Summer 2015

Brandon Lurie is from Los Angeles, California, and while he is currently enrolled in McGill University, will be transferring to NYU this coming fall.  Brandon is excited to be joining NCSY Kollel for his first summer ever!  Brandon can’t wait to learn the ropes to the Kollel as well as have an amazing summer with his Chaburah as a whole.

This summer, Brandon is leading an all-star Chaburah, consisting of Yitzy Nissel from Passaic, NJ (Heichal HaTorah), Tani Finkelstein from Memphis, TN (Cooper Yeshiva High School), Dov Jacobson from Teaneck, NJ (Heichal HaTorah), Yosef Zimmerman from Northbrook, IL (Fasman Yeshiva High School), and Yonah Benscher from Beit Shemesh, Israel (Mitzpeh Yericho).

In Brandon’s Chaburah, their learning will be focused on the reasons for adopted Minhagim of Klal Yisrael.  Some examples include: Why do we say Kidush Levana?  Why do people hand out red strings at the Kotel?  Additionally, Brandon and his Chaburah will focus on some ideas in Machshava from the teachings of Rav Soloveitchick sprinkled throughout the summer.

It’s already looking unbelievable, and Brandon and his Chaburah know that this summer will only continue to get better!

Today was the first official Tiyul day of the summer, and what a Tiyul day it was!  NCSYers were given the option to choose between three amazing all-day trips: hiking through the “Black Canyon” trail of Nachal Yehudiyah, visiting the four holy cities, or enjoying a walk through Nachal Kibbutzim.

Nachal Yehudiyah was an intense, challenging, incredible hike through the beautiful mountains and canyons of the Golan.  The hike included unbelievable activities such as repelling down a waterfall and jumping thirty feet off a cliff into a body of water.  The seven hour hike was certainly not one for the faint of heart!

On the trip to the four holy cities, NCSYers were privileged to see each of the beautiful holy cities of Israel: Chevron, Yerushalayim, Teveria, and Tzfat.  The day began with Shacharit at the Maarat HaMachpeila, followed by some words from Rabbi Sobolofsky about the significance of drawing strength from our Avot.  Overlooking the Old City of Yerushalayim and Har Habayit on the Tayelet, Rav Schachter discussed Kedushat Yerushalayim and its importance to us.  In Teveria, the NCSYers enjoyed some swimming and water activities in the Kineret, and later visited the Kever of Rabbi Akiva.  Rav Schachter spoke about the different Tzadikim buried in the cities of Teveria and Tzfat as they headed to meet up with the other trips for dinner in Tzfat.

The third Tiyul enjoyed a more relaxed trip, as the waded through the waters of the beautiful Nachal Kibbutzim.  Following their enjoyable stroll, they headed to Teveria for water sports and banana boating, and later joined the Tiyulim in Tzfat as well.

It has been a long and invigorating day.  We hope to take that energy and channel it toward a strong week of sports, learning, and continued fun!

(Check back tomorrow for pictures from all of our incredible Tiyulim!)

 

What an amazing first day of leagues!!  To open the basketball season, Kollel was treated to a rematch of last year’s championship game, Andrew Israeli vs. Ben Zion Feld (of which Ben Zion’s team emerged victorious), “reffed” by Rabbi Benovitz.  Every team played their opening game, each one more exciting than the next.  The excitement included a double-overtime game, a few blowouts, and many nail-biting victories that came down to the wire.  Each hockey team played their opening game as well, most of which ended with a mere one-goal differential.  All the games were competitive and exciting, and Kollel can’t wait to continue what is sure to be an amazing season!  Follow our sports updates for more details on standing and game summaries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asher Becker is spending his 8th summer on the NCSY Kollel. He began attending his summer after 10th grade and has been there ever since.

Asher’s Chabura is a unique blend of guys, including Asher Stein from Detroit, Michigan, Shai Goldman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mordechai Scheinson from Hillside, New Jersey, Josh Beer from Woodmere, New York, and Jonathan Haller from Woodmere, New York.

