What an amazing day!

Today the NCSYers enjoyed their first real trips of the summer!  This morning, Rabbi Sobolofsky began with the first Halacha Shiur of the summer, a short discussion about the laws regarding Birchat HaGomel.  After another morning of Seder and Shiur with their Rebbeim, Kollel departed to six(!) different, incredible trips, each NCSYer choosing to attend one of the six!  Whether it be to play softball at the beautiful Gezer field, flag football at Kraft Stadium, soccer in Jerusalem, mountain biking in Beit Shemesh, or basketball in a variety of gyms, the sports trips were as intense, fun, and exhausting as ever!  While some played sports, others opted to enjoy the beautiful tour of the Stalactite caves.  All of the trips enjoyed some free time in the mall upon completion of their tournaments, rides, and tours.

After returning to Beit Meir, the NCSYers sat down to their first full Chaburahs.  Following Chaburahs, the Kollel was privileged to welcome Rav Hershel Schachter for the summer, as well as to hear words of Torah and encouragement towards having an amazing summer from Rav Schachter.

The night was capped off with a special late night Mishmar.  The Beit Midrash remained packed into the late hours of the night by NCSYers and Madrichim alike, all continuing to learn together to end off what was an amazing first week.  While the sound of Torah being learned filled the Beit Midrash, the NCSYers were also treated to Shwarma and refreshments to enjoy as they continued to learn away.

It was an incredible first week on NCSY Kollel, and the NCSYers and staff look forward to continuing this amazing summer!

What an incredible day!!!

After an inspiring visit to the Kotel upon arrival last night, NCSYers and Madrichim awoke with  excitement and anticipation of the amazing summer that lay ahead.  After Davening and breakfast, the NCSYers attended a full orientation given by Rabbi Benovitz (Rabbi Lebowitz for second year NCSYers), where they learned the details of the exceptional Shiurim, Chaburas, trips, and sports that they will be enjoying throughout the summer.  From orientation, the NCSYers proceeded to their respective Shiur classrooms where they had the opportunity to hear words of introduction from their Rabbeim.  Each Rebbe was excited to meet their new Talmidim, and to begin forging relationships with them that will last a lifetime.

Shua Katz, one of our incredible Madrichim, and Micah Gill, an NCSYer on his second summer on Kollel, introduced our amazing Chaburah program to the entire Kollel.  They spoke of the long-lasting relationships that would be formed between NCSYers and Madrichim, the advantages to gain in each and every Chaburah, and the exciting summer that lie ahead in Beit Meir.  Each Chaburah joined for a brief introduction to their Madrich and fellow Chaburah mates.

Following a long, informative morning, Kollel was finally ready to hit the beach!  NCSYers and Madrichim enjoyed a beautiful day at the beach together, filled with both action and “chilling” for all.  Whether it be the intense football, soccer, or ultimate frisbee games being played, fun was had by all, as Madrichim and the NCSYers were afforded an opportunity to meet and get to know one another while having such a great time.

The first night activity was an exciting one, as Shlomo Stark introduced the second annual “Cafe Night.”  Gathered together in the dining room, Chaburas competed against one another in a thrilling game of Panoply, which included trivia questions testing the NCSYers on a variety of topics ranging from sports teams, to Gedolim pictures, to tractates of Gemara, while enjoying refreshments with their Chaburas and Madrichim.

As curfew came on NCSY Kollel, a buzz of excitement surrounded the campus knowing that this amazing, jam-packed day was only the beginning of what is sure to be the #BEST.SUMMER.EVER!!!