Summer 2017

David Sperber is from Randolph, New Jersey, went to Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Tzion, and is currently learning by Rav Eliyahu Soloveitchik shlita at Lander College for Men. This is his third year on the NCSY Kollel, his first as a Madrich. When not giving Chaburah or learning with guys b’chavrusa, he can be found with NCSYers all around the Yerushaliyim area, acting as the Kollel’s mini-tiyul extraordinaire!

David’s Chaburah this summer is stacked with a super smooth line-up of young men, including Bibi Ancselovics (DRS), Raymond Dusi (Mitzpe Yericho), Mikael Emsalem (Florida), Yhonaton Greenberg (Rambam), and Gavi Zahler (DRS). They have been learning all about the meaning of Shabbos via its positive mitzvos such as hachana for Shabbos, kabbalas Shabbos, zechiras Shabbos and more. Somehow, these topics emerged out of a debate: is one who throws a terrorist (rodef) off a bridge and thereby demolishes a car down below chayav to pay for the damages? What’s the connection? Ask the Chaburah members!

Outside of Chaburah time, the group has gone to Café Rimon’s Friday Buffet, has had post-tisch-tisch’s on the various in-Shabbosim, and (possibly) plans to have a musical performance…stay tuned!

Overall, the summer has been filled with a lot of Torah, jokes, and fun, and the Chaburah looks forward to the second half!

This summer marks Zvi Kaminetzky’s fifth on NCSY Kollel, but his very first as a Madrich. Zvi lives in Teaneck NJ, went to TABC, and just finished his Shana Bet at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh.

Zvi leads a true all-star group of guys in his Chaburah. Effie Klein lives in West Hempstead, NY and attends Rambam Mesivta, along with Yitzy Lisker, who lives in Queens, NY. Moshe Schachter, taking after his beloved Madrich, lives in Teaneck, NJ and attends TABC. For our out-of-town contingent: Ezra Pomper lives in Miami, FL and attends Yeshivat Toras Chaim. Finally, Yisrael Wiener lives in Memphis, TN (in a house, not a farm) and attends Cooper Yeshiva High School.

This summer, Zvi’s Chaburah is delving into an array of different “Shas Sugyas,” analyzing concepts in “Osek BiMitzvah Patur Min HaMitzvah,” and “Zeh Neheneh ViZeh Lo Chaser,” to name a few.

Zvi is looking forward to leading his crew to enormous heights this summer, and it looks like they’re already on their way.

Our third of four full tiyul days of the summer was a little different, being that we are currently in the nine days.  For that reason, our four options, while still exciting, were somewhat more serious and educational, and certainly lacked some of the intensity of our hikes, for example, but they were nevertheless enjoyed by all.

The first tiyul option was the fan-favorite Gedolim Tour, led by our very own Rav Gordon.  This inspiring tour took NCSYers around Yerushalayim to visit an all-star list of Gedolim, including Rav Asher Weiss, Rav Gedalia Finkel, and the Mevakshei Emunah Rebbe, as well as touring two of the largest Batei Medrash in the world, the Mir Yeshiva and the Belz “Beis Hamikdash”.

The second option was the Tunnel Tours option.  NCSYers on this tiyul enjoyed a virtual reality Kotel tour before heading underground for the famous Kotel Tunnel Tours.  They then got a tour of Machon Hamikdash, where they saw many keilim that are said to be those of the third Beis Hamikdash, and they ended with the exciting Chizkiyahu Water Tunnels in Ir David.

The Sderot Tiyul took NCSYers on a powerful tour of Sderot, a town right on the border of Gaza that is constantly being bombarded with rockets.  They saw rocket-proof playgrounds, various locations of rockets falling, and the famous Yeshivat Hesder, as well as a lookout point that provided a close-up view of the Gaza border.

The final tiyul was the Gush Tiyul, although many are dubbing it the “Food Tiyul,” paying homage to a similar tiyul from previous summers with that name.  NCSYers visited a farm on the way to the Gush where they milked goats and made their own cheese.  This was followed by hot pretzel-making in Pas B’Melach before finally arriving in the Gush Etzion area.  Once there, they watched an informative video describing the founding of Kfar Etzion before the Independence War in 1948, after which they paid a visit to the memorial for Gilad, Eyal, and Naftali at the bus stop at which the three boys were kidnapped.

All four options met up in one of the holiest cities in Israel, Chevron, where they had dinner and got to daven Maariv inside the Me’aras Hamachpeilah, including a few pre-Maariv songs and a speech from Rabbi Lebowitz.

All of the tiyulim certainly helped capture the tone of the nine days while still being enjoyable for everyone, and they were no doubt a great segway back into tomorrow’s regular schedule, which is set to include the second half of the 3-on-3 tournament, some all-star games, and Staff vs NCSYer dodgeball!

Noam Posner is returning to NCSY Kollel after a four-year hiatus since being an NCSYer on the program his post-tenth grade summer. Originally from Seattle, WA and now living in Los Angeles, CA, Noam went to YULA for high school and is entering his third year studying at Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh in Israel.

Noam’s Chaburah consists of five of Kollel’s finest: Tzvi Berger from Cedarhurst, NY; Yoni Ciment from West Hempstead, NY; Akiva Gluck from Woodmere, NY; Jonathan Malove from Aventura, FL; and Rory Meyerson from Scottsdale AZ. For the first eight days, the Chaburah was not at full strength as they all eagerly awaited the arrival of Tzvi Berger, but Baruch Hashem they are now all here and have hit the ground running.

