My NCSY Summer Experience
Wow, what a difference a week makes. One week ago I was shvitzing in a Paris airport and this week I am back in the airport with the air conditioning mercifully blowing full blast. My week in Israel was utterly amazing!
I started off by joining NCSY’s GIVE volunteer program for girls. Zevi and Batsheva Reinitz are doing a wonderful job at the helm (all with a brand new 1 month old baby). The girls are the pillars of the Jewish World. Over the course of the program they will be working in hospitals, old age homes, impoverished communities etc . I envy their commitment and selflessness.
After visiting with GIVE I moved on to Birthright. There I addressed 40 young men and women who were spending their summer college break with NCSY in Israel under the capable direction of Rabbi Dave Felsenthal, Director on NCSY Alumni. I am proud to announce that after 10 days in the Holy Land 10 of the participants will be attending yeshiva at the close of the program.
My travels then took me over to the world renowned NCSY Michlelet learning program for girls headquartered at the beautiful Reishit Yerushalaim campus. This year we have a new program director, Mrs. Rivka Yudin, who is an educational powerhouse. I was able to address the girls about taking their learning and utilizing it to bring others closer to Judaism.
Shabbos was one of the best shabbosim I have had in 10 years because it has been 10 years since I last spent shabbos at NCSY Kollel. While every shabbos affords each of us the opportunity to experience Olam HaBa, shabbos in Kollel feels even closer to experiencing shabbos in shomayim. The singing and learning was angelic. Rav Mayer Twersky gave a shiur klali and Rabbi Moshe Benovitz inspired the crowd with his Torah on Friday night. As the sun set over the mountains of Beit Meir and the group gathered for shalosh seudos everyone was exceedingly moved by the words of Rabbi Netanel Leibowitz.
The highlight of my stay was going with Rabbi Avi Berman (formerly NCSY’s Northwest Regional Director and currently the Director of the Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center) to Zula in downtown Yerushalaim. Zula is a club for religious kids who have fallen off the derech. The fellow who runs the club, Chitzroni, told me that he is in an Arab village at least once a week in disguise saving Jewish girls. A tzadik named Rav Pinchas Sita regularly sits in an office meeting with kids until 6AM. There were at least 150 kids at this drop-in center down the block from all the clubs and bars. I fervently believe that this program is one of the most effective ones reaching teens at risk (or slightly past the at risk part) today.
This trip has made me further realize what amazing work OU/NCSY does. I have come away with a resolve to pound the pavement, get the word out there, and raise the necessary funds to double and triple our programming and reach even more teens. NCSY is in a market with NO international competition. If we fail to do the work, Klal Yisroel will be losing their precious future leaders.
Rabbi Burg,
Whenever I lose sight of my purpose, I am reminded of the extraordinary people like you and Rabbi Berman, who make living life just that much more meaningful.
I am blessed to have played, and am blessed to continue to play, a role in this experience we called life and NCSY.
Take care,
-Kaley M. Ames.
Posted by Kaley M. Ames on 07/13 at 02:22 PMAhhh, NCSY Summer Programs, made from the best stuff on earth (please dont sue). Always comforting to hear about the best part of NCSY. What about TJJ? Eurotrip? JOLT? Sports? SEG? the YU thingy? Please, let us hear more of these wonderful programs.
Yes, its never enough.
Nice to have you here. Enjoy your stay, come back often. Bring more NCSYers.
Have a GREAT Summer,
-Pvt. UrielPosted by Uriel on 07/14 at 03:28 AMR’ Burg (R’ Burg, R’ Burg...),
The shabbosim during my two summers on NCSY Kollel rank up as some of the best that I’ve ever experienced. For all of the teenagers around North America who have yet to be experience what I did, how can it be packaged and brought back to America?!?!?!
--Menachem
Posted by Menachem Butler on 07/16 at 06:18 PMNCSY KOLLEL is one of this best programs in the world. enough said.
Posted by yaakov lasson on 08/16 at 03:22 PMNCSY Summer programs have built a city (Overland Park, Kansas). Although small and isolated the souls touched by NCSY in this city will be creating worlds. You can count on it!
All it takes is one kid on one program from one city to change the whole world…
-ToddPosted by sshopgirl2001 on 08/18 at 04:30 PMRabbi, I never did get to take that picture of you on that Motzei Shabbos. I guess I should have taken your advice and use your hetter for Kiruv ;)
Kollel 2006 was an awesome experience.
-A Kolelnik
Posted by tjeshurun on 08/31 at 11:34 PM
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