12, please urge your teen to consider attending a BeSTY event. 

BeSTY encourages teens to learn about and try out leadership. This past year the board consisted of 24 members, including the executive board members. The executive board consisted of the two Co-Presidents, Adina Locketz and Lily Kowal, the Social Action Vice President, Sage Hartman, the Programming Vice President, Sam Weisner, and the Communications Vice President, Dina Sweet.

Each Wednesday the group’s board members gather to brainstorm and discuss ideas for the monthly events. We collaborate in planning the ins and outs of each event, like deciding whether the event will be oriented toward social action or just for fun. After the meetings, we hang in the youth lounge to eat, drink, and socialize with other Jewish students. By planning and working together, we make connections that last longer than many can imagine. Between the beginning and the end of the year, BeSTY members change from peers to besties!

The BeSTY board would not function without the help of the Youth Adviser. The adviser from 2022-23, Lily Booker, was a vital part of this year’s success. She helped organize the programs the board planned, bringing the ideas to life. Lily connected the teens to the adults at Bet Shalom when necessary, and she helped the executive board and the presidents with their duties. Whenever any logistical issues arose, Lily would swoop in and save the day! Lily made it very clear from the beginning that if anybody were to need anything, she would be there for them, from reading essays for school to giving life advice. Having an adult in our lives who we could go to besides our parents helped us feel more comfortable and strengthen the bonds between members. Lily really became a role model to many BeSTY members. 

BeSTY events can have different tones based on the activity. Some events are fun social events like ice skating or laser tag, aimed at helping teenagers form connections and friendships with other Jewish teens from their community. Other events have a social action aspect such as collecting food for the local food shelf and making dog toys from old T-shirts for a local dog humane society. These events are led mainly by the Social Action Vice President and are aimed at making Bet Shalom’s community more equitable and just. Social Action is a big part of BeSTY because like adults, Jewish teens have a responsibility to make the world a better place. Our events average about 10-20 attendees; all teens in the Bet Shalom community grades 9-12 are invited. And 8th graders are initiated into BeSTY at the annual spring lock-in at Bet Shalom. At this lock-in attendees play games, socialize and bond, and introduce the 8th graders to the amazing BeSTY community.

Adina: I met some of my closest friends through BeSTY. Though we went to Hebrew school together and some even go to my high school, we would not be nearly as close as we are without our BeSTY ties. My friend Sam and I go to the same school, do the same sport and have many of the same interests. But BeSTY has drawn us even closer together. Its unique environment fosters incredible personal connections that simply could not happen without it. All BeSTY participants have at least one thing in common: The shared experience of being a Jewish teen and growing up at Bet Shalom. Even if you do not have anything else in common with someone from BeSTY, being Jewish binds us all together in a unique way that helps teens relate to each other differently from our non-Jewish friends. Having Jewish friends, and especially a group of friends outside of school, makes going through high school just a bit easier. Having a place to go and decompress with others going through the same things as you can be a lifesaver from the stresses of high school.