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Dear NCSY Kollel Parents,
We hope this finds you well, and are pleased that Kollel is off to such an enjoyable and impactful experience in Israel.
As you know, we have been monitoring the situation in Israel extraordinarily closely and are in daily contact with the Cheder Matzav (Situation Room), the Israeli government-run security agency that guides our movements in Israel. In addition, we remain committed to providing the best possible summer experience to your sons.
With regard to the upcoming free weekend, we have established the following policies, consistent with the overall goals stated above:
1. We will be running full Shabbat programming, with full NCSY supervision and protocols, at our Chispin location. This will be provided at no additional charge and any trip participant is welcome to join this Shabbaton regardless of what previous plan may have been arranged for your son.
We strongly encourage our NCSYers to take advantage of these arrangements if this will make them and you more comfortable.
2. We will, as well, also allow NCSYers to leave their programs for the weekend. This can be done only under certain conditions, stated as follows:
a. A new permission form must be submitted by parent or legal guardian. This form will clearly state that the parents are clearly deciding to allow their son to leave the program for the specified time and assume sole responsibility for making sure that their safety is assured from sign out on Friday afternoon until sign in on Sunday Morning.
b. Many areas of the country will be off limits, even with parental permission. These areas include the Gaza belt communities, Ashkelon and Ashdod, Rechovot, Sderot and Yavne, and the entire Tel Aviv (“Gush Dan”) region.
c. We will only allow sign out from the program's base or from the OU Center in Jerusalem. We will provide bus transportation to the OU Center on Friday afternoon and back again on Sunday morning. We will not allow any participant to travel from either location via public transportation, even with parental permission. We will only allow a designated adult to pick up the NCSYer, or for a taxi service ordered by our staff, at your cost, to transport him directly to his destination.
d. As well, we will require that the party who is hosting your child indicate the means by which your child will be returned to the program on Sunday. If the party cannot transport your child by themselves, they must provide the contact information for the taxi company that will bring your child to Jerusalem. Under no circumstances may any participant travel back to Jerusalem by means of a public bus or private Hasa’ah (transport van).
Whether or not you choose to allow your son to leave the program, you are required to complete the online acknowledgement and revised Free Shabbat form. In order to fill out the new Free Shabbat form, please click here to login to your account and go to your Forms Dashboard. In order to participate in the free weekend, this form MUST be completed by 10PM ET this evening.
No participant in the trip will be allowed to leave under any circumstances unless his parent completes the acknowledgement form and his travel is arranged in a manner consistent with the policies articulated above.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
David Cutler
Director, NCSY Summer
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