Summer 2015

Meet Team “Spoon!”

Left to right: Dovid Lesser, Shmuel Aidelson, Binyamin Glanz, Mordechai Sheinson, Ezra Alyeshmerni, Steven Stein, Rabbi Joey Herschel*, Yoni Katz, Aaron Toledano

*Denotes Captain

Meet Team “Table!”

Left to right: Leo Rubin, Yaakov Hoffman, Shua Katz*, Leor Rapps, Shimmy Keller, Menachem Gans, Yosef Borochov, Aaron Koschitzki, Donny Rozenberg

*Denotes Captain

Meet Team “Knife!”

Top: (Left to right) Eli Englard, Yaakov Kaminetsky, Joe Baruch*, Adam Zahler, Dani Scheinman, Johnny Silber, Yehuda Shetrit

Bottom: Shaya Forman

*Denotes Captain

This has been a week with a steady stream of visitors from all directions.  NCSY Kollel has hosted other groups, educators from the US, officers and professionals from National NCSY and the OU, and quite a few parents and other relatives.

Today, we added to that list with a most special guest.  Rav Avraham Levi is a prominent community Rav in the town of Elad.  Among his many congregants are the members of the Yifrach family.  Eyal Yifrach, one of the three boys tragically murdered last June, had a seat in Rav Levi’s shul.  That seat was turned into a makeshift memorial last summer, and has since been set aside more formally in Eyal’s honor. 

Rav Levi himself played a vital role in consoling and guiding his community and the people of greater Israel. 

Today, Rav Levi spent time consulting with Rav Schachter, Rav Sobolofsky, and Rav Kaminetsky, speaking with NCSYers, and addressing our staff.

NCSY Kollel will always feel a deep connection to the events of last June.  The timing of their abduction and the ages of the boys strengthen that link.   Rav Levi’s visit was a welcome reminder of the strength and resolve that emerged from the shadow of tragedy, and of the everlasting bonds and commitments we share.

After another amazing Tiyul Day, Kollel went back to its regular schedule with a renewed excitement.

The morning began with another day of incredible learning during Morning Shiur and Chaburahs, followed by yet another sports period of the same excitement and intensity as the very first day.  This was accompanied by a meaningful mini-Tiyul to Kever Rachel, where NCSYers connected to the feelings of the 9 days and were then able to enjoy some free time in Malcha Mall.

Mussar Seder brought an exciting twist to the day’s learning with the first Super-Chaburahs of the summer.  NCSYers got to hear from Madrichim other than their own, which made for an interesting change of pace and set the tone for another fantastic Night Seder.  Night Seder was followed by two amazing guest speakers: Rabbi Elly Storch, the assistant Menahel of DRS, and a special staff shiur from Rav Levi, the Rav of El’ad.

We are looking forward to an exciting end to our week as we welcome back TJJ Ambassadors for the day tomorrow!

While today was another amazing Tiyul day on NCSY Kollel, it was a very different Tiyul day than any others would prove to be.

As we are currently in the period known as the nine-days, during which we mourn the loss of the Beit Hamikdash, the Tiyulim options had more of a serious tone than usual.  While none of the Tiyulim may have included water sports or intense hikes of any sort, they were no less exciting and incredible than our normal Tiyulim.  The Tiyulim today included Rabbi Gordon’s world famous Torah Tour of Israel, a living history of the Shomron, an “underground” tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, and hiking and history of modern Israel.

On Rabbi Gordon’s Torah tour, NCSYers traveled to Bnei Brak to visit a variety of Talmidei Chachamim and Gedolei HaDor, as well as many amazing cites that play prominent roles in the world of Torah greatness.  The Torah Tour was privileged to hear words of Chizuk from the former Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Yisrael Meir Lau, Davened Mincha by one of the Gedolei HaDor, HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, visited the incredible institution that is the Yeshiva of Ponevezh, and heard from one of the Roshei Yeshiva of Ponevezh, Rav Gershon Eidelstein.  The trip concluded with a visit to the cemetery in Bnei Brak in which a countless number of previous Gedolim and Talmidei Chachamim are buried, including the Stippler Gaon, Rav Elazar M.M. Shach, Rav Eliyahu Desler, and the Chazon Ish.

Other NCSYers experienced a truly unique experience in touring the Shomron.  They learned a tremendous amount about the area so often the center of conflict, and gained a new understanding of the significance of the land that they toured.  The Tiyul made an emotional stop to observe the Fogel Family home, the site of the horrific tragedy that befell the Fogel family only a few years ago.  After the Shomron, they visited Shilo, the site of the Mishkan, and were given a virtual tour explaining to them the detail of the Mishkan that once rested on the very spot they were visiting.  It was an amazing experience to be able to connect the Biblical significance of the land to their modern day experiences in the land of Israel.

As part of the Tiyul to Jerusalem, NCSYers got to see Jerusalem from a whole new perspective – underground!  They partook in two spectacular underground tours in the Old City: Chizkiyahu’s water tunnels, and the Kotel tunnel tours.  Wading through shallow water and observing the massive walls of the Kotel plunging deep into the ground, it was amazing to discover this less-seen view of the Old City and the Kotel itself.

The final Tiyul visited the Gush Katif museum and the Ya’ar Kedoshim (Forest of Martyrs).  In the Gush Katif museum, the NCSYers learned about the disengagement that took place from the settlements of Gush Katif around ten years ago.  In the Ya’ar Kedoshim, the NCSYers traveled through a forest comprised of six-million trees, one planted for each of the victims of the Holocaust.  The trip was impactful and certainly set the mood for the period of the nine-days (of course, the stop at the Ben and Jerry’s factory later certainly raised the spirits of the trip!).

After an awesome day of Tiyulim, the NCSYers returned to Beit Meir to gather in the Beit Medrash to hear a speech regarding Gush Katif.  Rav Ari Katz, father of Kollel’s very own Evyatar Katz, and former resident of Gush Katif, addressed the entire Kollel about the disengagement from the area which took place ten years ago from the coming month.  Rav Katz spoke about his experience, the significance of giving away land in Israel, and how we must understand that in the end, all that Hashem does is for the best.  The speech was moving and inspiring, and left the NCSYers feeling a sense of community and the greater Klal Yisrael.

Meet team “Proud to be an Ivry!”

Top: (Left to right) Noach Blechner, Mordy Abittan, Ilan Steinmetz, Dovid Lesser, Ezra Wildes, Dovid Ivry

Bottom: Josh Kaufman*, Ari Englander

Meet team “Stark Fish!”

Left to right: Elie Levine, Matthew Mark, Shlomo Stark, Zach Fish, Yechiel Schreck*, Binyamin Kaminetsky, Moshe Simon.

*Denotes Captain

Meet team “Commish’s Crew!”

Left to right: Roni Kupchik, Meir Finkelstein*, Tzvika (Commissioner) Poleyeff, Dovi Schlossberg, Yoni Goldberg, Zev Lowy, Areli Bolour

Not Pictured: Rabbi Lavey Freedman

*Denotes Captain

Meet team “Buahs 2.0!”

Left to right: Netanel Muskat, Ben Weinstein, Tani Motechin, Shmuel Wagner, Zach Stein, Yoel Schreier*, Yehuda Alter, Honorary Member Yaki Lebowitz

*Denotes Captain