Summer 2014

Dear Parents,

We hope you are enjoying your sons’ return, and taking pride in their experiences this summer.  It is hard to believe that another year on the NCSY Kollel has come to an end.  This was truly a six weeks like no other, and we take this opportunity to offer our thanks and appreciation to those who helped make it possible.

Over the last days of the program, we established a renewed focus on prayer, both on the individual and communal levels.  This commitment was reflected in special shiurim, discussions, and, of course, during davening itself.  In many ways, tefila was an ever-present theme of the summer.  In a somewhat unexpected manner, the main catalyst for our tefilos were not only the times of anxiety and need, but the later periods of gratitude and thanksgiving.  We were fortunate and blessed in an abundance of specific instances, and the cumulative effect of this enhanced our prayer and drew us closer to spirituality.  One of the major lessons we internalized over these weeks was how to stop taking the most important gifts in our lives for granted.  For all of this, we thank God and offer a blessing of thanks for reaching today in the most extraordinary way.

We are constantly aware that our successes this summer, and our people’s continued prosperity on the holy soil of Israel, do not come without a heavy cost.  The funerals and houses of mourning that marked the landscape of the summer served as an extremely painful reminder of the heroism and self-sacrifice in our beloved IDF.  We will personally meet only a tiny percentage of these brave soldiers, but we have never felt more connected or indebted to them.

We cannot say enough about the inspiring behavior of each of our main hosts.  The people of Beit Meir, and specifically the wonderful staff of Yeshivas Ohr Yerushalayim, were faced with their own set of significant challenges this summer.  Remarkably, this never interfered with their prioritizing of our needs.  We arrived in Chispin and discovered an incredibly special community that went above and beyond the call at every opportunity.  The warmth and good nature of the kitchen staff was particularly impressive.  Both the Beit Meir and Chispin residents modeled the highest levels of Jewish hospitality and true building of Zion.

It has never been more valuable to be part of the greater OU/NCSY family.  The administrative staff in New York provided never ending insight and technical expertise.  The summer programs staff, headed by David Cutler, were the best team one could ever hope to put together.  The OU leadership was everything you could expect from the best of our community.  And the team at OU Israel represented our Orthodox Union and NCSY programs exceptionally well throughout difficult times.

Nothing this summer would have been possible without the performance of the great staff.  This includes the names you know (your sons’ madrichim, rabbeim, and chavrusas) and the names you might not (our tech staff and support staff).  Not one of these wonderful individuals encountered the summer or job responsibility he anticipated or prepare for.  Yet, each responded with professionalism and skill.  The madrich staff in particular, led by the incomparable team of Andrew Israeli and Marc Poleyeff, was outstanding.  Each of these young men had to first deal with his own frustration and discomfort associated with the pressures of the conflict, and then turn around and effectively deal with the physical and emotional needs of the NCSYers.  They did this with confidence and competence.  Special mention should also be made of the families of our staff who accompanied us throughout our travels.  They endured more challenging conditions with less support than in any other year.  Without their quiet efforts, it would have been a much different six weeks.

But we save our final words to address our most cherished audiences.  We refer to you the parents, and your most wonderful sons.

Your support over the summer meant the world to us.  We felt like true partners in both the education of your precious children and in the contributions to the Jewish State.  We were honored to communicate with you as part of this relationship.  We felt your emotions and concern.  We were humbled and uplifted by the trust you placed in us, and never took that responsibility lightly.  Not for the first time in the history of the NCSY Kollel, we were reminded of how special a group of families associate with this program, and how fortunate we are to make those acquaintances.

And ultimately, we thank the NCSYers for all that they did this summer.  Our accomplishments are all a tribute to them.  First, there optimism, ambition, and good character inspired all of our efforts.  More importantly, any positive developments over the summer started with the individual decisions that they made for themselves.  They were incredible to work with and a pleasure to serve.

For this and more, we offer thanks.

While this is the end of our regular and scheduledcorrespondence, we still welcome your feedback and communication.  This summer will not be soon forgotten, and we encourage you to share any thoughts you may have.

Like so many previous emails, we end with a simple prayer.  These past few days here in Israel have returned us to some of the more tense moments of the summer.  Israels soldiers and citizens are back to the front lines, and we wish them strength and success in all their missions.

With hopes and prayers for true peace and continued growth

Moshe Benovitz

Dear Parents,

We have tried to provide even more detailed daily updates this week, in order to give you as full a picture as possible of the great events and developments during our last days together.

