What was otherwise a normal morning (except for the continuation of shiur trips to Aish Hatorah) was pleasantly interrupted by a visit from the best and brightest of TJJ- The TJJ Ambassadors. The Ambassadors arrived shortly after morning shiur ended and immediately joined the Kollel for lunch. They listened to short shiurim from the three camp directors: Rabbi Benovitz, Rabbi Lebowitz, and Rabbi Turetsky, followed by time spent with Rabbi Sobolovsky.

The visit is part of a two-day trip in which the Ambassadors will take part in Kollel, learning, sports, and trips. The action kicked off this afternoon, with a joint Kollel-TJJ biking trip which lasted all afternoon. Dinner was followed by night seder which was followed by an introduction to tomorrow’s program: The Kollel-wide Hanachat Tefilin in honor of certain NCSYers receiving their very first pair of tefillin.

In preparation, special shiurim were offered after night seder on the topic of tefillin, in addition to special shiurim from Rabbi Doni Marcus and Rav Yitzchak Etshalom. At 11 o’clock, a siyum was made by former ambassador-turned-madrich David Sperber. There was a feeling of genuine simcha in the air, and anticipation is building for what should be a phenomenal program and day, tomorrow.

Chaim Korman is on Kollel for the first time and is already making an impact. A native of England, Chaim attended Hasmonean High School and then Yeshivat Shaalvim, where he began to get involved in American camps. Chaim is one of the friendliest staff members in camp and ione of the hardest workers.

Chaim leads a true all-star group of guys in his Chaburah. Jason Aranoff and Evan Kinches are from Teaneck, NJ and attend Frisch; Yonatan Kaye (Bergenfield, NJ) and Justin Eichel (New York, NY) go to TABC; and Yaakov Rosenberg is from Skokie, IL and goes to Ida Crown Jewish Academy. 

Chaim’s chabura’s will be focus on interesting halachic discussions, as well as the reasons behind specific mitzvot. The aim is to make the learning come alive and for the campers to feel the energy of real Torah study.

Marc Shapiro is extremely excited for his first summer as a Madrich on NCSY Kollel. Marc graduated JEC in 2016 after a legendary 4 years and attended Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim. Marc’s friendly demeanor makes him a popular staff member and aids him in forging strong relationships with his campers.

Marc’s chabura contains 5 kids, 3 of whom attend SAR: Eli Jesselson From the Bronx, Joe Gross from Jamaica, and Judah Schanzer from New Rochelle. Rounding out the group is Tzvi Eisen from Teaneck (MTA), and Isaac Schertz from Woodmere (Ramaz).

Marc’s Chaburas will focus on gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Shmoneh Esrei which we say every day. The sessions will specifically focus on the kavanah one should have while davening and what you should be thinking about when you talk to Hashem.

Today was the continuation of the new shiur trip program with shiurim going on many special trips. Some shiurim woke up early to daven at the kotel, others had the special opportunity to work with Siach Sod and special needs patiets, while still others enjoyed the jam-packed non-stop work of packing food for needy families with Yad Eliezer. All the trips were incredibly meaningful and helped guide the program into a more reflective tone to begin the 9-days.

The rest of the camp enjoyed a normal morning seder followed by lunch and chaburas. The afternoon saw two separate mini-tiyulim, both consistent with the more serious time-period. One trip was to the kotel tunnels, a sneak peek to our full-day-tiyul later this week. The other was to the world-famous Gush Katif museum, which details the bitter history and exile of the settlers of the region.

Sports leagues continued as the main contenders began to separate themselves from the middle of the pack. A strong night seder followed by an equally strong post-night seder concluded an exciting day.

We are looking forward to visits of all sorts this week, beginning with TJJ Ambassadors tomorrow. Stick with the Kollel Blog for all the latest from NCSY Kollel.

Gilad Vann is a 3-year Kollel veteran who is joining the Madrich Staff for the first time. Gilad learnt for 2 years in Yeshivat Ohr Yerushalayim and now learns in Shor Yashuv in Far Rockaway. Gilad’s calm demeanor and professional attitude make him a natural fit amongst the madrichim. He is also the residential expert on the NCSY Kollel Shabbaton in Gush, having attended all 3 years in Kollel.

Gilad leads a true all-star group of guys in his Chaburah. From New York there is Shmuel Pak (Cedarhurst), Yehuda Davidson (Flushing) and Yaakov Jacobowitz (Woodmere), all of whom attend DRS. Donny Morris is from Bergenfield, NJ and attends MTA, and the international contingent consists of Meir Blanshay from Motreal, Quebec who is a student at Hebrew Academy.

Gilad’s Chaburas will focus on sugyot in Masechet Sukka, with an emphasis being placed on feeling the fire one should feel when studying Gemara. Gilad hopes his NCSYers leave his Chabura with an appreciation for the important role learning plays in everyday Jewish life.

David Sperber is from Randolph, New Jersey, went to Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Tzion, and is currently learning by Rav Eliyahu Soloveitchik shlita at Lander College for Men. This is his fourth year on the NCSY Kollel, his second as a Madrich. When not giving Chaburah or learning with guys b’chavrusa, he can be found with NCSYers all around the Yerushaliyim area, acting as the Kollel’s legendary mini-tiyul tour guide extraordinaire!

David’s Chaburah this summer is stacked with a super smooth line-up of young men, including Jesse Ernstein from Overland Park, KS; Isaac Forgash from Teaneck NJ; Dovid Pearlman from Staten Island, NY; and Sean Hedvat from Great Neck, NY.

The Chabura will be learning the 3rd Perek of Masechet Sukka this Summer. The Sugyot are designed to make the holiday of Sukkot more meaningful but also include many tangents which relate to and help the campers understand different aspects of Judaism.

David anticipates an amazing summer of learning, growth, and fun! It should be the Best Summer Ever!

Gabe Silverman is a first-time staff member and madrich on NCSY Kollel. Hailing from Manhattan, Gabe attended Ramaz from K-12 and then attended Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh. He currently is enrolled in Harvard University. Gabe describes his chabura theme as “exploring the fundamentals of Judaism, taking abstract ideas – such as the Jewish conception of God, or man’s role in the cosmos – and following them through to see how they inform everything we do as Jews.”

Gabe’s chabura is an awesome crew that stretches across the country. Jason Levine and Max Felix Ashkenazy from Houston, TX, Andy Neymit from Agoura Hills,CA, Joney Shlasinger from Las Vegas, NV and Alan Misyuk from Manalapan, NJ. Every member adds their personal hometown touch to the chabura. The cross-country membership really pushes the chabura over the top.

Gabe anticipates an amazing summer of learning, growth, and fun! It should be the Best Summer Ever! 

Jonah Waldman is incredibly excited for his first summer on NCSY Kollel. An Alumnus of Frisch and Yeshivat Orayta, Jonah is currently a rising sophomore at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Jonah’s chaburas are all about exploring the deeper meaning of mitzvot. The sessions are designed to illuminate the philosophical underpinnings of the various halachic details which inform how we view the actions of our everyday religious lives.

Jonah’s Chaburah is comprised of five members: Yosef Haber from Ramat Bet Shemesh (Yeshivat Ahavat Yisrael); Yonatan Ginsburg from Beachwood, OH (Fuchs Mizrachi School); Ezra Baron from Bergenfield, NJ (TABC); and finally, Daniel Becker (TABC) and Yaakov Schwartz (MTA) from Teaneck, NJ; all of whom have shown tremendous growth and excitement for the learning so far.

Jonah anticipates an amazing summer of learning, growth, and fun! It should be the Best Summer Ever!