The Right Time

“When does Tisha B’Av fall out?” is often a misdirected question.  We live our lives with some attempt to integrate the values and messages of our Jewish calendar with the movements and demands of the Gregorian schedule.  Referencing an “early” or “late” Jewish holiday is often an indication of our trying to superimpose our more spiritual identity onto a foundation of less spiritual principles.  There should be no good calendar or bad; we start building our lives around the particular flow of Jewish life and commemoration and let the rest fall into place accordingly.

Nevertheless, summer camps don’t have much other variety in their programming.  There isn’t ever a Pesach or a Chanukah in mid-July.  There are only the 3 weeks of mourning for the loss of our Temples, punctuated by the fasts of 17 Tammuz and Tisha B’Av.  And the question of when exactly in July and August they will be observed.

With that context, and from the perspective of our 6-week journey, this week leading to Tisha b’Av was perfectly aligned with our focus and objectives.

Our second full week together carried two dominant themes.  The first was related to introspection and learning.  The second was about camaraderie and brotherhood.  Tisha B’Av itself is highly contemplative and thoughtful.  At the same time, the ideas of the day relate to correcting historical errors with regard to interpersonal sensitivity and concern.

Our week was filled with depth and consideration.  The schedule allowed for a great deal of learning, which provided a great opportunity for acclimation to the schedule and a good chance to identify and explore a range of learning options.  Most significant in this way was the first of our two annual “Leil Iyun” programs.  In lieu of regular night shiurim and chavrusas, we offered 12 different classes and discussions over a 2 ½ hour period.  This year’s theme was “Better.”  Within the overall message of committing to self-improvement and skill building, we directly addressed a number of areas, including: how to be a better son, how to learn better, how to be a better teammate, how to better celebrate Shabbos, and more.  Perhaps most exciting were our series of panel discussions on a range of intriguing topics.  We tried to introduce different perspectives and ideas, in a format that was lively and provocative.    The Leil Iyun was a highlight as always,  and anchored our week of significant study.

This week’s tiyul schedule also was consistent and meaningful.  There were 4 options offered on our big tiyul day.  All four emphasized these same ideas of growth oriented thought processes.  Har Herzl (Israeli Military Cemetery) and Yad VaShem, Kotel Tunnels and the City of David.   These provided inspiration through stimulation and education.  Our tour of Gush Etzion gave a more modern twist to this.  The history of the Gush was combined with a visit to sites of some more recent tragedies and the area that is being built up as a tribute to the lives of the 3 boys who were kidnapped and killed in the summer of 2014.  Our annual visit to the great Torah centers of Jerusalem and our audience with many of our generation’s greatest Torah leaders rounded out the trips.  Each were designed to have the NCSYers think and appreciate.  All of our buses ended the day in Chevron, for dinner and maariv at Mearas HaMachpeila.  Rabbi Lebowitz delivered stirring remarks about the significance of the venue, and it was a very fitting end to the day.

Closer to our home base, we enjoyed another outstanding week of learning.  This was highlighted for the third time by our late Thursday night energy.  There is nothing quite like the energy and enthusiasm of so many NCSYers choosing to engage in Torah study with joy and verve.  It too created space for discovery and thought.

But the unquestionable pinnacle of the week and the greatest example of our theme were the festivities on Tuesday morning.  This will long last in the minds and hearts of all our participants and guests.  Two of our outstanding Mechina participants received their first pair of tefillin and wore them.  Rabbi Derek Gormin, Director of West Coast NCSY and the Director of Mechina for NCSY Kollel, spoke to the packed beis medrash about the significance of the occasion.  He was followed by Max Felix-Ashkenazi, one of the recipients of the tefillin, who wowed the crowd with a brief history of his NCSY involvement and some reflections on his feelings.  After, there was some of the most spirited and focused dancing NCSY Kollel has ever seen.  Even with great spirit, there can sometimes be a void where there is dancing and energy but no one is completely sure why.  The purity of the moment, when we were collectively celebrating the beauty of tefillin and the growth opportunities we enjoy, was unique and breathtaking.

Further, so many of these experiences were shared, either internally with the NCSY Kollel family, or beyond, with the stream of guests and visitors that enhanced our programming.  This was truly a week of Jewish unity and togetherness, and so many of our events brought this out.

We hosted numerous dignitaries from NCSY and the OU, including Allen Fagin (Executive Vice President and Chief Professional Officer) and Rabbi Micah Greenland (International Director of NCSY).  We learned with BILT NCSY and had an intercamp competition with Tamir Goodman’s Basketball Academy.  We hosted Morasha’s Sulam program for an incredible afternoon of learning and sports.  Above all, we spent two extraordinary days with the boys from NCSY’s TJJ Ambassador program.  This was culminated with the annual siyum for NCSY Kollel and TJJ.  It was a special and beautiful event, that brought together Israel, Torah, and the Jewish people like no other.

Surely, we have enough people on our campus that we weren’t desperate to welcome so many more over the course of the week.  But this summer experience has never been just about us or individuals.  Each of these interactions emphasized our communal identity and the strength of our peoplehood.  The new relationships and plain old joint respect and admiration between all of these groups was a perfect note in the days leading up to Tisha B’Av.

All of this positions us for an unforgettable Shabbos together as we head into Tisha B’Av itself.  We are excited to raise ourselves to an even higher level of connection and meaning. We look forward to sharing the reports with you.

Of course, part of our Tisha B’Av observance will be offered more directly to you, through the live webcast of the incomparable NCSY Kollel Kumsitz of the World.  We hope you will join us there.

Wishing you a Shabbos of rest and strength,

From the hills of Jerusalem

Moshe Benovitz

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