As a result, we will use this week’s Friday update to take a step back, and to look at this extraordinary summer as a whole.

Rather than repeat earlier reports or give further attention to the most prominent events that defined the summer (Kumsitz at the Kotel, Sports and Tiyul highlights, Tzizis making, the return to Beit Meir, and more) we will instead focus on some other moments that spoke volumes about our experience and will hopefully provide a deeper understanding of why we will never forget NCSY Kollel 2014/5774.

Kibbutz Lavi Hotel, a few hours before Shabbos.We are waiting to check in to the hotel for our alternative programming on the second “Free” Shabbos of the summer. There is one elderly gentleman in front of us. He is dignified and proper, and seems to be of European descent. As they hand him his key, he runs through a quick checklist of final questions regarding his stay. He confirms the meal times and the hours of the tea room. He inquires about the facilities and when to sign up for the tour of the kibbutz. Although it prolongs our group’s wait, it is actually an exciting introduction to the hotel’s amenities. His last question is more sobering. He matter of factly turns to the concierge and says: “And would you be so kind to advise me of all the closest bomb shelters?” Such was our summer…

Beit Meir, 3:30 AM on our second night in Israel. It is one of our few nights on our campus before our move north. The campus is settled into a somewhat uneasy quiet. Most are sleeping, save for the rotation of madrichim and staff taking shifts through the night to help expedite a potential siren procedure. There is a hooded figure, sitting in the bus stop adjacent to our dorm, and he is moving oddly. On this of all nights, any strangers or strange activity need to be investigated, so the person is approached. Wrong on two counts. He is no stranger, and his movements are anything but odd. It is the madrich assigned to that section of the campus, bundled against the night chill. And he is reciting tehillim while watching and listening for the safety of our boys…

Chispin, during the annual basketball game against Sulam (Morasha). We did not win the game, but it was a special night nonetheless. The NCSYers were valiant in defeat, and the game had none of the regular competitive edge. Every program in Israel, if not every Jew in the world, were true brothers this summer. Sports highlights often follow a formula. They involve a long homerun or spectacular goal. There is a slam dunk or a buzzer beater to dramatically shift the outcome at the last second. It is hard to recall a well-played basketball game where the highlight was a rebound (!) in the middle of the second half. But that was the case that night. The Sulam front line was imposing. We were undersized most of the game. At a pivotal moment in the game with the NCSYers trying to close the gap there was a missed shot on the Sulam end with an impossibly long and high rebound off the rim. The biggest Sulam player and an NCSYer were positioned under the ball forever. The NCSYer jumped, and rose and seemed to continue to rise. He tipped the ball and then ferociously secured possession. The crowd erupted in appreciation. It was the strongest reaction to a rebound we have ever seen on the Kollel. It didn’t win us the game; Sulam was the better team that night. But it gave us one more possession, and one more chance. And it was a metaphor for a certain strength and tenacity that was on display from day one through the end of the summer…

A Monday night in Chispin. Our tech staff head is also a reservist in Tzahal. His unit has recently been retrained, and thus assumed to be removed from the call up list. On this night, that assumption is proved incorrect. Yair has received notice. He is on his way to Gaza. As he rushes off, a group is left stunned by his departure, and they stand together discussing the news. For most of our stay in the north, we share the campus with Camp Dror, an OU Israel program for Israeli youth. A boy from Camp Dror approaches the group, and asks with overwhelming concern, “Did you say that Yair got called up?” It is Yair’s younger brother. No one was even aware that Yair had a brother in the camp, and now we were unwittingly in the position to give him the news of his brother’s return to active duty. His obvious concern and worry was almost too much for our NCSYers to bear. Yair’s brother was quickly escorted to his own counselors and adult staff to be further counseled. And he was elated (along with all of us) when Yair returned safely a few days later. Many in Yair’s former unit were not as fortunate. And they are all someone’s brother…

It was not our only encounter with the true heroes and warriors of this summer. On our second Shabbos in Chispin, we hosted Rabbi Gotch Yudin and his family. His son Alex is an NCSY Kollel alum and soldier on active duty in Tzahal. He is enjoying Shabbos with his parents and grandparents before heading to the battlefield. Alex honors us with hagbah, and before he begins, the clear symbolism of his holding up the Torah before us is pointed out to the group. His grandfather, Rabbi Benjamin Yudin begins to read the haftorah. He stands beside his grandson and the Torah and slowly recites the berachos that follow the reading. His prayers for peace, joy, and salvation fill the room in a way that is utterly unforgettable…

