Allen Fagin visited the Kollel today and gave the staff a lecture on responsibility and leadership.

Mr. Allen Fagin (above) leading staff training, and below (R) with his grandson, Madrich Josh Fagin (L)

It was really great to see the expansion of the Kollel to such high numbers, to see the excitement flowing through the beis medrash, and most of all to be able to hear an excellent Chaburah given by my own grandson, Josh.
–Allen Fagin

Mr. Allen Fagin is the Executive Vice President and Chief Professional Officer of the OU. Mr. Fagin has also served as chairman of the OU’s Youth Commission, which supervises the work of NCSY. Prior to that Mr. Fagin served as chairman of the Seif Jewish Learning Initiative on Campuses (JLIC).

Introducing the NCSY Kollel 2016 Basketball League Teams:

What an amazing Tiyul day today was!

Early departures may be hard at times, but they do mean that you will get the most of your day. And that we certainly did.  Tuesday was packed from start to finish. The first trip option, pulling out from Beit Meir at midnight and driving through the night, arrived at Har Shlomo on Israel’s Southern tip when it was still dark. And in the dark we began our 2000 foot ascent to the peak of the mountain.

As we climbed, the difficulty increased and the sky got brighter and brighter. The NCSYers were incredible, bravely climbing and pushing farther and farther up the mountain. We made it to the top just in time for sunrise, enabling us to daven vatikin (the optimal time for davening) as we watched the sun climb over the distant mountains. This breathtaking view of the Red Sea and the Sinai Desert is one of the only vantage points in the world where one can view four countries at once (Israel, of course, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt). Now that the sun was out, and the temperature neared 100 degrees, the descent was even more challenging, but with the help and encouragement of the entire group “no man was left behind”.

Another option was to climb Masada for vatikin. This trip also got an early start to the day so as to make it to the top in time for sunrise. It was a great trek up the mountain and we did in fact make it in time. We toured the various building on top after davening and then hiked back down the snake path.

At the end of the challenging and tiring hikes, there was no better place to relax and cool off than a double-decker boat sailing upon the Red Sea. So off to sea we went.  All of the trips joined together by the port of Eilat where we set sail on and drifted off into the Red Sea.  Each NCSYer was offered the thrilling opportunity to take a ride on a “banana” boat or an “aboov” tube.  Meanwhile other NCSYers took the opportunity to jump off the boat and take a refreshing dip in the beautiful sea. For those who wanted to spend their afternoon relaxing, there was also many options to choose from. Lunch was served inside the cabin, and lounge chairs were available on the decks for relaxing.  The party got going on the upper deck of both boats, where we played an intense game of musical chairs, and danced to some awesome music.  Ultimately, the game came down to a 3-way tie between Yosef Mehlman, Nathan Peyman, and Madrich Judah Cohen.  To settle the tie, the three competed in a “dance-off” in which Nathan Peyman’s moves proved too much for his opponents.

Some of the NCSYers continued their day at a ropes course. The course was over 50 feet in the air and we were challenged to make it through all of the obstacles and make to the end. Ropes, bicycles, and zip lines are some of the things we had to work with while up in the air. After eating dinner in Eilat we all headed back to Kollel after an amazing day.  Exhausted and still buzzing from the excitement of the day, NCSYers got too bed early so as to be refreshed for the rest of the packed week that lies ahead.

Rabbi Reuven Leibowitz joins the Kollel Beis Medrash for the afternoon-seder Chaburahs and is discussing new NCSY opportunities with the Madrichim for this upcoming year.

 

 

In the picture: Rabbi Leibowitz (L), Ben Zion Feld and Meir Finkelstein (R).

 

“The staff at the Kollel really goes above and beyond for each teen. Whether in the Beis or on the courts it really is impressive to see.” — Rabbi Reuven Leibowitz

 

Rabbi Reuven Leibowitz of Chicago is the Teaneck Director for NCSY. He is currently working hard to broaden the Teaneck NCSY programing to teenagers from all different backgrounds.

Yet another incredible day filled with fun has gone by on NCSY Kollel!!

