What, Who, and How

Education should never be defined as or confined to teaching people what they already know. 

There is a special excitement that is generated when we break new ground.  There is deeper meaning attributed to experiences that we haven’t had before.

This week on NCSY Kollel provided no shortage of remarkable moments.  It is difficult to relegate most of them to a rapid-fire list without allowing for focus on the significance and life lessons in so many of them.  Nevertheless:  Our massive tiyul to the North was exhilarating.  Options ranged from the extreme hiking in the Black Canyon, to rappelling and rock climbing, to rafting down the Jordan River, to walking through the history of Torah Judaism in Tiberias and Tzefat.  Our all-in trip to AquaKef water park on the Kinneret was a great thrill.  All-you-can-eat Schwarma served waterside didn’t hurt either.  A steady run of intercamp visits injected even more freshness and buzz to our campus life.  This culminated Thursday with hours of competition with the boys from Camp Morasha’s Sulam program, including an unforgettable shootout victory in hockey (after 3 periods and 3 additional overtimes!).    Thursday night mishmar was as electric as ever, as we danced and sang and learned to close the week right and to bring in erev Shabbos in the best way we can.  Even a more appropriately low-key day like Sunday’s public fast day for 17 Tammuz, offered a boost to NCSY Kollel.  Rav Moshe Tzvi Weinberg gave a memorable and impactful talk to the whole group on practical takeaways from the day, and the end of the fast allowed for the rare NCSY Kollel full slate of night activities.   These included a night hike and bonfire, a tour of the hidden spots in the Old City, and 4 courts of basketball at Shaalvim.   All of this was with the backdrop and draw of our upcoming Shabbos in Yerushalayim, one of the most greatly anticipated events of the summer.

Yet, in contemplating the week that was and our group’s many milestones and accomplishments, it is hard to move from our opening statement on the nature of chinuch and education. 

When striving to teach what is not necessarily known, there are at least three different areas of focus that can allow for a more valuable learning experience.

1.      What- Even when the claim is dubious or challengeable, “I know that already,” or “I learned that already” can undermine an educational initiative.  This week we proudly ventured into less chartered terrain, with our shiurim and group discussions.  This was most evident during our Wednesday Leil Iyun (night of special learning), which spilled over into both Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning learning slots.  Our topic this year was “Temptation, Addiction, and Vice”

To be sure, we did not assume or imply that any one of the subjects we addressed were necessarily relevant to most NCSYers.  But we do strongly feel that this was a critical and appropriate topic for the following reasons:

·      More than a few NCSY Kollel participants do in fact struggle with each of these issues

·      The general themes of temptation, good choices, and avoiding self-destructive behaviors are most surely relevant to all

·      Most everyone knows people who are affected by at least some of these temptations

·      These are unquestionably issues that we must address as a community, and we take seriously our commitment to develop and train tomorrow’s leaders.

As a result, we spent an intense and enlightening 24 hours engaging in topics that are not spoken about enough.  We feel that our students deserve insight and explanation into all matters that they encounter.  It was a unique and powerful experience, and indicative of an overall NCSY Kollel educational philosophy.

Another example of this approach to education was in the prayer workshops that we inaugurated this week.  From now until the end of the summer, we will be running two-day seminars for a rotating group of NCSYers during the regular Shacharis time.  The program involves a special minyan and breakfast.  The minyan provides greater explanations, different pacing, and innovative exercises to increase meaning in davening.  Rabbi Yehuda Turetsky and Josh Fagin have invested great effort in creating a veritable laboratory for prayer, and the NCSYers are already reaping the benefits from this initiative. 

Both of these models emphasize relevance.  They help bridge the gap between Jewish Ritual and our practical lives.

2.     Who- The target audience for the learning on NCSY Kollel also helps eliminate any potential redundancy effect.  This week we broadened our horizons significantly in welcoming various groups and friends to Beit Meir.  Our afternoon with Sulam is always a thrill.  The competition was particularly fierce, with spirited games in soccer, basketball (2), and the aforementioned hockey instant classic.   But there was also great learning and a full sharing of NCSY Kollel with the boys from Morasha.

It is particularly meaningful when guests transition from visitors to part of the family.  Our annual multi-day interaction with TJJ Ambassadors often provides that lift.  TJJ is NCSY’s summer brand for teens who do not attend a traditional Jewish school.  The Ambassadors trip is a leadership division of TJJ.  For two days they became completely immersed in NCSY Kollel culture and community.  Through them, we were all able to reexamine basic beliefs and tenets and witness how powerful our Torah can be when applied to new situations.  Sometimes, the move to NCSY Kollel can be quite literal.  As a result of these TJJ visits, we welcomed this week two new full-time members of our program, both from TJJ buses who have opted to extend their trips and join the fun and excitement in our Beis Medrash.  Welcome!

3.     How- The final element in creating education that is new and exciting is found in methodologies and the “how” of what we do.

Our enthusiasm for the Leil Iyun was not only due to the important subject matter. It also followed our summer-long commitment to varied models of education and to presenting information and ideas in new formats that reach the NCSYers’ hearts and minds.  This year’s Leil Iyun included three new components.  The first was a full track designed for educators.  In this way, we continued our efforts at staff training, not just for fulfillment of jobs for the summer, but for looking towards the future of leadership in our community.  The second two elements were great examples of presenting material in thought provoking and creative ways.  On Wednesday afternoon our chaburas were adjusted to become discussion groups for the different topics in the Leil Iyun.  Madrichim were instructed to accomplish three goals.  First, to describe the different options and to plan participation with each NCSYer.  Second, to explain why these conversations matter, and to frame the evening.  For this we relied on the expert guidance of Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, NCSY’s National Director of Education, who prepared brief guide outlines for the staff and who, together with Rabbi Turetsky, crafted the entire program.  Third, and most importantly, these groups were designed to elicit thought and comments from the NCSYers.  While it was necessary for them to spend most of the evening listening, we also thought it was critical that they spend some of the time speaking too.  These discussions were a perfect introduction to the program as a whole.

Similarly, on Thursday morning (following the program) we had different discussion groups that were specifically organized to identify practical steps and takeaways from all of the learning.  These proved to be some of the most intense and valuable conversations on NCSY Kollel to date.

We learn in a number of ways that go beyond the classroom.  Our sports leagues and competitions are growth and learning opportunities, every day.  Our tiyulim, no matter which option and how many accompanying thrills, are all about discovery and learning something new.  This is obviously the case when Rabbi Sobolofsky leads a group of NCSYers through the alleys of Tzefat, but also true on the beach and in climbing up a mountainside.  

Of course, the focus on “How” was the basis for the Tefila workshops.  Here too, the goal was to turn something distant to something close and dear, and to take something abstract and to allow it relevance.  Just one final small example that aptly sums up our week.

In this morning’s davening, for some who had participated in these workshops, there was a moment of deep recognition when we reached the words of “And to Yerushalayim, Your city, You shall return.”  This was mere hours before we would ourselves, en masse, ascend to that very city.  The words were no longer theoretical or from another time and place.  They were part of our lives and personal narrative and they were real.

Such is our Shabbos, such is our summer.

We will have the extraordinarty pleasure of spending Shabbos in the awesome shadow of the Kotel in Yerushalayim.  We can’t wait to experience and to report.

We wish you the best and most meaningful of Shabbos too!

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