Just Another NCSY Hall Of Fame Story
Just another NCSY Hall of Fame story. Two winters and several months ago we had 200 students on our NCSY birthright trips. One of those participants was Jake Freedman. We heard the first part of this story in a previous edition where I shared how Jake and I first talked at length after a speaker gave a touchy feely class on love and marriage. Jake was very disturbed by the class as it did not connect with his tough and logical “just the facts” personality. That would be no big deal; but, as Jake questioned the Teacher quite loudly, everyone in the class became very aware of Jake’s take!
So, I got to know Jake and i found a truth seeker like Yaakov our forefather and I assured him he would find other speakers he would relate to better later in the program. That Friday night we danced and prayed at the Kotel leading a very inspirational service with over 100 Jews joining in from ALL backgrounds. After the service I was immediately approached by Jake who was overcome by emotion and just wanted to know how he could have more of this kind of spirituality in his life. Of course, the answer led to Torah Study in Israel, a leave of absence from his Medical School for even more study.
Jake wanted to give back so he led a birthright trip the next year and brought his brother and cousin to have the same experience he did. Their birthright was not with NCSY and the experience was not the same but Jake convinced them to extend the trip and experience a Friday night at the kotel like he did. Well on the way to the Kotel that afternoon I told the group I was leading about Jake and his experience. When we got to the kotel we started our own prayer service and once again it was an awe inspiring experience but this time Jake, his brother and cousin got exactly what they were expecting when they found themselves in NCSY’s group exacly as Jake had the year before. After the service one of my current students overcome with emotion went over to Jake and asked him how he can have more of this very same spirituality in his life!! Now for the rest of the story.
Jake came to my son’s Bar Mitzvah this past summer at the Kotel in Jerusalem. I was very moved and as we danced I said to him that the next time we dance should be at your wedding. Well, on Jake’s birthright was a lovely Jewish girl of Egyption descent named Tova Schaefer. She was exploring where she wanted to go in Judaism as her family in Yardley Pennsylvania were now Torah Observant. She and Jake were both in school in Boston and became fast friends. As Jake learned more She did too and also spent time learning Torah in Israel. Well on May 20th I found myself in Yardley Pennsylvania celebrating the engagement of Yaakov (Jake) Freedman and Tova Schaefer. With such an inspiring beginning I can’t wait to see positive influence they will bring to all of Klal Yisroel!
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