Trying to keep the diversity of Madrichim from different yeshivas, Uri Ostrin is back for his fourth summer on NCSY Kollel (we have already asked and, B”H, there is no mid-life crisis… Uri just loves the Holy Yidden on NCSY Kollel). Uri grew up in a tiny town in central New Jersey called Highland Park. If you haven’t heard of it before, it’s near TopGolf. Uri attended Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva (RPRY) for his early schooling years. After RPRY, Uri took out his passport and left for the Holy Land—Teaneck, New Jersey—and attended Torah Academy of Bergen County (TABC) for four wonderful years. From there, Uri took his talents to Yeshivat Shaarei Mevaseret Tzion (Mevaseret) for two transformative years. Uri has since been learning in Specters (aka Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan Theological Seminary, aka RIETS, aka Yeshiva University, aka YU), and will IYH be there for the next bunch of years (we spoke to Uri’s parents and they told us that’s his plan… Uri chose to plead the 5th). Uri plans on completing and receiving his degree. After fully completing his parents’ wishes for a degree, Uri would like to explore s’micha and pursue a meaningful life in chinuch, inspiring the next generation of Klal Yisroel.
Uri’s chaburah, inspired by Uri’s WhatsApp group chat, “Ignite YOUR Flame” (feel free to join), is always a fun and interactive experience for the chevra. The “Starting 5,” starring the inseparable three musketeers: Binyamin (the Center) Dombeck (JEC), Elie (Rav XBOX) Krause (JEC), and Josh (aka Paul’s friend) Singfer, as well as a huge pickup from Boca Raton, Florida: David (The Shluffer) Lunski (Katz HS), and the true rebbe in the group, with arguably an incredible Sefirah beard, Ari Eisen (Heichal HaTorah). The chaburah is no short of heavy hitters to crush expectations. The growth over the course of the first few very, very short weeks of the summer has been mind-blowing. The “Starting 5” have allowed all the lessons of Hashem’s sweet Torah to penetrate their funky hairdos and into their pure and holy neshamos.
Uri’s chaburah has been laser-focused on what we are doing in Judaism. Through meditations and intense conversations, the chevra have been able to start unlocking their true inner selves and latent potential within. Uri’s main goal is focused on what a normal day looks like. As it says in Pirkei Avos 1:1, ״והעמידו תלמידים הרבה״, “You should ‘stand up’ your talmidim.” This is a very strange language to use… The Tosfos Yom Tov explains that this means that the students need to know how to stand on their own when they come across a situation in life. Uri’s belief is that it all starts with the basics! What are we saying when we make a bracha? What is the in-depth meaning behind each of the words? What should we be thinking about? With Siyata Dishmaya, Uri hopes to be able to instill within each member of the “Starting 5” a true sense of meaning and purpose in our everyday lives! With this sense of meaning, Uri hopes to highlight the undeniable truth that greatness lies within. Each and every single Yid is created with this greatness! Uri hopes that the boys realize this and allow it to come flowing out of their neshamos.
