Ilan Casper is excited to have joined NCSY Kollel team for this summer and he is loving it. Over the past year Ilan has served as the Rosh Kollel of the TABC Friday Alumni Kollel where he learns with 9th and 10th graders. Ilan is from Teaneck, NJ and has been studying pre-engineering in Yeshiva University for the past three years. He will be attending Columbia in September as part of the YU-Columbia Combined Plan Program.

Ilan is privileged to have Eli Donaty (Baltimore, MD), Yitzchak Greenberg (Teaneck, NJ), Yonatan Plotsker (West Hempstead NY), Ezra Quint (Jamica Estates, NY), Yaacov Schneider (West Hempstead, NY) and Yehuda Simon (Flushing, NY) in his chabura.

The chabura is learning through the mitzvot aseh of shabbos, starting from erev shabbos with hadlakat neirot and moving through havdalah and melava malka. Besides for understanding and seeing what we practice on shabbos in the future come alive through the text, the goal is to gain a better appreciation for the beauty of shabbos. Whenever one spends time learning about a particular chag, that chag becomes real with meaning. By learning the through the positive mitzvot of shabbos, the special day will become more meaningful.

“Focusing on the positive aspects of shabbos instead of restrictions has added a unique perspective of shabbos, revealing a deeper meaning to shabbos.” – Yaakov Schnieder.

TJJ Ambassadors returned to Kollel on Monday for their second and final day with us. Morning shiur and chaburas were the same as Sunday as the Ambassadors heard a shiur from Rabbi Moshe Benovitz and joined our chaburas after lunch.
After chaburas it was time to hit the courts. For the first time ever, the Ambassadors challenged Kollel to three different sports: basketball, hockey, and soccer. All of the games were incredibly competitive with Kollel winning basketball and hockey but falling short, 2-1, in soccer.

The highlight of day took place on the court but was not sports related. Kollel and the Ambassadors came together for a joint siyum. Rafi Hallerman from TJJ Ambassadors finished Pirkei Avos and from Kollel, NCSYer Yehuda Inslicht and madrich Jordan Ginsberg each were misayeim Masechet Gittin. Rav Hershel Schachter spoke before the siyum about the significance of making a siyum and completing something. Spirited dancing followed as all three of those that made the siyum were hoisted onto shoulders. This truly was the climax of our two days together.

Back in the beit medresh, Rabbi Michael Hoenig, TJJ Ambassador Advisor, finished off the final day with us. Rabbi Mike thanked all of the NCSYers on Kollel for an amazing and uplifting two days. What each group was able to learn from the other over these days was incredible, he said, and there is still a lot that can be gained. (His speech can be found here.) The dancing that ensued following his speech was something special and the unity between the two programs was evident.

Rabbi Michael Hoenig – Wrapping up two days with TJJ Ambassadors

On Sunday we had the privilege of welcoming TJJ Ambassadors for the fourth year in a row. TJJ Ambassadors is made up of public schoolers from around the country who are spending their summer strengthening their connection to Judaism and the land of Israel. They are spending two full days with us.

To kick things off, Rav Zvi Sobolofsky spoke to the entire Kollel and the Ambassadors (which can be found here). Afterwards, they were enthralled by a shiur from Rabbi Moshe Benovitz as the rest of Kollel continued with regular morning shiurim. For chaburas, the ambassadors split up and joined regular Kollel chaburas which they really enjoyed.

The mini-tiyul of the day was mountain biking with TJJ Ambassadors which many Kollel NCSYers joined. It was a beautiful but challenging bike ride throughout the hills of Yerushalayim.

Sunday was also the start of a new basketball tournament on Kollel. The King of Kollel basketball tournament  has teams from every part of kollel: post 10th graders, post 11th graders, CITs, Madrichim, Rabbeim, and other staff. The tournament will span a few days and at the end we will see who is the “King of Kollel.”

Rabbi Doni Marcus once again came to give a shiur after ma’ariv and once again the room was packed.

We look forward to spending another amazing day with TJJ Ambassadors on Monday.

We continue our series of Reflections from Ari Zwiren on Summer 2013. You can view the first post of the series here.

Spending the morning of Tisha b’Av in Hadassah hospital was not exactly ideal, but it gave me the rare opportunity to have an amazing, uplifting conversation with one of the staff members of Kollel. As we drove through the golden hills surrounding Yerushalayim,, the staff member and I spoke about Tisha b’Av, and how distant many people are from one of the holiest days of the year. I thought about how so many Israelis are so blessed to live in the Holy Land but don’t follow even a few of the mitzvot of Tisha b’Av.

And then, the staff member reminded me of an event exactly a year earlier.  BILT, a program I spent the summer of 2012 on, spent the waning hours of Tisha b’Av with NCSY Kollel at the Kotel, sitting in a circle and singing zemirot as loud as we could. We spoke about how all around the world Jews fasted and prayed that they could be returned to Yerushalayim, and that is where we would be for the final hours of the holiday.

The modern world has made spiritual journeys into casual vacations. What used to be a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is now just an airfare away.