A Sunday morning in Chispin. The office of the manager of the hotel. We have a long list of issues to discuss but he responds to everything with a smile and says simply “Ra’iti et HaKlip SheLachem.” No one knows what he means. He repeats himself. It doesn’t help. He stresses the mystery word- “HaKlip, HaKlip!” he gestures to his computer which is open to YouTube. It is now made clear. “HaKlip” is a video clip, posted online. He has returned home from some long days at work and reported to his wife on the remarkable efforts to accommodate the groups from NCSY. She is intrigued, and Googles it. Our weekly video comes up. The entire staff has been delighted to see their hotel as the backdrop for such exciting programs and events. She is blown away by the nature of our program. He is responsive to our requests…

Chispin, the Wednesday night before Tisha B’Av.The occasion is a siyum being made by an NCSYer. The kitchen staff are still setting up the meat meal to follow, so the actual siyum moves outside. In the middle of the Chispin campus there is a large raised hexagon. It has served as an unofficial meeting spot, the place from which we distribute late night snacks, and the venue for certain activities and programs. On this night, it is where the siyum is being held. The NCSYers are gathered around this stage listening to one of their own celebrate the great accomplishment of finishing Maseches Taanis. Something clicks into place. The common focus transforms the audience from a group of individuals to a greater sum. And because we are gathered in a circle we are witnessing this. Everyone is looking at the siyum and also at each other. The siyum serves to unify strangers and to give depth to the bonds between old friends…

Maariv after Shabbos, each week of the program.The decision has been made to limit our communal recitation of tehilim over the summer. The primary reason is a concern that too many tehilim, too often, will dull their effect and make it a mindless routine. We say tehilim each night after maariv, and the intensity matches the drama of the events around us. On the first Motzai Shabbos, a spontaneous singing of “Acheinu” follows the tehilim. It is a simple heartfelt prayer, that seems to become more poignant and personal each passing week. The “brotherhood” referred to in the song’s title and opening word is laden with meaning. There are, of course, the soldiers in Gaza, never far from our hearts and minds. There are the residents of the south, who bear the brunt of the attacks and costs of the war. We feel connected to them in ways that surpass anything we have felt before. But there is also an allusion to the brotherhood in our own Beis Medrash. This is affecting all of us, and we are in it together. No sports tournament or tiyul can bring a group together in a manner that matches what we have experienced together this summer. While as individuals we may cope and express ourselves in different ways, ultimately there is a communal response as well. This is our song…

Tisha B’Av afternoon, on the bus towards the Kotel. What are the contributing factors to the indescribable Kumsitz at the Kotel? Where does its power come from? And why is it uniquely associated with the NCSY Kollel? As beautiful as the singing voices may be, there must be nicer choirs out there. As many people as we are, there must be bigger groups. The answer may be sitting on the bus, in the third row, aisle seat. There is one of our Roshei Yeshiva, oblivious to the normal din and commotion of a bus ride. He is intently focused on a small gemara in his hand, learning one of the topics permissible for study on Tisha B’Av. There is no fanfare or live webcast here. But it is the secret to the kumsitz nonetheless. Our preparation for the singing at the Kotel did not start that afternoon and did not involve learning songs or melodies. It began the day we arrived and continues through every shiur, chavrusa, and chabura. A strong connection and allegiance to Torah and our Mesora is the direct link to the feelings of loss and yearning that inspire the Kumsitz. The leadership and participation of the Roshei Yeshiva inform our Tisha B’Av observance and we follow their lead. Before there was a kumsitz, there was a bus ride, a rebbe, and a gemara…

The same day, at the Kotel and broadcast around the globe. The Jewish people as a whole have great representation at this kumsitz. And as we get up off the floor, positioning changes and people find themselves standing arm and arm with whomever is in the area. A quick glance around the Kotel plaza reveals the simple beauty of the gathering. A Rosh Yeshiva finds himself beside a religious solider and a bareheaded older man. It seems like the most natural thing in the world. There is no question that they have much more in common than anything that might divide them. There is a roadmap to rebuilding and redemption…