Asher’s Chabura is focusing on the topic of kodashim and the beis hamikdash, particularly how sacrifices were offered in the Beis Hamikdash, a topic particularly appropriate to the time period in which we find ourselves, leading up to Tisha Biav. The chabura also focuses on the top ten כלי יקר’s and חתם סופר’s on the weekly פרשה, giving added insight and flavor to the פרשה.

Asher and his Chaburah are looking forward to not only building together in, and getting stronger in, their learning, but also building relationships with each other and becoming a cohesive, awesome Chaburah!

After an amazing Shabbos, so many exciting “firsts” took place today on the NCSY Kollel!!!

Following our first regular wake-up and Davening schedule, the NCSYers were eager to begin their first day of full morning Shiur!  They experienced a real Yeshiva atmosphere, as they enjoyed their first morning Seder in the Beit Medrash, in which they were given time to prepare the material for Shiur with a Chavrusa.  The Talmidim were then treated to a fascinating Shiur introducing them to Gemara Berachot and the various topics they will be covering throughout the summer.  The day continued with another exciting first – full Chaburas in their regular time slots!  Each Chabura finally got to sit down and begin learning for the summer, acclimating to the other NCSYers in their Chaburahs, as well as their Madrichim and the daily routine of Chaburahs.

Today also marked the season-opener for Kollel leagues!  Both the basketball league, consisting of twenty five teams, and the hockey league, consisting of eight teams, began, and looked as if they were in mid-season form in terms of intensity, Middot, and fun.  Check out or sports update for more details!

The “firsts” kept on coming with the first night Seder of the summer!!  Each NCSYer was paired up with a Madrich to learn with for one half of night Seder, while attending a shiur from a Rebbe for the other half.  The Beit Medrash was packed, the sounds of learning filling the room throughout the night.  As the NCSYers finished an incredible, jam-packed day, they headed to bed to prepare for the amazing trips that lie ahead tomorrow.  If the first full, scheduled day of Kollel was at all indicative of the rest of the summer, it is certainly going to turn out to be the #BestSummerEver!!!

It is a special joy to be able to share with you reflections on our first few days together on the NCSY Summer Kollel.

It has been a wonderful start.  The early days on the program are designed to acclimate the NCSYers to the program and schedule, and are heavy on special events and off campus programs.  Each of these added to the growing cohesion of the group and created much excitement for the rest of the summer.

It would be hard to choose just one highlight from all that happened.  As I am sure you have been following on our website, there has already been a balance (albeit an atypical one) between great fun, sports, Tiyulim, and incomparable experiences from the Beit Medrash.  In choosing some standout moments, clearly those learning opportunities come to mind first.  Last night we welcomed Rav Herschel Schachter to his spot in the front of the NCSY Kollel.  He briefly addressed the group, and that alone was a snapshot of what makes the program so special.  Rav Tzvi Sobolofsky joined us on one of the group flights, and has already begun our morning Halacha Shiur, staff Shiur, and various learning groups with NCSYers who have sought him out.  Watching these Roshei Yeshiva interact with our sons never gets old and is the fulfillment of some of our most important ambitions.

The Beit Medrash highlights were certainly not limited to a select group of NCSYers or a small number of Rebbeim.  We gradually introduced our morning Rebbeim and Shiurim to the NCSYers, and it was incredible to witness.  The Shiurim will kick into high gear on Sunday, and the relationship building will be further advanced through the welcoming Melava Malka that each Rebbe will be hosting at his home tomorrow night.  (These relationships will likely get a further boost when our sports leagues begin on Sunday – the vast majority of our Rebbe staff are participants in the leagues, many in leading roles).

