Here are summaries of this year's BHUSY events:

Camp CHUSY

    Ten BHUSY USYers, three BHUSY Kadimanics, one then (and current) BHUSY staff, and one now Youth Director took over Camp CHUSY. All the BHUSY kids had a great time meeting new people from our great region and relaxing during the last few days of summer. For many of the BHUSY kids, it was their first Camp CHUSY, but for sure not their last! 

    We had a sleepover at Eliana's house. We ended Shabbat with Havdallah and then moved on to team bonding activities lead by Ellie. After a few snack breaks and a discussion about what how we are going to improve the chapter, we spent the rest of the night talking and getting to know each other. It was great to start the year off as a united board and will hopefully be the first of many bonding programs. GO BHUSY Board 2008-2009!

    This night was an exciting one as it was Bhusy's first big chapter wide event. The amount of people members or nonmembers ( most were the latter at the time) was around 40 and set expectations for years to come. Ice breakers went smoothly as everyone learned each others names. Then we went to the Wilmette theater for some quality havdalah and movie watching. Right before havdalah we played this name game using our famous quote "Chimichanga or Spatula?" The answer is still unknown. Havdalah was a wonderful experience. following that we traveled down the flight of stairs to the theater where we were giving popcorn and drink. When allowed into the theater we got confirmation that our vote on movie resulted in the excellent and hilarious Blades of Glory. The movie was perfect for the occasion. After the movie we traveled back to the synagogue for some planned programs and chill time. Classics like Bang and Sumo were among the games played. They were a big hit, causing people to mingle and enjoy each others company. When this was over some video games were out and people had the option to sleep or rock out and schmooze into the early hours. 

Bus to SHMUSY Dance

    This year Chusy had the honor of being invited to SHMUSY's kickoff dance in Chicago. People from all over the region came and partied with the chapter to make the year start off with a bang. BHUSY and KSUSY met at BHCBE to wait for the bus and schmooze. There we did some ice breakers to familiarize everyone with each other. The ice broke quick. Then, the two chapters shared a bus with KSUSY in order to get everyone to the event. There saw familiar faces, but also some new ones! The bus ride was loud (a good sign) and everybody seemed to be engaged in conversation and having a blast. Despite the dull and disastrous weather outside, we were unaffected. At the dance, A-Z played the best of the best to ensure that everyone had a good time. People danced, ate, and socialized. The floor was concentrated with a bunch of crazy

CHUSY LTI

    7 of the 9 BHUSY Board members came to Chapter LTI. we had a strong presense during the weekend and the much of the region had heard about the succuess of our opening Lock-in. Dividing up into our counterpart meetings, each member came back super excited with program ideas and new contacts. The board spent chofesh's talking and bonding in a way that no teaming building activity can duplicate. The upperclassman "discovered" our freshman rep who become the chapter mascot for the weekend. The board is now excited to do programs with other chapter and to encourage BHUSY'ers to come to regional programs.

Sushi Lounge Night

    We had our first lounge night! To begin we made a duct-tape circle on the floor and passed out shirts, stuffed them with pillows and had people sumo in the circle! It was amazing! No arms and it was all quite epic. Then everyone gathered around the rectangle of tables where the Professional Sushi Chef taught everyone the basics behind sushi-making. Then we had minyan! Yay! We came back to the lounge and everyone made their own sushi in groups of three with all different options, including fish and other veggies. TASTY! In the mean time everyone sat on the floor and chilled. We all had a relaxing time to stop the business of the week and just hangout with our Jewish friends. We even played apples to apples and it was an amazing accomplishment with 30 people at our first lounge night!! Yay!!

Car Wash/ Honey Sale

    In order to raise money for USY we hosted a car-wash and honey sale for Rosh Hashanah. Since the day coincided with other Rosh Hashanah sales, we decided to have the Car wash and honey sale on that day. It was overcast and there were a few drizzles so at first we simply had a virtual car-wash in which people donated to USY as sales for the honey went on inside and outside. Board members and other non-board members used their excitement to get people to stop and donate! Throughout the entire sale there were around 15 people rotating in and out. Eventually, the weather cleared up so we washed a few cars with great care and detail. In total, we raised around $800. It was a great success and everybody had fun advertising, chasing cars, and getting the word out about USY!

High Holidays Activities

(Rosh Hashanna Discussion/ Yom Kippur Hang out/ High Holiday Handout)

    This year BHUSY took over the High Holidays. We decided to have a discussion on Rosh Hashanah during Musaf since people weren't fasting and would be more focused. About 25 USYers crowded into our library where Chris led a discussion on faith vs. religion. The mood was upbeat and everyone got into the debate. On Yom Kippur, again during Musaf, we decided to just hang out and play board games. USYers dropped in and joined games of “Apples to Apples” (Jewish Edition of course) and “Connect Four”. For the first time ever, BHUSY put together a High Holiday Handout, one for Rosh Hashanah and one for Yom Kippur. Ben Rothman, BEB, and Julia Stoller, BGB (BHUSY General Board) worked incredibly hard on this wonderful publication. Check out the copies!

