An Active Jewish Life — From the FSU to Denver, Colorado
Meet the Jewish teens who attended this year's Global Ambassadors Week & BBYO International Convention (IC).
By The JDC Team | March 31, 2025
A group of 20 young participants from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Moldova recently participated in the 2025 Global Ambassadors Week & BBYO International Convention (IC) in Denver, Colorado. These rising leaders are members of the Active Jewish Teens (AJT) network — a JDC program in partnership with BBYO that brings together thousands of Jewish teenagers across the former Soviet Union.
During their two-week stay in the United States, they performed on the convention’s main stage, shared stories from their communities, participated in discussions and panels, and made deep, lasting connections with young Jews from around the globe. We spoke with three participants who offered their reflections on this exciting event.
Asya Arutina, 15; Chișinău, Moldova
These two weeks were intense and unforgettable.
I met dozens of people from all over the world, immersed myself in Jewish-American life, saw how large international Jewish organizations work, and participated in a conference that brought together 4,000 participants!
Each day was filled with something special — lectures from inspiring speakers, master classes, and field trips to iconic places steeped in the history of the Jewish people. I saw how Jewish communities in the United States live and got to know their traditions firsthand.
As an AJT ambassador, I had the privilege of playing a leading role in the convention. I attended the February Executives Conference — in which we discussed how to enrich chapter and community programming — and the elections of the B’Nai B’rith Girls (BBG) International Board. It was an incredible experience to see how BBYO works, how important decisions are made, and what programs they implement for young people around the world.
One of the most touching and meaningful moments for me was participating in a Havdalah service on behalf of AJT. This ceremony was conducted with thousands of BBYO participants, and it was an honor and one that I will carry with me in my future work in the club.
This experience was a great source of motivation, inspiration, and new ideas. I made friends from all over the world, people with whom I will continue to communicate and collaborate.
This trip will forever remain in my heart, as will the amazing people I met.
Mercedes Baidak, 15; Kyiv, Ukraine
The two weeks I spent in America were invaluable, giving me new skills, connections, and ideas for developing my community back home.
This was a unique chance to meet Jewish youth from different countries, learn about their initiatives, discuss common challenges, and share my own.
One of the most exciting moments was speaking on stage; I talked about the situation in Ukraine and how AJT and BBYO help me and my friends. It was important to convey our story to the global community and feel the genuine support of people from all over the world.
This trip had many bright moments, deep conversations, and meaningful connections. But the most valuable thing was the people I met — their stories, openness, and sincerity.
I’m immensely grateful for this trip because it not only broadened my horizons, but also inspired me to act even more enthusiastically within my own Jewish community back home in Ukraine. I’ll always cherish this experience — I learned so many new things, found like-minded people, and felt part of a large global Jewish community.
Alisa Kilibaeva, 17; Almaty, Kazakhstan
I’ll never forget this convention.
One of the most meaningful aspects of this trip was staying with a host family — this experience allowed me to feel the local culture firsthand and get to know Denver. I was especially impressed by the history of the city’s Jewish community.
I met a huge number of people from all over the world, and each new conversation revealed something interesting. One of the highlights was meeting Giancarlo Esposito, an American actor who starred in the Breaking Bad series — it was incredible to listen to him live! He answered questions about his career, the acting industry, his connections with Judaism, and how he achieved his dreams. It was very inspiring!
There were numerous exciting moments I’ll remember forever. For instance, I got to represent Kazakhstan at the opening of the IC. This experience was important not only for me, but for Jewish Kazakhstan — I got to show Jews from around the world that we’re building a strong future in my home country, and JDC played no small part in my being there.
Other moments stand out, too. On Shabbat, I read part of the service and participated in the musical portion, which was relaxed and very soulful. I especially liked that the Shabbat was held in an unconventional way — the organizers made the service feel relevant to our lives. In addition to the official events, there were many other pleasant activities: a visit to the city’s mini-zoo, a trip to the University of Denver, participation in a talent competition and, of course, meeting Giancarlo Esposito.
I’m very grateful that I had this opportunity and would gladly repeat this experience!
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