LONDON BASED BBYO WANT TO GO NORTH

Manchester university students Robin Scher and Ruth Newman are hoping to generate sufficient interest in Manchester to start a northern branch of the flourishing London based movement.
“At the moment the Jewish youth in the north of England seems to be split between Habonim Dror and Bnei Akiva,” said Robin, who studies theology and presently in Israel leading one of the BBYO teen tours together with Ruth.
“With the exception of a few small FZY groups the Jewish youth in the north are largely starved of a pluralist youth movement. A few BBYO chapters in the region would not only provide a wider choice but could reach out to far more Jewish 13-18 year olds in order to learn and practice peer leadership from a young age and who could attend national leadership training courses,” explained the London born student whose grandparents, Olga and Benny Goldberg recently moved from Newcastle to Manchester to join son David and Rhona Goldberg of Park Road, Upper Crumpsall.
Hebrew and Jewish Studies student Ruth Newman hails from Dublin but quite a few members of her extended family have settled in Manchester. Although she loves Dublin, Ruth doesn’t see herself settling there after her studies because of the dwindling Jewish community.
“Peer leadership is one of the five ideologies of BBYO. Combined with the numerous leadership courses that we provide and the fact that the local chapters and national events are run by Jewish teens, BBYO is helping to empower Jewish youth.
“For many years BBYO have been striving to make charismatic, competent and responsible leaders whilst creating a safe and friendly atmosphere for all streams of Judaism – our religious services are conducted altogether and, due to our pluralist beliefs, everyone is respected and included,” said Ruth, who joined BBYO in her early teens in Ireland.
BBYO national fieldworker Blake-Ezra Cole is a former Mancunian. A self taught and successful photographer with a few exhibitions under his lens, Blake-Ezra Cole’s interest in photography surfaced whilst leading groups of British teens on summer tours of Israel during breaks studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Middle Eastern studies at Manchester University.
Blake-Ezra spent a period working for the Jerusalem Post in Israel covering political rallies, major sporting events and the Israeli general elections prior to deciding to take up the BBYO fieldworker post.
With Blake-Ezra, Robin and Ruth focusing on the north, maybe a chapter of BBYO will soon come to town.