Our “visit” to Beit Meir, before our full return. The residents of the moshav have always been remarkably hospitable. They practice extreme Hachnasas Orchim each summer in the way that they graciously host our program. It is a relatively small town, and our numbers make for an uneasy accommodation. They are proud to be the part of Israel that we get to witness first hand, and take seriously the responsibility to welcome all Jews. This summer has not been simple for them. Beyond their own anxieties from the call ups and sirens, they have been saddened by our departure. They feel somewhat abandoned and deprived of the ability to interact with the boys. Upon our return, they cannot hide their enthusiasm for our being back, nor their disappointment in our having left. The relationship between Israel and the Jews of the Diaspora is complex, and part of an unplanned curriculum for this summer…

Beit Meir, after our decision to be back for good.Those who have been with the program for multiple years are intimately familiar with every inch of the campus. While expansive for our purposes, the actual area is not large and easy to navigate. Its vistas and landscapes are well known to us. Something is jarring in one of these views. An old bomb shelter in the park, long used as a climbing toy for small children, is in its usual spot, but for the first time in our 15 years here its metal door is ajar, 24/7. The gaping entryway reveals steps that descend to parts unknown. This is new and unchartered territory, and a silent reminder of business not quite as usual…

A windswept basketball court, in an unused corner of the campus in Chispin. The conditions and location of the court make it unusable for our league games. But on this day there are two figures battling the elements and engaged in a spirited one on one. It is one of our veteran madrichim and a first time NCSYer. The NCSYer is far from sure why he is here. He is struggling to understand why and how the program is to be run in these circumstances. This small game will provide a large part of the answer. It is to provide him a chance to play and to bond with this madrich. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less. Fulfillment for the words of the prophets “..there is reward for your toil” this summer, can be found here…

Or here. Late night in the Chispin Beis Medrash, one of our first nights. A member of our Jr. Kollel staff (his primary responsibility is to learn mornings with the younger children of the educational staff) is sitting in the Beis Medrash. There are not many others there, but he is not alone. He has asked a quiet and shy NCSYers to join him. This staffer is not known for flamboyance or showmanship. He prefers to operate outside of the spotlight. It is a simple chavrusa. There will be no siyum or proclamations. It is just a student and mentor working for a few minutes to better themselves and to connect. They are completely unaware that they make it all worthwhile, and are justifying our efforts this summer…

Or maybe it is here. Friday night, on one of the modified free weekends. The group that has remained is singing Friday night zemiros. Although (because?) it is not our full strength of numbers, the singing is strong and powerful. There is an NCSYer who, for whatever reason, is not privileged to a Shabbos table of song on a regular basis. He quietly repositions himself at the table and finds himself between Rabbi Kaminetsky and Rabbi Lebowitz. These two leaders live on opposite sides of the globe, yet have found opportunities to sing together on Friday nights for over two decades, dating back to their time in Camp Mesorah in the early nineties. They intuit a playlist and are in sync and harmony. The NCSYer is a welcome addition to their table. There is something happening here that goes beyond very beautiful music. The singing lasts long into the night…

Shabbos in Chispin. Hotel rooms in the north are in great demand and overbooked all summer long. Shabbos is particularly crowded. You never know who you will see in the hotel lobby. Aside from the many groups that come in and out, there are occasional sightings of other persons of note. On our first Shabbos, we see Rav Shlomo Aviner, one of the leaders of the Religious Zionist community in Israel, check in. On the second weekend, it is Rav Dov Zinger, leader of the Mekor Chaim yeshiva in Kfar Etzion. Rav Zinger has been more high profile than usual of late, for the most unfortunate of reasons. He is the head of school in the Yeshiva where Naftali Frenkel and Gilad She’er learned. His steady leadership and great resolve have guided a nation through a period of deep mourning. He agrees to address our boys, but requires a translator. Rabbi Kaminetsky is the choice for that task. As expected, Rav Zinger’s remarks are inspiring, but it is also true that a picture speaks a thousand words. The image of two established principals standing side by side, separated by oceans and language but united by grief, hope, and an unshakable faith in the youth who comprise the future of the Jewish people is simply unforgettable. Although they have never met, they have been standing side by side for years…

Beit Meir, a recent beautiful afternoon. One of the quiet streets of the moshav. This is one of the spots with a spectacular view; on a clear day it stretches all the way to the Mediterranean. Much of the country is spread out in the distance. On the far right sits Tel Aviv. As you turn towards the left you can make out Ashdod and Ashkelon in the distance, and in the hazy beyond, even further south. There is a utility pole, and on it flies an old Israeli flag. This is no surprise, as Beit Meir takes great pride in its Religious Zionism. This flag has seen better days. It is frayed and faded, and the wind has twisted it into an awkward position. But it still waves, strong and true. The scene is breathtaking. The background is essentially the arena of the entire conflict. The flag is the foreground, somewhat wounded, but ultimately unbroken and unbowed. This summer there are no mere postcard panoramas. Everything is infused with meaning and significance…