BGB Meeting

    This year, BHUSY started a general board. This allows some of our more dedicated chapter members to get more involved with USY in a specific way – planning a program, for instance – without being on the executive board. Our general board meetings have been a great success, and the larger number of people involved in chapter leadership has given new vibrancy to BHUSY.

Friday Night Teen Minyan

    On Friday night, BHUSY had its first Friday night services and dinner of the year. There were 18 people that attended. It was a lot of fun. We had services in the rotunda and then dinner in the youth lounge. After dinner, we sang songs, talked, and played Apples to Apples (Jewish Edition!). It was definitely a night to remember.

1st Babysitting Fundraiser

    BHUSY hosted a babysitting fundraiser for the BHCBE families. We had seven USY'ers and five seventh graders babysitting and seventeen kids. With snacks, arts and crafts, and movies, everyone was very happy. We raised over $200 and some of the kids told their parents they can't wait to come back to "babysitting".

Sukkah Building Fundraiser

    Around 12:00, ten USYers filled in other USYers’ cars and set out to different places around the suburbs to families who “ordered” a few USYers to build, and/or decorate their sukkahs. It was $15 for decorating and around $40 to build. All tips and money made went to USY. This was the first time that BHUSY has held a sukkah-building fundraiser. We made over $200!

Simchat Torah Event

    As a chapter, the USYers decided to get more involved with the Simchat Torah celebrations hosted by BHCBE. Together with all the younger kids, we used squirt guns, toilet paper, glow sticks, and other fun toys to prank the rabbis. The presence of the youth in the services was noted and appreciated by all in attendance, and the third through eighth graders had a great time making Simchat Torah fun.

ALIVE 2008

    This program was a significant turning point in the BHUSY calendar. Everybody got excited for a psychedelic dance and rave-like (clean of course) activities. In fact, the BHUSY population got so excited that the turnout was much higher than expected. Sixty four people were expected to come, but word got around, and many more people showed up at the door. Adding to this celebratory activity, it was even more exciting that such a large amount of these attendees became members on that very day. The new BHUSY members enjoyed festivities and all wore their white shirts, some even brought their own highlighters. There was a black light there to make all of the wacky things people could write ON each other show up. The dance party was wild, and the night was an all around success. The high turn out helped raise money for SATO, and this crazy night was what was needed to keep everybody ALIVE when the school year started.

CHUSYFest + Pump-Up

    This year at CHUSYfest, BHUSY’s attendee numbers practically doubled. We had 24 members attend the convention, making us the second largest chapter there. In preparation for this convention we had a CHUSYfest pump-up lounge night where we made chapter t-shirts using turquoise shirts and black spray paint. In addition to this activity, we all gathered around the television in the youth lounge and watched The Office on NBC. The next day when we arrived at the buses to depart for the Pearlstein Resort, most of the 24 attendees from BHUSY were wearing our newly made shirts. Once at CHUSYfest, we all participated in the programs and activities while following the yellow brick road and celebrating what makes each of us special. We learned about going green and talked about what we can do to help the world.

Defrost with BHUSY (8th/9th Grade Program)

    Defrost was an amazing Tuesday lounge night! BHUSY got together and turned up the heat with lots of chocolate fondue, friends and fun. While dipping lots of yummy food in chocolate fondue, BHUSY warmed up from the cold weather and to all of our new members! The program was amazingly successful with 31 USYers in attendance. In fact, as a result of this program, we gained five new 8th grade memberships and three new USY memberships. Defrost was a great way to start of the winter.

Turkey Dance

    Nineteen BHUSYers came to the Regional Turkey Dance hosted by BEANS. The night was crazy as ever and we all saw our Regional friends. BHUSY brought many cans to be donated and then danced the night away.Limo Scavenger Hunt (Ellie)
SHMUSY invited us to their annual Limo Scavenger Hunt. With an initial capacity of thirty BHUSY USYers, the guest list swelled to over thirty five, and more were unfortunately turned away. We met at 6:15 at BHCBE and were suppose to leave at 6:30 for Anshe Emet, however because of a bus mix-up, we didn't leave until 7:30. The BHUSY Exec board organized a quick name game and then everyone just hung out until the bus came. The limos were mixed up with SHMUSY and BHUSY, so everyone made a least one new friend. The city was all lite up with holiday lights and we stopped for a surprise ice cream at Cold Stone. 

Uptown Cafe

    Two members of the board and a BGB member volunteered at Uptown Cafe in order to get a feel for the place. It was great to meet some of the people there and just have a nice conversation with them. We discovered that it will be easier to volunteer at a soup kitchen closer to our area. So for the future we will be volunteering at a soup kitchen in = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Evanston. We are also going to be making lunches and giving them to a homeless shelter. All in all, it was a very fulfilling experience and a great jumping off point for preparing other USY'ers to volunteer at soup kitchens!

