Over the summer, many Jewish teens around the country take part in teen tours through BBYO Passport, a program that takes teens across the world. Teens have the option of going on a trip around the USA, South and Central America, Europe, and Israel. This program has made its mark on various Cherry Hill East students over the years, including this past summer, where Abbie Zinn (‘25) and Joey Lieberson (‘26) both went on trips to Europe.
BBYO is a worldwide Jewish Youth organization with hundreds of chapters within the United States, with strong membership among East students, as over 100 East students have taken part. Founded in Omaha, Nebraska in 1924 by Jews who were denied access into youth groups and college fraternities because of their religion, the organization has been going strong for 100 years.
In 2005, BBYO launched its teen tour program: BBYO passport. Since then, it has grown to be the leading provider of global travel experiences for Jewish teens. The program has made an impact on so many around the country, including East students, providing many an opportunity to travel abroad for the first time or learn more about their religion by traveling to Israel, the Jewish holy land.
This year, the program left a profound effect on Abbie Zinn and Joey Liberson at East. Both are very involved in BBYO, serving on South Jersey BBYO’s 64th Regional Board, and participating in leadership programs that BBYO offers over the summer. Both hadn’t gone on a trip with BBYO passport yet.
Zinn went on a trip called Mediterranean Discovery, traveling through both Italy and Slovenia for 15 days. Her journey took her through the Italian cities of Milan and Venice, where she learned about Italy’s rich history and explored Venice’s famous canals. Then came Zinn’s favorite part of the trip.
“I loved all of Slovenia. It is such a beautiful country, especially Bled Island,” Zinn commented.
Located in Northwestern Slovenia, Bled Island is located inside of Lake Bled, about 20 miles outside of Slovenia’s capital city, Ljubljana. The teens wandered across the beautiful Island, which contains a 17th-century Church, and took a small wooden boat known as a Pletna to access the island.
Lieberson went on the 16-day Central European Discovery trip, trekking across Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Poland. She stayed in some of Europe’s most celebrated cities, such as Berlin, Prague, and Vienna.
“I loved the city of Prague,” Lieberson remarked. “We went paddle boarding in Prague along the Vltava River, where we got a great scenic view of the city.”
They also traveled through the Tatras Mountains of Poland and cruised the Danube River. On a more serious note, they visited two of the most well-known sites of the Holocaust, the darkest chapter in the modern history of the Jewish people. They reflected while seeing the gas chambers at Auschwitz and imagining the hardships that Polish Jews went through while seeing the Warsaw Ghetto.
While they both enjoyed the sightseeing, the people that they met were really what made it special. However, they didn’t know many people on the trip.
“Only a few others on the trip were actually from BBYO. Most came from summer camps, with most already knowing a large group of people,” said Lieberson.
However, she soon became good friends with many of the 40 people on the trip. Over the two-plus weeks of the trip, they both made special bonds with people from across the United States.
“I met people that I will always remember on this trip. I’ll think back to these special two weeks for the rest of my life,” Zinn commented.
Many people who go on BBYO Passport trips actually join BBYO to go on these trips. Jewish teens being allowed to go on trips while not being in BBYO can also allow them to find out how special BBYO is to them and get active in the organization.
Overall, this travel program has made summers special for many teens at East over the last twenty years. Traveling abroad can enhance one’s curiosity, even translating to being more interested in the classroom. It is clear that a BBYO Passport trip is a great opportunity to expand one’s horizons.