The last Thursday night. Our seudas hoda’ah and farewell concert. We are sitting at the tables, enjoying the last moments of a great meal. Shlomo Katz is on stage, at the ready. He strikes the first energetic note. The room is transformed. Again, the specifics are unplanned. We happened to be sitting when he starts, and as a result it seems that 250 strong rise in unison. The sudden and overwhelming change to the room is astounding. The change to vibrancy and the highest of highs, in a matter of moments. And this was not the kind of performance where the pulsating musical beat obscured what we were hearing and singing. It is hard to remember or imagine a concert where the participants were more in sync with the words and music. Each song seemed to be a description of what we are and where we have been. It is impossible to choose a single example or highlight. Was it when we danced to “Ivdu es Hashem B’Simcha”? Yes, so many of the NCSYers now understand the need to serve God with joy and passion and pride. We are blessed with a religion with the strength to deal with pain and adversity. But ultimately, we find expression for our religious practice in times of happiness and excitement. The two cannot and should not be separated. We weren’t singing and dancing without care or concern. We were serving with elation and vitality. This is as it should be. Perhaps the climax to the evening came with the words Am Yisrael Chai. This has been our anthem all summer. It is a prayer and an affirmation. Every NCSYer dancing and exclaiming those words was making a loud and clear proclamation. We are still here, stronger and prouder than ever…

Friday afternoon, hours before our last Shabbos together. Showers and changing clothes, some early packing in anticipation for Sunday. On the courts, the teams competing in the championships are preparing for their final games. It is a time for reflection on 6 weeks that have been a lifetime. Many of the thoughts and memories above are common to all of us, in one form or another. These perspectives are part of our Shabbos preparation and will be underneath all of the learning, tefilos, and spirit of this beautiful Shabbos…

With that we wish you a wonderful Shabbos, as you continue to accompany us from afar on this journey. A week from now, many of you will be sharing Shabbos again with your sons and hearing from them a new list of memories and images. For now, we have just over 48 hours together to spend solidifying what we have learned and enjoying the most remarkable summer we have shared.

Wishing you a Shabbos of complete peace and beauty…

In gratitude,
Moshe Benovitz

Dear Parents,

With the powerful and positive aftereffects of the 3 on 3 tournament, great tiyul day, and Chabura Wars still being felt, we turned our attention back to learning.  Today was our last full regular day, and we took full advantage of the opportunity.

There were strong morning shiurim and afternoon chaburas.  At night, we said farewell to the night rabbeim, who delivered their final shiurim.  Rav Bronfeld, Rav Burg, and Rav Hirschel each made an enormous impact on the program, and will remain strong influences on the NCSYers for many years to come.

In addition, there were some special shiurim that added much to the day.  All week we have adjusted our schedule to allow for extra focus on davening.  We have incorporated a short daily talk right before maariv.  Tonight was the final installment, and Rav Mordechai Burg delivered one of the more creative and exciting orations that we have heard in a long time.  After Maariv, Rav Jesse Horn delivered a talk on going home.  Approximately 30 NCSYers joined the shiur and participated in the great energy of the post maariv learning.

There were plenty of great happenings outside the beis medrash as well.  Our final mini tiyul of the summer drew 35 NCSYers to the Machon HaMikdash (Temple Institute) and the Old City of Yerushalayim.  This trip capped the best attended and most appreciated mini tiyul season in the history of NCSY Kollel.  Average participation doubled from year’s past, and as a result we increased the mini tiyul offerings by a significant degree.  This began in Chispin and carried over the Beit Meir, and added a great deal to the program this summer.

Every day finds a rise in the intensity on the courts.  Today was the Final Four in the 3 on 3 advanced bracket and championship in the intermediate division.  Congratulations to Yehuda Alter, Leor Levenson, and Daniel Steinberger on taking home the first NCSY Kollel sports title of 2014!  There was also quarterfinal action in basketball and hockey.  The hockey games were particularly thrilling, with 2 of the 4 games ending in double overtime.

