Dear Parents,

Any reflection on this incredible week that was must begin with an appreciation for Tisha B’Av and the impact that day had on the entire program. Beyond being the chronological midpoint and anchor for the week, and beyond being the pivot between our time up north and our return to Beit Meit, Tisha B’Av was the culmination of so much of our efforts and focus prior, and a day that has already served to catapult us higher for the rest of our time together.

Much of the day was meaningful and impactful, as we have already described in earlier updates. The singing in the beis medrash at the conclusion of kinos and the Beit Meir Kumsitz late on the night of Tisha B’Av may not have had the renown of the Kotel Kumsitz, but were each highly effective at setting the mood for the day. The kinos experience with the Rabbeim and Roshei Yeshiva was successful in taking a lengthy service that is often difficult to fully appreciate and transforming it into something insightful and relevant.

But what will have the greatest staying power in our hearts and minds was clearly the last hour of the fast and the Kumsitz at the Kotel. There are an almost endless number of facets to this event that contributed to its uniqueness and power. To be sure, above all, the simple magnificence of sitting at that time, in that place was enough to make the kumsitz special. There could not be a better way to spend the last moments of the fast, and to appreciate a profound sense of loss and longing. Furthermore, as day faded to night and we concluded the singing with the consoling words of “Nachamu, Nachamu Ami”, we were granted more that a little dose of hope and optimism, and were able to incorporate into our mix of emotions a sense of endurance and renewal, and the start of the rebuilding that is so much a part of the modern Kotel experience.

But as we mentioned, this was not the only point of interest during that remarkable hour. The diversity and size of the circle was an ever-growing source of wonder. Dozens of passersby stopped to join us, some for a few minutes, and many others for the entire time. 220 grew and grew throughout the kumsitz, until the circle completely overwhelmed the Kotel plaza area. And it wasn’t just the numbers. There was not a segment of Jewish society that was not represented in our group. There were bareheaded Israeli men, expressing deep curiosity and interest in the efforts of our teens. There were Chassidim and other Chareidi Jews who joined us. There were mothers and grandmothers praying and mouthing along with the symphony of voices. The national religious public took obvious pride in our presence, and enthusiastically participated in all that we were doing. For a few moments at least, the unifying force of the Beis HaMikdash was felt in practice and not just in theory. It was empowering and uplifting.

Another beautiful element was the active participation of the Roshei Yeshiva and other leaders of our community. The kumsitz was run and organized by our boys, but it was tremendously enhanced by the intense involvement of so many important representatives of our greater community. No NCSYer will ever forget sitting on that floor next to Rav Schachter or Rav Sobolofsky. There was something special about sharing the experience with David Cutler, Allen Fagin, Rabbi Micah Greenland and other members of the OU/NCSY leadership. Our eyes were constantly drawn to the example of Rav Benjamin Yudin, Rav Kaminetsky, and a large number of our Rebbe staff. Part of this can be described as a fulfillment of unity that was not only horizontal, spanning different affiliations and appearances, but vertical, linking generations together and reaffirming the beautiful relationship that can exist between a community and its leaders.

But perhaps the most noteworthy of these “side” notes to the experience, was the cameras. Everywhere you turned, all around the circle, people were holding phones and cameras and recording the Kumsitz. No doubt, the NCSYers can remember smiling until their jaws hurt during photo shoots at their Bar Mitzvah or other family celebrations. We are sure that many an NCSYer is featured prominently in any number of albums and collages around the house. And there must be archived footage of milestones such as first steps, little league games, and graduations for all of our participants. This was different. Here, our NCSYers were the center of attention, at the Kotel and beyond. A recording of the Kumsitz made its way on to Israeli radio on Wednesday. The live broadcast was viewed by close to a thousand people, far more than our immediate families. Strangers were recording everything that transpired, for their own inspiration and memory.

In truth, on a somewhat smaller scale this has been the case throughout the summer. While always special, our comings and goings in other seasons do not always capture the attention of the media or the world. But this summer’s learning and touring have been imbued with greater significance and national import. And again, it has placed the NCSYers in the role as actors, and not observers. This is a remarkable transformation, and extremely valuable educationally. It’s something that we try to communicate under all circumstances, but it has been a dominant theme and a fairly constant message this summer.

Towards the end of the Kumsitz there was a woman on the fringe of the circle. She too was trying to get a good angle to record the proceedings. The wall of onlookers was thick, and she was not tall enough to reach over the crowd. There was a tall Israeli boy in front of her and she passed forward her phone and requested of him to record for her.

He took a small step back and began to position the phone up and down, right and left. He took his job seriously and was attempting to give the Kumsitz full context and perspective. As he pulled back further to focus on the awesome backdrop of the Kotel, the woman began to berate him. “Why are you pointing the camera there?! Focus on the singing! Focus on the boys!” He explained his intentions, but she was not at all convinced. “Don’t you think I have enough pictures on my phone of the Kotel?”, she responded. “Tomorrow I want to watch these boys.” This has been a phenomenal week on the NCSY Kollel. We have been able to give over much of what we originally hoped to offer, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. But perhaps most significantly, this week clearly demonstrated the role that the NCSYers can play now and in the future to help shape the destiny of the Jewish people. We can only imagine how many of the participants of the program this summer will become tomorrow’s teachers and leaders, and draw on their current experiences to reinforce their commitment to our nation.

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos with prayers for safety and peace

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