Naturally, Chaburas were also prominently featured in our early schedule.  The interactive learning was a delight to behold and the energy levels on the first few chaburas were super high.  Our canteen Grand Opening featured a rousing game of Panoply and other Chabura based challenges and competitions.  Here too, the chabura that plays together, learns together, in the inimitable style that NCSY Kollel is renowned for.

But breaking it down even further, it was the simple sight of one on one learning and the cumulative result of an electrified and blissful Beit Medrash that was most gratifying.  Whether in our first morning preparation or at yesterday’s optional late night Mishmar program, the sounds of NCSYers learning together rang true, and presented a powerful image of the program at its best.

All of this was achieved without the benefit of our regular schedule or our full complement of learning options.  Additional great highlights were found in some of the special supplementary programs that were designed to bring the group together and introduce other key elements of NCSY Kollel.

It was a great week to be in the beautiful land of Israel!  One could easily point to our planes’ approaching the Israel shoreline and touching down in Ben Gurion airport as a climactic moment.  Without a doubt, a first night trip to the Kotel for an unforgettable maariv and a stop to reflect on the roof of Yeshivat HaKotel left an indelible impression on the NCSYers.  The beach on the Mediterranean was breathtakingly beautiful and was the first of many views that reveal the land in all its glory.  Friday in Yerushalayim is one of a kind, and it was great that we got to experience the pre Shabbos scene there.  For most, the off campus highlight was Thursday’s  NCSY Kollel Kickoff tiyul and games.  We offered 5 distinct options for all tastes and interests.  There was Softball at Kibbutz Gezer, Soccer on the practice fields of Beitar Jerusalem, Basketball in the gym, Flag Football at Kraft Stadium, a tiyul to the Stalactite Caves and a mountain biking expedition.  These options are typical of the NCSY Kollel philosophy of allowing choices whenever possible.  As a result, each group was a self-selecting and especially excited about the activity.    Moreover, breaking up into smaller groups accelerated the bonding process we have focused on all week.    No doubt this social dimension added to the overwhelmingly positive response to the day’s events.

But for me, none of these were the absolute highlight of the week.  I also do not intend to cop out and claim that all of the great happenings combined to form “one constant thrill”.  There was one moment that rose above the others, and it was at the very start of our adventure.  It was standing in the airport here in Israel and greeting your sons and our staff as they entered the arrivals hall.

I would suggest that there were two reasons why this was such a powerful scene.  First, each young man who walked through the sliding doors represented the actualization of months and months of preparation and expectations.  Names on lists were given three-dimensional form, and theoretical plans came into focus in living color.

But second, and perhaps more unique to this particular summer, this is an incredible group of NCSYers.  Individually they impress, and watching them come together for the first time as a group and community was exhilarating.  We are honored to try and provide them with the program they deserve, and to spend our summer with such a powerful representation of a very bright Jewish future.  They are diverse in many ways, and that makes their common denominators on display this summer all the more remarkable.

So that was my highlight of the week.  It was a moment that filled me with pride in our program and NCSY, and offered no small dose of hope and optimism for the future.  I thank you profusely on behalf of our staff for sharing your most valuable and beloved gifts with us.  We will do our very best with them.

We hope you are keeping up on all of our developments through the various social media.  We also greatly value your feedback, so please do not hesitate to share.

Thank you very much, and it is an honor to wish you a very great Shabbos, from the NCSY Kollel in the hills of Beit Meir, Israel.

 

Moshe Benovitz

What an amazing day!

Today the NCSYers enjoyed their first real trips of the summer!  This morning, Rabbi Sobolofsky began with the first Halacha Shiur of the summer, a short discussion about the laws regarding Birchat HaGomel.  After another morning of Seder and Shiur with their Rebbeim, Kollel departed to six(!) different, incredible trips, each NCSYer choosing to attend one of the six!  Whether it be to play softball at the beautiful Gezer field, flag football at Kraft Stadium, soccer in Jerusalem, mountain biking in Beit Shemesh, or basketball in a variety of gyms, the sports trips were as intense, fun, and exhausting as ever!  While some played sports, others opted to enjoy the beautiful tour of the Stalactite caves.  All of the trips enjoyed some free time in the mall upon completion of their tournaments, rides, and tours.