Tomorrow, we finish the learning week with final morning shiurim and the last standard chaburas.  We are also planning a closing concert and special dinner, followed by a late night mishmar program back in Beit Meir.

Moshe Benovitz

Dear Parents,

We make no apologies for having so many consecutive days of superlative reports! Today was another winner from start to finish. At least we can assure you that it was different than the days that preceded it, and provided new thrills and excitement.

It was our final full tiyul day of the summer, and the range of options was typical NCSY Kollel. Two buses trekked down to Nachal Darja, for our most challenging and exhilarating hike of the summer. This group did incredibly well and will have a memory for a lifetime. Another group went to the other touring extreme and enjoyed Rabbi Gordon’s now famous Torah Tour of Yerushalayim. Under Rabbi Moshe Gordon’s unique leadership, the NCSYers saw some of the sites and met many of the personalities that comprise the history and present day representation of Torah in Yerushalayim. These encounters were also unforgettable. Our final group enjoyed a morning in Netanya and time at the beautiful beach there, before heading to a Karting racing competition. All groups returned to Beit Meir charged up and on a high.

It only got better from there. After a full BBQ appreciation dinner (presented by the staff of our hosts at Yeshivas Ohr Yerushalayim), we began the annual “Chabura Wars” games. This year’s edition may have been the best ever. Each aspect of the competition brought out the best in the NCSYers and showcased new talents and skills. We look forward to announcing (to you and to the NCSYers) the winning chaburas!

Tomorrow we return to a full and regular learning schedule.

Moshe Benovitz

Zev Miller is spending his fourth summer on NCSY Kollel, having spent two years as a camper, working as a Jr. Kollel Madrich last summer, and serving as a Madrich for the first time this summer.  Zev is a champion on the Kollel; he has already won the 3-on-3 tournament in his first summer, the hockey championships in his second, and is looking for more this year!

Zev has the privilege of learning with three other amazing members of their “Core 4” Chabura: Netanel Arussy, from Fairlawn NJ, Areli Bolour, from Englewood NJ, and Shlomo Aminsky, from Queens NY.  The Chabura works and learns together like no other.  This summer, they are delving into the depths of the topic of Tefillah investigating many interesting Halachic questions that may arise.  From the fascinating topic of “Isn’t Hashem everywhere?” to “C’Mon man, let me sleep!” Zev’s Chabura really covers it all.  They continue to strive towards a better and deeper understanding of such an important aspect of all of our daily lives.

The “Core 4” look forward to a strong finish to what has been an amazing summer and hope to put on an unforgettable performance in the upcoming Chabura Wars!

Dear Parents,

The energy in Beit Meir was on a completely different level today, as our annual 3 on 3 basketball tournament dominated the schedule and completely took over the campus.

The tournament is plenty more than basketball. There is an entire festival throughout the afternoon. This years action included a wiffle ball homerun derby, a 200 man dodgeball battle pitting NCSYers against staff, all you can eat popcorn, cotton candy and slushies, and free t-shirts for all participants. The atmosphere was incredible, and it was a great celebration.

And of course, there was some amazing basketball. The tournament is designed to be all-inclusive, and there was far more action and participation than in a regular league day. There are two divisions and skill levels to further allow players of all talent levels to excel. Nothing brings the NCSY Kollel together like the 3 on 3 tourney, and this year was no exception. Even between games or after elimination, most NCSYers stayed near the courts and enjoyed a fantastic afternoon.

There were the usual upsets and buzzer beaters and plenty of crowd pleasing feats. It was telling that the final 8 teams in the competition all featured balanced scoring and equal contributions from 3 teammates, while some of the bigger “stars” of NCSY Kollel basketball were defeated. This is what the 3 on 3 tournament is all about. (With no offense intended to the aforementioned stars!)

On Wednesday the Final Four will take the court in the advanced bracket, and we will play the championship game in the intermediate bracket.
We look forward to providing full updates on that and on our awesome final full tiyul day.

Moshe Benovitz

Dear Parents,

We have built on last week’s great momentum with an incredible three days, spanning an inspirational and energizing Shabbos Nachamu.