To begin the day, Kollel continued its morning routine, hearing Halacha Shiur from Rav Schachter, and attending morning Seder and morning Shiur with their Rebbeim.

Following Shiur, NCSYers experienced their first full afternoon schedule.  For the first time, they partook in full length Chaburas, enjoying a full hour with their Madrichim and fellow Chaburah members.  The leagues finally began to take shape on the courts as well.  With both basketball and hockey games on schedule today, the competitive feel of the courts, as well as the immeasurable Middos, were on full display.

But the main excitement of the day came at night.  Following leagues, Kollel enjoyed a night activity at an incredible water park!!! Renting out the entire park just for Kollel, the guys enjoyed amazing water slides, lazy rivers, and pools to chill in with their friends and Madrichim.  For those that weren’t feeling the water, there were even basketball courts and soccer fields where pickup games were played throughout the evening.  Between slides, Kollel was treated to pizza for dinner.  It was an awesome night getting drenched in a water park to cap off an exciting day of learning!

 

With a packed week ahead, Kollel looks forward to many more exciting activities to come in following days, all leading up to the amazing Yom NCSY on Thursday night.  We can’t wait!!

Rabbi David Mahler gets involved in the late night learning in a packed Kollel Beis Medrash on the first Mishmar of the summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the picture: Moshe Mattehada (L), Judah Cohen (M), Rabbi Mahler (R)

 

“This is my first time in eretz yisroel in 17 years and my son and I have said mah rabu maasecha Hashem many times on the trip, but this one tops them all. Seeing this beis medrash with all the learning — now that’s a Mah rabu maasecha moment.” — Rabbi David Mahler

 

Rabbi David Mahler is the assistant principal at Gindi Maimonides Academy in LA. He also has served as the Director of Student Activities at Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston, NJ, and was the Assistant Principal at Westchester Day School in Mamaroneck, NY.

Rabbi Micah Greenland and his wife, Rivkie, stepped into the Beis Medrash late Thursday night on the first Mishmar of the summer and were taken aback by the buzz of the “Kol-Torah” that lasted through the late hours of the night.

In the picture: Rabbi and Mrs. Greenland (L) Rabbi Benovitz (M) Noam Gershov (R)

 

“This is heaven on earth for me” – Rabbi Mica Greenland

 

Rabbi Micah Greenland of Chicago has been serving as the International Director of NCSY since 2013. His involvement in NCSY, however, has been at the center of his life for over 20 years. He was the high school president of NCSY in 1993 and served as the the Midwest regional director for 12 years.

 

The days leading up to the start of our summers are always filled with a special combination of anticipation, anxiety, hard work, and hope. Our “spring training” is a whirlwind of activity over two continents with a common focus and goal and a common denominator of optimism and belief in the potential of the NCSY Summer Kollel.

So it was, that a staffer found himself in the Beis Medrash on the day before the flights landed in Israel. It was the end of a good number of hours of labor, and the room was finally set up and ready for action. It was also an ideal time for reflection, and modern reflections can sometimes be captured for posterity. This is what he saw:

An empty Beis Medrash, which, when primed and prepped for a glorious tomorrow, can be an incredible sight. The room itself shouts of possibility and promise. Each empty chair is a story. A young man from Cleveland visiting Israel for the first time. An honors student from New Jersey coming to learn a few minutes a day with Rav Schachter. Rav Schachter. A CIT returning for his third summer, to a place that feels like a second home. A staff member who is an alumnus of NCSY’s TJJ touring program (https://tjja.ncsy.org), who visited our program with his group for a day in 2012, and vowed to return sometime soon. A Yeshiva student with some apprehension of our schedule but the resolve to use this summer to advance a proud and strong religious identity. And no fewer than 300 other compelling and unique narratives.

It was the first of the week’s truly breathtaking moments. Without an NCSYer in the room, it was already a highlight. It was a moment to wonder, “What will be?”

And now, a scant 4 days later, some answers to that question have emerged. The seats have been filled, and the discourse has already begun to change. We can describe in clear detail exactly “What has been” and “What is.”

Here are a few snapshots from an unforgettable first few days, and a few answers to “What is.”