After returning to Beit Meir, the NCSYers sat down to their first full Chaburahs.  Following Chaburahs, the Kollel was privileged to welcome Rav Hershel Schachter for the summer, as well as to hear words of Torah and encouragement towards having an amazing summer from Rav Schachter.

The night was capped off with a special late night Mishmar.  The Beit Midrash remained packed into the late hours of the night by NCSYers and Madrichim alike, all continuing to learn together to end off what was an amazing first week.  While the sound of Torah being learned filled the Beit Midrash, the NCSYers were also treated to Shwarma and refreshments to enjoy as they continued to learn away.

It was an incredible first week on NCSY Kollel, and the NCSYers and staff look forward to continuing this amazing summer!

What an incredible day!!!

After an inspiring visit to the Kotel upon arrival last night, NCSYers and Madrichim awoke with  excitement and anticipation of the amazing summer that lay ahead.  After Davening and breakfast, the NCSYers attended a full orientation given by Rabbi Benovitz (Rabbi Lebowitz for second year NCSYers), where they learned the details of the exceptional Shiurim, Chaburas, trips, and sports that they will be enjoying throughout the summer.  From orientation, the NCSYers proceeded to their respective Shiur classrooms where they had the opportunity to hear words of introduction from their Rabbeim.  Each Rebbe was excited to meet their new Talmidim, and to begin forging relationships with them that will last a lifetime.

Shua Katz, one of our incredible Madrichim, and Micah Gill, an NCSYer on his second summer on Kollel, introduced our amazing Chaburah program to the entire Kollel.  They spoke of the long-lasting relationships that would be formed between NCSYers and Madrichim, the advantages to gain in each and every Chaburah, and the exciting summer that lie ahead in Beit Meir.  Each Chaburah joined for a brief introduction to their Madrich and fellow Chaburah mates.

Following a long, informative morning, Kollel was finally ready to hit the beach!  NCSYers and Madrichim enjoyed a beautiful day at the beach together, filled with both action and “chilling” for all.  Whether it be the intense football, soccer, or ultimate frisbee games being played, fun was had by all, as Madrichim and the NCSYers were afforded an opportunity to meet and get to know one another while having such a great time.

 

The first night activity was an exciting one, as Shlomo Stark introduced the second annual “Cafe Night.”  Gathered together in the dining room, Chaburas competed against one another in a thrilling game of Panoply, which included trivia questions testing the NCSYers on a variety of topics ranging from sports teams, to Gedolim pictures, to tractates of Gemara, while enjoying refreshments with their Chaburas and Madrichim.

As curfew came on NCSY Kollel, a buzz of excitement surrounded the campus knowing that this amazing, jam-packed day was only the beginning of what is sure to be the #BEST.SUMMER.EVER!!!

Today we had the privilege of welcoming your sons to Israel. That statement alone is extraordinary enough to be the cause of deep celebration and pride.  Much of Jewish history has been denied the opportunity for such an achievement.  We do not take it for granted. Of course, we did much more than welcome them to Israel.  We visited the Old City of Yerushalayim and prayed together at the Kotel.  We met a peer group of NCSYers and mentors that are second to none.  We began to speak about our opening schedule that includes introductory learning along with multiple trips to Yerushalayim, beaches, swimming, hiking, biking, basketball, hockey, flag football, soccer, and softball.  We welcomed them to Israel on a program that has already begun to give them an unforgettable experience that balances fun and meaning. Check-in to the campus was generally smooth, and the acclimation process is well under way.  We are aware of a small number of dorm issues that we are working out, but overall it was an excellent first day.  As always, we welcome your feedback and are happy to answer any questions you may have. With gratitude, Moshe Benovitz