The weekend really got started late Thursday night with a you-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it post Maariv Mishmar program. Approximately 90 minutes after the mandatory learning for the week ended, well over 125 NCSYers were still in the Beis Medrash with their madrichim and other staff members. The program was punctuated by an emotional seudas hoda’ah, giving thanks to God, for the opportunity to learn again on our home campus in Beit Meir. There was also a remarkable original song composition presented by NCSYers Sam Kalnitz and Yaakov Galen that absolutely electrified the crowd. It was hard to say which was a more valuable and clear byproduct of the late night learning – the crucial connection to Torah or the overall bonding and unity that was created from gathering in such a way as a group. Either way, it was a special moment in the summer.

Friday was spent both in Yerushalayim for some down time in Malcha Mall, and back on our campus for sports and swimming. The sports were focused on the start of our “King of the Kollel” tournament, pitting each group of NCSYers and staff against each other for 2014 Kollel basketball bragging rights. Straight off the bat, the tournament provided some thrilling upsets. A rugged 11th grade all-star team held off the talent and youth of the 10th grade all-stars, while the CITs routed the favored sports staff squad. Later in the day, the tournament favorite Junior Madrich squad handled the CITs, but the 11th graders tallied their second big win of the day by shocking the high-seeded madrich team.

Shabbos was almost indescribable. It seemed that energies and emotions that had been building for weeks and weeks were unleashed on a single Shabbos, and the consolation of Shabbos Nachamu was felt more than ever. The Shabbos was carried by awesome spirit, song and intense Torah. The common denominator was a high level of inspiration and a real group experience. As always, the song elements were led by the incomparable Rabbi Kaminetsky who led the davening, unforgettable Friday night tisch and all of the other singing for the weekend. For Torah, our regular chaburas and chavrusas were greatly enhanced by Rav Schachter’s influence over his last Shabbos with us. Following Havdala, we continued the annual tradition of escorting Rav Schachter out of the beis medrash with song and dance and thanking him for his invaluable contribution to the program this summer.

On Motzai Shabbos we barely had time to pause and catch our breath before heading out for the next highlight. We combined our shiur melava malkas with our shiur trips for an action packed and meaningful Saturday night program. Each shiur traveled to the community of its rebbe for fun, food and shiur bonding. It was a great end to the Shabbos programming.

As was explained to the NCSYers this morning, the measure of a fantastic Shabbos can often be taken only on Sunday morning. By that standard, Shabbos was every bit as great as we sensed it to be. There was an extra lift across the program as we began our last week together this morning. The shiurim were strong and the learning was excellent throughout the day. We introduced a tefila campaign, with special shiurim and other projects designed to enhance davening over the last days of the program and beyond. Late night optional shiurim were well attended, and the focus on maximizing our remaining time together was especially sharp.

Beyond that, it was an amazing day of intense sports. The playoffs began in the basketball league. The parity in the league was on full display as the 16 seed in the bracket defeated the 1 seed in the day’s major upset. Many other games went down to the wire in a thrilling day of Kollel sports.

The “King of Kollel” tournament reached its conclusion with an epic match between the Jr. Madrichim and 11th graders. The 11th graders continued their stellar play with a fantastic effort but just fell short by a late basket to the mighty Jr. Madrichim.

There was plenty more: A great mini tiyul, special guest shiurim, Pizza Hut in the canteen, and the unveiling of the bracket for Monday’s 3 on 3 tournament.

Looking forward to a great rest of the week.

Moshe Benovitz

Check out the pictures from our amazing 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament, sponsored by Yeshiva University, that took place this afternoon!!!

http://kollel.ncsy.org/gallery/599188593535928/3-on-3-tournament/

Asher Becker is spending his 7th summer on the NCSY Summer Kollel.  Asher first attended the Kollel as a camper in his summer after 10th grade, and has been there ever since.  Asher has come to the rescue of NCSY Kollel many a time during the 9-days, with his many Siyumim on such short notice.

Asher’s Chabura is a potpourri of guys from all over the world. Meir Yaakov Sobolofsky from Bergenfield, NJ, Moshe Goldfischer from מודיעין, Samson Karben from Los Angeles, Aaron Koshner from St. Louis, Eitan Socolof from Cleveland, and Michael Weiner from Philadelphia. This summer, Asher’s חבורה is focused on investigating the (in)famous “Aveirah Song” line-by-line and analyzing in-depth each line as an independent topic. As we have been nearing Tisha B’Av they have also been focusing on topics relating to משיח, specifically when he will be coming and what the world will look like when משיח does in fact come.

Asher and his Chabura continue to grow together through the intense, fun style of learning that they enjoy every day.  The NCSYers of his Chabura hope to IY”H make many Siyumim of their own as well.