PJ Teen Shabbat 

    Twenty five BHUSY USY'ers came together to have Friday night services in the Youth Lounge. Services were fun, musical, and everybody participated. Afterwards, everyone sat down at one long table for dinner...or should I say breakfast? There were waffles, French toast, cereal, fruit, and other yummy breakfast foods. Afterwards, we played Apples to Apples, sang songs, and hung out. It was extremely fun Shabbos and definitely one to remember!

IC/DC

    Six BHUSYers traveled to our nations capital over winter break for USY's annual International Convention. Once there, we met and shmoozed with Jews from all over the = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />US and Canada. The four day convention included Israel activism, ice breakers, discussion groups, dances, leadership training, speeches, and reunions. Afterward we had post-convention where CHUSY stayed at the homes of the local BSO USY. At post-convention, we hung out and toured DC. It was tons of fun and we look forward to INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION BEING IN CHICAGO THIS YEAR!

Murder Mystery

    In total, over fifty USYers crowded into the BHUSY youth lounge for the 'BHUSY Israel Awareness Night'. The night began with pizza, drinks, and a chocolate fountain. After dinner Ma'ayan Malter enlightened us on the situation in Israel, leading a simulation of what it is like for Israelis to live under the constant threat of attack. Everyone got into groups of three, and we were told that the rest of the group was our family. Next, we were told to disperse, and once everyone was spread out, Ma'ayan yelled that we all had 15 seconds to find cover. Anyone left vulnerable was 'dead.' Chris Herman then tied this simulation to reality, describing people he knew that were in the IDF and the seriousness of the situation. Afterward, Jesse Schaffer handed out materials for us to write letters to Israeli Soldiers. Then disaster struck. A Detective burst into the room and informed us that a murder had been committed and that no one could leave the premises until it was solved. The Israel Lounge Night had to be immediately postponed to investigate the murder. Suddenly, it was as if all of us were different people. We all became crucial pieces to the puzzle of solving the crime committed.

ZenUSY

    ZenUSY was a cleansing experience. 27 BHUSYers came together in the Youth Lounge for a night of relaxation after finals week. First we enjoyed a buffet of healthy snacks lie apples, pita chips, grapes, and vegetables. After minyan, we all gathered together again in the Youth Loung and did some relaxing yoga with Julie Moos (Moose?). It was refreshing to be able to relax and have fun after such a stressful week.

USY Shabbat

    This year, our annual USY Shabbat was our most successful yet! We started Shabbat off by having Eliana Fisher lead Friday night services for the congregation, which was then followed by a cozy dinner just for USYers. After completing a very enthusiastic rendition of the Birkat Ha-Mazon, the twenty six BHUSYers attending hung out and learned how to play some new games together. Bright and early the next morning, we met for Shabbat services at Beth Hillel Congregation B’nai Emunah. USYers led every aspect of the services, to the delight of rabbis and congregants alike. All in all, about one third of our chapter attended and/or took part in leading services. Great job, BHUSY!

Israel Shabbaton

    Many BHUSYers met at MCDUSY to attend CHUSY’s annual Israel Shabbaton. After going to our host families to change for Shabbat, we regrouped at Moriah for Friday night services. That night, we had a speaker from AIPAC who spoke about the importance of advocating for Israel. The next morning we davened, had an amazing Moriah Kiddish, and then started talking about Israel with renewed energy. We talked about Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism as well as how to defend Israel.

SA/TO Marathon

    During the night following the Israel Shabbaton, many USYers attended SA/TO Marathon. There was a slideshow about Global Warming and a chance to write letters to our Congress people. We also had a silent auction to raise extra money to contribute to T.O. The night ended with a dance. BHUSY had a great time and is looking forward to Kinnus!

Guitar Hero Lounge Night

    There were seventeen USYers at the Guitar Hero lounge night. There were three TVs so that six people could challenge each other at the same time! Each TV was for a different skill level: Easy, Medium, and Hard. To organize this, we set up a challenger's bracket for each TV, and everyone was assigned a number. Then the winners played each other until they rose all the way to the top, and faced off for ultimate rock-star glory. Even more awesome, we made lunches for the local homeless shelter. The lunches included PB and J sandwiches, chips, apples, and granola bars. We had dinner and a few people brought their own guitars so we got to jam. In the middle we prayed for minyan and raised some money for SATO. And, during all of this, we all still had a good time to just hang out and talk. It was awesome, and we were definitely all rock stars at this sweet event!

    Although it was one of the coldest days of winter so far, members of BHUSY and BHCBE arrived at Old Orchard to “light” the giant hanukkiah located near Barnes and Nobles. We sang songs, recited the prayers over the hanukkah candles, and ate hanukkah gelt. It was a very meaningful ceremony for all who attended!

Ski Trip

    24 BHUSYers joined CBS and BEANS on our way to Pearlstein Resort at Camp CHI for a weekend of skiing, snowboarding, and fun. After the amazing three-hour bus ride / schmooze-fest, we had an evening of board games and welcoming activities. In the evening, we went to Kalahari indoor water park, which was awesome. The next morning we hit the slopes. While the conditions were a little icy, there were no injuries. Those who tired of skiing/snowboarding hung out in the lodge. On the bus ride home, most of us had passed out from an exhaustingly fun day.