I can say from experience that the “Age of Technology” has caused a distancing from the realization of holiness. I used to think Tisha b’Av was just a day during summer to chill at home and watch tv so I didn’t get hungry. It wasn’t until last year that I learned the true meaning of Tisha b’Av, and as I sat in the Kotel singing I was able to see how beautiful such a sad day could be.

Sometimes we lose ourselves in the modern world, and forget how lucky we are to be surrounded by amazing people in a place as holy as the Kotel.

I am starting to think that maybe we should be using technology to our advantage instead of our demise. It is easier now more than ever for a Jew to visit the Kotel. B’ezrat Hashem everyone can come to Yerushalayim soon, but take one piece of advice with you: Recognize the importance of your surroundings. I have been blessed to spend the past two Tisha b’Avs at the Kotel, and it took a long conversation with a great staff member to realize that. I hope anyone who reads this learns from my obliviousness and takes to heart the opportunities they have in this modern age, and hopefully soon we can all return to Yerushalayim together.

Rav Zvi Sobolofsky – Welcome to TJJ Ambassadors

There were many wonderful ways to spend your Motzei Shabbos this week on the NCSY Kollel.

The twelfth graders went on a surprise trip to Yershalayim where they enjoyed Schwarma and pick-up basketball and football in Kraft Stadium.

Other NCSYers had the unique opportunity of a night hike where they were lead by flashlights through the hills of Jerusalem.

For those NCSYers who stayed back in Beit Meir there was a beautiful melava malka with music accompaniment lead by Rabbi Tani Cohen, Yonah Friedman, and Yehuda Meiteles. Others took the time to relax in their bunks or on the courts.

No matter how you spent your Motzei Shabbos, everyone is certainly looking forward to another amazing week on the NCSY Summer Kollel!

As Rabbi Benovitz addressed the entire NCSY Kollel right before Kabbalat Shabbat, and the beauty of  Shabbos was setting upon Beit Meir, he made the following remark: “Shabbos Nachamu is not something we experience. Shabbos Nachamu is something we are.” Although the meaning of this statement was not entirely clear at the time, after completing our second Shabbos together as the NCSY Kollel – Shabbos Nachamu – the truth of these words became apparent to all.

After Rabbi Benovitz’s inspiring speech we greeted the Shabbos with a lively Kabbalat Shabbat where the entire Kollel sang, danced, and davened together. During the meal which followed we continued the singing with beautiful zemirot and were privileged to hear a Dvar Torah from NCSYer Yonatan Plotsker.  The night closed with the much anticipated Shabbos Nachamu tisch lead by Rabbi Yisrael Kamenetsky. Rav Hershel Schachter spoke about different ways that a person learns Torah are also the ways that he can approach everything in life. The magical nature and high energy of the tisch is not something which can be transmitted to words, but it was felt by all the NCSYers and staff in the room as the singing and dancing continued into the night.

Shabbos day began with another beautiful davening and a tasty kiddish sponsored by the Sobolofsky family. Next, we were given the option of choosing between two different Question and Answer Sessions, one with Rav Schachter and one with Rabbi Lebowitz. This gave the NCSYers the opportunity to hear these rebbeim address specific issues that they were curious about.

During lunch we had the privilege of hearing from another NCSYer, Zach Folkman.  The afternoon continued with a long break where many NCSYers took advantage of their free time catching up on their sleep in their rooms and others learned in the Beit Medresh. Later in the afternoon we had chaburas where we were able to continue all the amazing learning that we are doing during the week. Some chaburas even had a special opportunity of hearing from NCSY’s Director of Marketing and Innovation, Duvi Stahler. The beautiful singing which took place on the Kollel as we welcomed in Shabbos, was experienced once again during Seudah Shlishit, as we wished farewell to Shabbos.

Shabbos Nachamu is not only something we experienced. Shabbos Nachamu is something we were. During Shabbos we came together as a Kollel. We sang, danced, laughed, learned, and davened together. And we grew together. Our ability to grow, and to continue  to grow, makes us the greatest nechama possible. We realize that the Beit HaMikdash is not here, but we also realize our duty, role, and contribution as builders  of the third Beis HaMikdash. Nachamu Nachamu Ami.

Friday was an exciting day for NCSY Kollel. We had our first soccer tournament of the summer and it was intense. Brazil, Honduras, Spain, and Tahiti competed for the Kollel Kup (see the rosters below). Congratulations to Honduras for winning!

For those not playing in the tournament, there were buses to Yerushalayim. Fifty of these NCSYers took the opportunity to visit the 19th Maccabiah games, and watch Canada take on Greece in the open bracket of the basketball tournament. The highlight of the game was not the quality of basketball that took place on the court, rather the assistant coach sitting on the Canada bench. New York Knick all-star center Amare Stoudemire, is making his second visit to Israel and coaching the Canadian national team. We sat and cheered on the Canadian team hoping Amare would make some time for us at the conclusion of the game. Greece ultimately won the game however, the post-game meeting with Amare was a moment that we will not forget. Amare took a picture with the NCSYers and spoke to us after the game.

Today we begin the first ever King of Kollel basketball tournament. Post-10th Graders, Post-11th Graders, CITs, Madrichim, Rabbeim, and Other Staff make up the six teams competing. Stay tuned for results.