Thursday, May 21, 2009
You should be extremely proud of yourselves
Well its “Regional time” already and what a year! In a whirlwind year our alumni should be extremely proud of the tremendous support they have show our younger alumni on college campus! What do I mean?
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Passover and Hakarat HaTov
I got to hear my 17 year old son Levi give his first shiur on Passover and Hakarat HaTov. What an awesome experience!! Along those lines, thank you for all the thank you emails about our Passover packages. Many students said it was the only Kosher for Passover food they could get on their campus and I look forward to sending even more next fall for Rosh Hashana! The outpouring of financial support from our alumni and friends was also very gratifying. NCSY Alumni are truly becoming a force for good! If you know any college students or high school seniors who want a Welcome package including a cool TShirt with their college mascot and name in Hebrew) on campus next fall, please have them go to http://bit.ly/b30Nn
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Free T-shirt with your College Teams Logo in Hebrew
Shlav Haba a new NCSY Alumni project is kicking into high gear and we’ve got a terrific NCSY Alumni Promotion and Survey for High School Seniors/College Students taking place now:
“Free T-shirt with your College Teams Logo in Hebrew!”
Help NCSY keep in touch, spread the word about Shlav Haba activities and promotions by forwarding the following information below to High School Seniors and College Students. Just copy and paste and post, email, print to get the word out.
(and join the NCSY fan page yourselves http://bit.ly/b30Nn as we build up the community)
“Free T-shirt with your College Teams Logo in Hebrew!”
All you need to do is fill out the appropriate survey on the Shlav Haba Facebook Fan page http://bit.ly/b30Nn.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Alumni Spotlight on Dr. Lisa Aiken
Lisa Aiken was born in Baltimore, Maryland. As a teenager, she attended NCSY Seaboard Region events that inspired her to become fully observant, and to want to give to other Jews what she had received.
After getting her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Loyola University of Chicago, became the Chief Psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, and had teaching appointments with New York Medical College, St. John’s University, and Long Island University. She has had a private psychotherapy practice in New York City with individuals and couples since 1982.
Hot Off the Press--The book we’ve all been waiting for!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Dr. David Luchins on Passover - The Meaning Of Freedom
Have you ever wondered about some of the contradictions inherent in that very first Pesach night in Egypt?
An example - The Jews are commanded to eat half-baked matzah bread, with a fast meal of lamb and herbs, and to have their loins girded and walking sticks in their hands. Not sure exactly what loins girded means or how exactly one eats with walking sticks in hand, but I suppose the contemporary analogy would be a running suit and Nike Air Exodus sneakers. Their food, their dress, every aspect of their actions clearly attest to their aching desire to leave Egypt at once, after all those painful years. The Rest Of The Dvar Torah
Monday, March 16, 2009
Shlav Haba
We have started a new project at OU/NCSY alumni called Shlav Haba (Hebrew for the next stage). It is a very exciting idea to create interaction between our High Schools Seniors and alumni centered on helping others. I love the whole new good deeds video this week. What is especially meaningful to me
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
A Tool To Be Happy with Your "Lots" On Purim
Happy Purim Message From Rabbi Dave
The Good Deed Contest with a Great Prize
Here is the information regarding the good deed contest. Please send in your answer as well and send this email to everyone you can.
The good deed contest to win a beautiful glass Seder Plate (a perfect gift for the parents or your Pesach hosts) is open to everyone and it is very simple:
Instructions
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Alumni Spotlight on Josh Kohl
Born and raised on the beaches of Santa Barbara, California, the child of a University Dean and a renowned psychotherapist, Rabbi Josh Kohl has traveled a long way to where he is today as Rabbi of a congregation in Spring Valley, NY and Founder and Director of J-Family, the Jewish Family Enrichment Project. An Alum of West Coast Kochav B’Ma’arav Region (1988), along the way,
Reconnecting The Chain Of History
Among the first things I learned from Rav Noah Weinberg is that there was an angel with us in our mother’s womb, who had us as a “captive audience” and taught us all the Torah and Hashem’s wisdom. When we are born, the angel touches us under the nose and we forget it all, leaving us with nothing more than that little indentation.
The message of this story, told from Jewish parents to their children in each generation, is that you have all wisdom within you. You don’t need to go looking at other religions all over the world. The answers are literally right under your nose.
But for so many in our era,
Monday, January 19, 2009
NCSY Entrepreneurs
Thank G-d we have alumni throughout the world combining their passion for the Jewish people and Israel nurtured in NCSY with an entrepreneurial spirit. I am contacted by these heroes many times per month and can only focus on one in our spotlight. I decided to give the links to their websites and a brief description here in my letter so you can share in my nachas at their accomplishments.
Aaron Binik-Thomas Reflections From An Israeli Soldier
For the most part I am pretty drained emotionally and physically. My injuries make it hard to a lot of everyday tasks and don’t allow me to sleep well either. I was injured in a training exercise preparing my unit for Gaza. And sadly I missed the fighting and the war…
My platoon was the first group of soldiers to cross the border, we lead the charge. After about an hour of walking slowly in the fields on the way to Gaza city they reached a small hill. Slowly each squad of my platoon crossed the hill to the next ‘safe’ spot. Apparently Hamas had a lookout and gave the coordinates of my platoon to one of their mortar squads. They launched a mortar and it landed, thank G-D, a few meters in front of the first squads.
Alumni Spotlight on Hart Levine
Hart Levine is a Junior at the University of Pennsylvania and has started the most exciting student initiative on campus I’ve seen in a long time. If you are in college and want connect with your fellow Jews email him at levblev@gmail.com and ask about the Shabbaton at University of Pennsylvania Feb. 14th. He grew up in downtown Manhattan…
Monday, December 15, 2008
A "Hairy" Raising Experience
A “Hairy” raising experience experience. For those of you who may be thinking a hairy experience means a scary experience, you are obviously not alumni of NCSY whose kids have become more Yeshivish than you are! Hairy is read on
Monday, November 24, 2008
Alumni Spotlight on Jennifer Proper
Jennifer Proper is the Director of Employment Services for Project Ezrah ( http://www.ezrah.org ) which provides critical support to many families in the Bergen County community by helping alleviate the stress of unemployment with personalized job search assistance, financial support, tuition assistance and counseling services. Jennifer grew up in Bergen County NCSY in the 60’s. She writes…