Thursday, November 20, 2008
Toldos - Removing The Shackles
As Yaakov approached his father Yitzchak for the Divine blessings for material sustenance, he did so dressed as his coarse twin, Esav. This scheme was undertaken in accordance with the prophecy of his mother Rivka that Yaakov - who was already destined to receive the Divine blessings for the spiritual and national providence promised to their grandfather, Avraham (see Beraishis 28:3-4) – would also need this blessing if he was to survive.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Pay It Forward
There are so many things I could write about this issue. I lost two of my dearest life long friends who group up in NCSY with me in Seaboard (Hirsch Ribakow and Beth Silber Koesterich). Two of my closest NCSY’ers are engaged (Tzivia Arnow and Rachel Howitt). Yet what is on my mind are the dozens of alumni who have recently lost their jobs and the hundreds about to. Here is a very simple thing you can start doing today to help them… Read On
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
renee shore
Twenty-three years ago, Renee Shore was like most other teenagers in the twelfth grade
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Our Family Needs Our Help
I celebrated the first days of Sukkos like many of you surrounded by a loving family. When you need help, you can always turn to your family. Our sibling NCSY alumni need help and they are turning to us. I’ve received numerous emails from alumni who’ve lost their jobs and can’t support their families due to the downturn in the economy and it’s probably going to get worse. Read the rest
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Danny and Sarah Wolff
When they attended NCSY’s National Yarchei Kallah in High School, little did they know
Don't Miss The Call
Quite often when Judge Danny Butler speaks to a crowd, he talks about driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and a certain spot where through a crack in the mountains if you pay careful attention you will see one of the most beautiful sites you’ve ever laid eyes on (to know the exact mile marker you’ll need to go hear Danny speak and you’ll be very glad you did). One common feature I find in most NCSY alumni is that we are not zombies walking through life blindly (get in touch with your old friends).
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Hakaras HaTov
I’ll never forget when I was learning in Ner Yisroel Rabbinical College and my former Regional Director asked me to drive someone by whom I had spent many Shabbas meals to sit shiva for his father in Silver Springs. I asked, when he needed me to drive him and when told the time I proceeded to answer that I could not because I would miss shiur.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Nothing like a regional
Over the last two weeks NCSY held 14 regional Shabbatons throughout the US and Canada for thousands of Jewish teens. I was privileged to attend Atlantic Seaboards Regional held in the Wyndham Hotel in Princeton NJ. The All Star team of Bonnie Pollak, Rabbi Yitzchak Dinovitzer and Rocky Caine did an awesome job and the 175 participants definitely felt the magic of NCSY. Being that I am a former regional president of Atlantic Seaboard and went to Pikesville High, Bonnie asked me to be the speaker as Shabbas ebbs away and tell the story of how I became Shomer Torah and Mitzvos through NCSY.
Whenever you speak, you never know who is listening and what the effects will be. I was just afraid they would say, “I don’t want that to happen to me!”
Monday, April 28, 2008
Just another NCSY miracle
A few years ago I started a learning program at the NJ NCSY drop in center (later to be renamed Elana’s Place). The Hemshech program gave us funding to pair up mentors with public school students in Chavrusot and I was all over it!! That first year, we ended up attracted several wonderful girls (seven) who all fell in love with learning and each one is an individual miracle by themselves. One girl’s parents could not bring her so, I went to Dalia’s house to pick her up and therefore she was the last to arrive. We had many more girls come to learn than boys (big surprise) and I no longer had any girl Chavrusot so I asked her to learn with a Yeshiva Bochur who had came by that first week as an extra hand just in case and was also without a Chavrusa named Matis.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Failure is not an option
I’ve been taking personal training with a gold glove boxer and I brought him by the office for a visit this week. We were reminiscing about how I’ve been doing with him the past couple of months and I said that I really don’t notice much of a change. He asked me how many crunch sit-ups I could do on my own when I started and how many can I do now? I blurted out OH! Just like Rabbi Akiva and the water dripping on the stone! Needless to say he was totally lost but said exactly;)
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Who to vote for President
Anyways, enough of politics, let’s talk Torah! There have been lots of great developments for NCSY and OU Alumni to share. We right now have over 400 applicants for our Birthright Israel Trips (Twice last year at this point) www.israelfreespirit.com and we are recruiting Alumni to join YU for July in Jerusalem for the 2nd year and The OU JLIC Israel Fellowship. We are also announcing that we have successfully opened our alumni fund (Anyone interested in a dedication let me know) and are accepting applications for $500 grants to attend an Israel Program this summer for those aged 18-26 (College/Grad school age). We will hopefully expand the age bracket as our fund-raising success increases in future years! If you are interested in applying just send me an email as well as the name of the program. We send the grants directly to the program if accepted.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The Answer to How Can I Do it All?
As Alumni director I want to service all those who attended any NCSY events ever. That’s over 200,00 people ranging in age from 18 to 120 including family status from single to great grandparent and both! The answer is the OU Alumni Commission. We have had two meetings already (I’d be glad to send a transcript to anyone who requests one) and have set up to sub committees which I hope you’ll participate in. To join the Singles Committee email Dassie Fuchs at and to join the reunion committee email Doodie Miller at
Thursday, November 29, 2007
My Favorite Time Of Year
This is my favorite time of the year in NCSY. The New Year jitters are behind us and the real NCSY magic is happening. There are 13 Winter Regional Shabbatons, there are two birthright trips, there are a few hundred public school students going on a fun trip/Shabbaton in NY from all over the country, The Ben Zakkai Reception, The New England 45 Year Celebration, the NY Region Chinese Auction and much more. However, my hands down favorite event is the Winter Break NCSY Yarchei Kallah. 200 public school students from all of North America give up their vacation time to study Torah with the best Rabbis, teachers and advisors in the NY area. It is the single most powerful and successful Jewish Education Outreach event in North America and I don’t say that lightly.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Jerusalem_Be_Proud
In NCSY we have always put Jerusalem in a special place within our hearts. Every region sings “V’lirushalayim Ircho” and “Im Eskacheich Yerushalayim” so often that it is the beat to which our lives march. I’ve always been proud (and you should to) that more NCSY’ers live in Israel than from any other International youth group. However, outside of the NCSY world we often keep these heart felt feelings hidden. We tell ourselves that we live outside of Israel (I assume those of you in Israel don’t have this issue) and it would be wrong to our current countries of choice to publically promote Yerushalayim as the true home of our hearts. We tell ourselves who are we to interfere in Israeli politics when we don’t live there. Well, we are as wrong as we could ever be....
Thursday, November 01, 2007
What it means to be a family
People are always knocking Jewish organizations because the only time they get their act together is in times of tragedy and danger. But as I reflect on the Bar Mitzva weekend of my son Tzvi this past Shabbos, I realize that it is not only a false accusation; but, especially so in the greater NCSY family!