Raffi Weil is currently loving his first summer as a madrich on NCSY Kollel. After a short stint living in Los Angeles, Raffi grew up in Teaneck, NJ. After receiving a Yeshiva education from the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy (MTA), Raffi spent two and a half years in Shaalvim. Raffi is now a sophomore at Yeshiva University, where he learns in Rabbi Rosensweig’s shiur. One of his summer highlights has been running a late-night Panoply game for the NCSYers. Raffi enjoys hanging out and learning with the NCSYers over the course of the summer.
Raffi’s chabura consists of some of the greatest guys on the program. The self-proclaimed “Pretzel Pioneers” are a group of motivated and driven post-sophomores who are looking to grow in their Yiddishkeit. Levi Altschul (from Chicago) shows up to chaburos every day excited to learn and makes great contributions in the sugyos. Ori Schloss (from Teaneck) brings smiles to the faces of the chabura members with his warmth and is great at coming up with parallels and משלים that relate to the topic at hand. Efraim Banks (from Boston) contributes to the chabura with his clever and insightful additions to whatever the group is learning, always shedding light on a new angle of the sugya. Aryeh Brand (from Chicago) enriches the chabura as a consistent reader and a source of laughter with his great sense of humor. Together, the chabura works as a team and enjoys each other’s company. The “pretzel” name was inspired by the idea that while there may be twists and turns in their journey, at the end of the day they are all connected.
This summer, Raffi’s chabura is learning about the “final test.” This is an examination of the Gemara in Shabbos (31a) that deals with the six questions a person is asked after passing away. The chabura has been discussing topics related to Talmud Torah, the value of honest business dealings, Mashiach, and what it means to be someone who embodies growth in both his conversations and mindset.
Raffi’s chabura hit the ground running and has grown together. They continue to learn seriously while also chilling and having meaningful discussions. The start of something great is blossoming—and there’s a lot more good to come from this group.
