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Final Director’s Message – Week 6

NCSY Kollel August 18, 2015

It is hard to believe that this update will be the final one for the summer or that NCSY Kollel 5775 draws to a close in just two days.  The disbelief is not from looking back and feeling how time has flown by or from a sense that the six weeks feel much shorter.  Rather, it is simply hard to imagine the impending abrupt end to an environment, lifestyle, and system that we have become beautifully accustomed to.  The rhythms of learning and davening, of playing and touring, have become second nature for our group, and we are sad to see it end, at least in its Beit Meir form.

 

It is also somewhat improbable that our final week could have surpassed the already spectacular days we have shared.  But this week did exactly that, and we are ending on the high that all of the NCSYers have earned.  Moreover, there was again a specific theme and focus to the week, that we hope and pray will make a lasting impression on all of us.

 

We often describe our activities as “unforgettable.”  In fact, in planning our tiyulim and other events we will frequently design for something that an NCSYer might still be talking about decades down the line.  This is true for the things we do, the ideas we hear and consider, and the relationships we form.

 

Our summer witnessed an impressive list that fit this criterion.  Even a partial list would have to include the following:

 

Our first gathering on the roof of Yeshivat HaKotel and group maariv at the Kotel…Filling the streets of Yerushalayim with laughter and energy…NCSY Kollel Football/Soccer/Basketball/Softball/Biking across the country…The incomparable spirit of our first Shabbos Tisch…The stirring words from Rav Mordechai Burg at that same Tisch…The awesome trek through the Black Canyon…Walking the streets of Tzefat at twilight…Welcoming so many friends from multiple busses of TJJ to our Beit Medrash…Learning for two intense days with TJJ Ambassadors…Welcoming Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau to address NCSY Kollel and TJJ in Beit Meir…The joint TJJ-NCSY Kollel siyum…The first (but certainly not last) “One More Day Till Shabbos” dance…A Shabbos Chazon of dreaming and introspection…Tisha B’Av from start to finish…Watching Rav Schachter relate and explain the Kinos…The Kotel Kumsitz…The spectacle of 1000 NCSYers at Yom NCSY…Fireworks and Shlomo Katz…The grace and inspiration of Racheli Frenkel…Our time with Rav Schachter, Rav Sobolofsky and Rav Twersky all together in our Beis Medrash…Breathtaking Sunrise on Har Shlomo…Refreshing water and exhilarating water sports in Eilat…A Shabbos in the Old City like no other…Rav Gav Friedman for over an hour and leaving us wanting even more…Team NCSYer knocking out the staff in 200 man dodgeball…Beating the soaring temperatures while rocking with Simply Tzefat…Yerushalayim like never before during the Chabura Wars Scavenger Hunt…Reaching new heights at IJump…The pageantry and excitement of the 3 on 3 Tournament and Festival…Learning and playing with Sulam…”The Goal Heard ‘Round the World”…

 

Of course, as we have claimed in prior discussions, even this incredible list does not include the most likely candidates for long term recall.  Morning seder chavrusas and a taste for Gemara learning, relationships with Rabbeim, chabura interactions and participation, the roar of the beis medrash during the night, and late Thursday mishmar sessions are the day to day fare that will not soon be forgotten.

 

“Unforgettable” appears frequently (at least six times) in the Torah as a specific directive to remember particular events.  Whether it is to keep in mind our battles with Amalek or the awesome vision of Mount Sinai, it is clear from this context that there are two levels of memorable.  In the first, an event or person is held somewhere in memory or subconscious.  Yet on this basic level, there is not necessarily consistent application or constant focus.  On the higher second level, these unforgettables are something more.  Even when not the specific center of attention, they are always actively shaping and molding our beliefs and behaviors.  They won’t be forgotten because once experienced they persist with ongoing impact.

 

And this brings us to the fantastic storylines of our last week.  Three events (or series of events) stand out as representative of this idea.

 

First and foremost was the meaningful special night learning program we conducted on Monday.  This annual Leil Iyun is always designed to highlight our outstanding Torah Personalities and to give our leaders a chance to directly address the group.  But perhaps even more significantly, the topics for the night are chosen with an eye towards relevance and impact on the lives of the NCSYers.  As such, this year’s Leil Iyun examined the different influences on our lives, and their proper place in Judaism.  Topics included the way we respond to friends, music, general culture, and our attraction to the opposite gender.  There were also shiurim that focused on Rabbinic Authority, parameters and philosophy of honoring parents, and the role of personal freedom in serving God.  As always, the evening was well received with enthusiastic participation.  It is placed at the end of the summer to emphasize the need to translate the learning and inspiration of the summer into practice the rest of the year.  This is a key element towards fulfilling our ambition for unforgettable moments and lasting impact.

 

But on NCSY Kollel these objectives are never limited to the Beis Medrash.  Our last major tiyul day also was memorable for all the right reasons.  The two main highlights each were consistent with this point, in markedly different ways.  The hike through Nachal Darja is our 3rd and final of our series of master level hikes.  These provide the dual benefit of profound exhilaration and feelings of accomplishment and a super-developed connection to the beauty of the environment and Eretz Yisroel.  It is near impossible to traverse Nachal Darja and think of a mountain or our planet the same way again.  When these experiences are set in the sanctity and holiness of the land of Israel, they take on an entirely new dimension of significance. 

 

Others displayed their intrepid side in a different way.  Our Food Tiyul was a hit from start to finish, culminating in a lamb shechita.  Not for the faint of heart.  Each stop on the day included instruction and inspiration, and was designed to heighten our appreciation for the culinary bounty we enjoy and the blessing of modern Israel.  In the cheese factory and on the berry farm, and in the bread baking and at the closing shechita, there was a great combination of halacha, hands on experience, great food, and fun.  But there was also impact and something lasting.  This tiyul was designed to affect our approach to food, Eretz Yisroel and berachos and to be remembered long after the summer ends.

 

And even (?) a basketball or hockey court can provide memories for a lifetime.  This week most explosive moments were all during the thrilling league playoffs that surpassed any summer in the history of NCSY Kollel.  It would be easy to point to the buzzer beaters and multiple overtimes that will long be part of any discussion regarding NCSY Kollel sports.  But these were thrills with a purpose and contests with a message.  While there were no shortage of exceptionally intense encounters, there was only an increase in camaraderie and personal growth.  It was extremely gratifying to see how the entire Kollel celebrated with victors and joined in the consoling those who came out on the losing end.  I would venture that some of these too rare moments of connection will be remembered for even longer than the miracle shots.

 

Naturally, this will remain our focus over our last Shabbos and final day on Sunday.  We go home on Sunday night, but we are confident that it will be a very happy and productive form of an endless summer

 

We wish you a great and special Shabbos, and look forward to any and all feedback you wish to share.

 

Shabbat Shalom from Beit Meir and the NCSY Kollel!

 Moshe Benovitz