Dear Parents,

This Friday’s Weekly Update will focus on only one day of our week.  To be sure, the entire week had events and accomplishments worth reviewing, but nothing would capture where we are as a program as well as an account of our experiences yesterday.  It was that kind of day.

In Wednesday’s phone hotline update, I was happy to report another “great and safe day in Chispin.”  I couldn’t help but sense the frequent repetition of that phrase over these weeks, and I quickly added,  “…something we will never get tired of saying.”  Of course it is true.  It may not be new and exciting to report on another day of great chaburas or an energetic night seder or fun and competitive leagues, but it definitely beats the alternative.

Well, it’s fair to say that Thursday was a day that was like no other.  It still was great and safe- but it was many other things as well.

Our visit to Beit Meir and Yerushalayim was added to the schedule for multiple reasons.  We felt it was essential to fortify the program with some elements that had been missing, like certain shiurim and sports.  Many of the NCSYers benefitted from being at our office (safe, ATM, etc…) and their original dorm rooms.  And of course, there is no substitute for the centrality and impact of Yerushalayim itself.

The energy and emotions were high all day.  On a basic level, the trip went great and was full of unforgettable moments.  We enjoyed stimulating learning and hours of competitive sports.  We had two games of hockey for each team.  There was a well attended mini tiyul and visits from many of our staff and other representatives from the OU.

But this was clearly about more than hockey and restocking wardrobes.  Our time in Beit Meir and Yerushalayim was marked by a palpable sense of belonging, community, and purpose.   It wasn’t just sports leagues, but rather games played on a home court.  Sitting in one’s own “Makom”, or place, in the Beis Medrash was never so laden with meaning.

From that sense of place came tremendous strength of togetherness.  Throughout the day, the feeling of being a part of something special was everywhere.  While we each had our own agendas and needs, we also strongly identified ourselves as part of the NCSY Kollel and the greater Jewish people.

Nowhere was this clearer than at our siyum towards the end of the day in Beit Meir.  In truth, a siyum on Wednesday night in Chispin was the real kick off for this stage of the program.  On that night we huddled around Eitan Kaszovitz as he completed Maseches Taanis.  Eitan spoke beautifully about various events to which his learning was dedicated to, and his example and words were a major unifying force for the entire group.  Our siyum on Thursday continued with this theme.  We joined in celebrating with one of our madrichim, Yehuda Meitelis, as he completed Maseches Tamid.  Yehuda is a madrich and also an alumnus of the program.  I often introduce siyumim on the Kollel by stressing how much we as a group strive to identify with torah accomplishment.  On these two occasions, the “as a group” aspect was even stronger than ever.

And above all, there was Yerushalayim.  We were well aware of how important it was to the NCSYers to get back to the Kotel.  But even we were surprised by the level of emotion and outpouring of song and prayer that accompanied our visit.  Our generation, including those who don’t often visit Israel, can sometimes take access to the Kotel and Yerushalayim for granted.  For one night at least, we were fully appreciative of what it means to walk down and daven opposite the Wall.  It was extraordinarily special.

While the day was great fun and provided a wonderful lift to most everyone on the program, part of what made it so powerful were the aspects of balance that we described last week.  Our return was less than fully triumphant, especially as it was still temporary.  Furthermore, we are fully cognizant and appreciative of the ongoing efforts and sacrifices of our chayalim.  We have been reminded this summer that the opportunities we are blessed to have here in Israel do not come without a cost.  These realizations made for a positive trip that was less euphoric, but more substantive.

And this helped explain many of the utterly unique experiences that we shared yesterday.  Walking through our campus in Beit Meir was akin to discovering a time capsule.  The beis medrash, for example, was almost completely untouched from when we left three weeks ago.  On the tables were name tags and tiyul sign up sheets from the first day.  The associations were all to the hours and days after we landed in Tel Aviv and began our journey together.  It was almost impossible not to feel transported back to the beginning of the summer and to contemplate the perspectives on what was then and what has been since.  This process was not good or bad, but it was sobering and meaningful.

It was a great day and it has been a great week.  The summer has been full of growth and accomplishment, and we are looking forward to the stretch run of the program.

Thank you for your continued support and trust.

With prayers for all our people,

Have a great Shabbos

Moshe Benovitz

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