· First impressions and meetings, with a handshake, fist bump or just a smile and kind word. NCSYer to NCSYer, staff to NCSYer, Rebbe and talmid. Old reunions and new friendships.

· Opening Chabura Competitions for brawn and brain. 3 on 3, Hockey, Trivia, Pyramid Building, “Basketball Bowling”, and Individual Chabura Challenges. But mostly, good times and great bonding.

· Rabbi Yaakov Danishefsky addressing the Kollel before the first chabura, and acknowledging his own madrichim from his time as an NCSYer, 2 of whom were sitting in the room as Rabbeim. For the record, Rabbi Danishefsky was able to recount with great specificity what he learned with each of them.

· Halacha Shiur with Rav Schachter, with the entire NCSY Kollel spending 5 minutes after davening learning from Rav Schachter about the halachos of wake up and early morning blessings.

· Our opening tiyul with 6 diehard outdoor options. Softball and Soccer, hiking and biking, and NCSYers in every air conditioned gym in the Jerusalem Hills. And yes, water skiing too.

· Tip off and Face off for the legendary NCSY Kollel sports leagues. 32 basketball and 10 hockey teams. 21 games in the books on day one.

· Most recently, and most meaningful as a “full” beis medrash seat, our first night seder and late night mishmar program on Thursday. It’s hard to decide which was more impressive. The quality and quantity of the regular night learning was overwhelming and awesome. And there was no let up with the optional late night component either. 200 shwarmas were distributed in the Beis Medrash at midnight, and there were no doubles or leftovers…all this on our second complete day in Israel.

Remarkably, what might be most exciting is that we are still in the “before” stage, with plenty of ground to cover before properly appreciating “after.” We are still anticipating, dreaming, and contemplating the possibilities. What will the first NCSY Kollel Shabbos reveal? What kind of energy will be created and what will the effect be? What relationships are beginning today that will last a lifetime? What daf is being turned as a step towards hundreds of more? What will be the historical significance of our hundreds of NCSYers and staff spending such a formative 6 weeks in the center of Jewish destiny in Israel?

No, the Beis Medrash won’t have a rest until August 21. The rows are not as neat and the aisles less clear. It is full with the great group of NCSY Kollel 2016 and full with the possibility of greatness to come.

Have a wonderful and blessed Shabbos

Moshe Benovitz

What an amazing day!

Today the NCSYers enjoyed their first real trips of the summer!  This morning, Rabbi Schachter began with the first Halacha Shiur of the summer, a short discussion about the ideas of always remembering God and saying Berachot.  After another morning of Seder,  Shiur with their Rebbeim, and Chaburahs, 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, water skiing, 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!  All of the trips enjoyed some free time in the mall upon completion of their tournaments, rides, and tours.

The night was capped off with our first night Seder program and a special late night Mishmar.  For night Seder, each NCSYer spends half of the night learning with an individual Madrich and the second half enjoying a Shiur from one of our amazing night Shiur Rebbeim.  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 first full day of Summer 2016! The day began with a full orientation for all NCSYers and staff members. Following orientation, each NCSYer was introduced to their morning shiur Rebbe. Each Rebbe welcomes his shiur, introduced himself, and began to explain the shiur and morning Seder process to each of the guys.

After lunch and Mincha, Kollel had our first official Chaburahs of the summer! Each Chaburah, led by a Madeich, consists of about 5-6 NCSYers who learn together, hang out together, and build relationships with one another that will hopefully last a lifetime. Chaburahs were introduced by Rabbi Yaakov Danishevsky (a morning shiur Rebbe, and former Madrich and NCSYer on Kollel himself), and each Chaburah met up to discuss and begin Chaburahs for the summer.

Later, NCSYers had the option to go to the beach, where they enjoyed some great football, volleyball, frisbee, and time in the water. And after a packed day filled with excitement, the night was capped off with an awesome night activity! Each Chaburah participated in a series of challenges against other Chaburahs. The challenges were exciting, competitive, and fun, ranging from trivia challenges, to hockey challenges, to basketball challenges.

It was truly an amazing first full day on Kollel, we can’t wait to get deeper into the Best.Summer.Ever tomorrow!