The Chaburah has been focusing on the reasoning behind why we do mitzvos and how specifically they connect us to Hashem, and now they are moving on to different ideas behind why we put on tefillin and wear tzitzis and exploring exactly what they represent. With a healthy balance between chilling, learning, and discussion, they are hoping to make things as enjoyable and interesting as possible, while having everyone contributing and being involved. As each day passes, the Chaburah is growing together and becoming even more of a tight knit group, and they are very excited to see what the rest of the summer has in store!

Many believe that the NCAA’s “March Madness” college basketball tournament is the biggest and most thrilling basketball tourney of the year.  Those who have ever heard of NCSY Kollel, however, know that Kollel’s annual 3-on-3 Tournament truly takes the cake.

Shortly after morning shiur this morning, the campus became abuzz with predictions and excitement as brackets were pored over and every person on the program was seen with a different colored t-shirt around their neck.  At 3:00 sharp(ish), after what was surely a very lively hour of Chaburahs, the basketball courts came alive with basketballs, slushies, and a rainbow of teams.  With 84 teams in the advanced bracket and 29 teams in the intermediate bracket, nonstop action was taking place wherever you looked between the hours of 3:00 and 7:00 PM.  With free slushies, popcorn, and cotton candy provided by Mak’s Cakes in the center parking lot between the courts, it was truly a festival to behold.  We finished the day having moved deep into the third and fourth rounds of the tournament, with the rest of the tournament planned for Wednesday’s sports period, tomorrow’s tiyul day giving tired players a much-needed day of rest before then.  A big thank you to Yeshiva University for sponsoring today’s tournament as they do every year.

The excitement for the day wasn’t over, though.  Maariv was immediately followed by the bittersweet departure of Rav Schachter, shlita, after three amazing and inspiring weeks of hosting him in our Beis Medrash.  The members of the Kollel danced him out of the Beis Medrash and sent him off to the airport.  The night came to a close with a siyum by Meir Yaakov Sobolofsky, accompanied by schnitzel and popper sandwiches from the Sack Shack, the hot food department of Yummy’s.

We’re looking forward to four amazing options for tomorrow’s 9-Days Tiyul!

Matthew Wexler is returning for his second summer on the NCSY Summer Kollel, his first as a Madrich. From Teaneck, NJ, Matthew attended TABC for high school, followed by two years in Yeshivat Sha’alvim in Israel, and he is excited to begin Yeshiva University in the fall. His post-11^th grade Chaburah consists of the six greatest NCSYers nation (world)-wide: Eric Abrahams from Boynton Beach, FL; Gavi Arnell, Dean Glover, and Zach Gray, all hailing from Las Vegas, NV; Ben Mizrachi from Vancouver, BC; and last but not least, Ari Rosenthal from Santa Rosa, CA (“Where cows outnumber people 5:2”).

This cross-country Chaburah has a diverse range of personalities, and after a few short weeks, their growth as both individuals and as a Chaburah is tangible. Together, they are learning about the various Mitzvos in the Torah, from Tefillah to Talmud Torah to Chesed. The conversations during Chaburah, though, span far greater than the particular Mitzvah being discussed, while they touch on a range of topics in Jewish philosophy and Halachah.

The Chaburah enjoys learning, chilling, and doing whacky things with each other both inside and outside of the Beis Medrash. They have already bonded over late-night chills (obviously involving great food), competition,s and tons of laughter, and the fun they have together is only on the rise. Matthew and his Chaburah are looking forward to continued success and awesomeness in the coming weeks!

Shai Kaminetzky is enjoying his seventh summer in NCSY Kollel, and his third as a Madrich. Shai, from Teaneck, NJ, went to MTA, followed by two years in KBY, and he is now entering his senior year in YU. Meshulam takes a lot of pride in being the only Madrich on the program who is a former champion of both the basketball leagues and 3 on 3 tournament here on the Kollel.

Shai’s Chaburah is comprised of six incredibly awesome NCSYers. Ben Antosofsky and Binyomin Schulhof both are from Teaneck and go to TABC.  Ephraim Landa and Eitan Warburg both hail from the Teaneck Area (shoutout to Bergenfield!) and go to MTA. Then to our out-of-town, and of course nicer, contingent of the Chaburah. We have Kalev Aranoff from LA, and he attends YULA, and Avi Samter from Modiin, Israel, and he attends Yeshivat Lapid. Together, these six guys have already gelled into one unit and look forward to accomplishing special things throughout the summer.

What makes Shai’s Chaburah particularly unique is that the learning is driven by the six great guys listed above. Each of their wide-ranging topics is essentially split into two. On the first day, the Chaburah focuses on tapping into their potential and building their confidence in delving into the texts hands-on. By reading the Gemaras straight from the text, and guided by the sheets and questions prepared by Shai, the six guys can really see themselves build their skills and excitement for learning every day. In the second session, the seven of them zoom out and look at the previous day’s topic in a broader bird’s eye view of the topic and its context in the rest of the Torah. Some of these topics include yeharaig v’al ya’avor and embarrassing someone publicly,  lifnei iver, dealing with machlokes in Halacha, and going shopping for an answer.

This Chaburah has already learned and grown together and can’t wait for the amazing four weeks ahead!

Before diving headfirst into a second half filled with tiyulim, 3-on-3’s, and more importantly, the 9 days and Tisha B’Av, the members of NCSY Kollel experienced a weekend of connection with each other, connection with Eretz Yisrael, and connection with Klal Yisrael.

Friday morning saw an early shacharis at 8:00, followed by buses into Yerushalayim, where Chaburahs were given money to spend on their own personal kiddush for Shabbos.  Many others opted to stay on campus for a later 8:45 shacharis and free time for rest, learning, and ball.  Everyone boarded the buses at 3:00 PM to make their way to the Old City of Yerushalayim, where we would spend Shabbos at Yeshivat Hakotel.

Aside from the amazing bonding and enjoyment that NCSYers experienced with each other over the course of the Shabbaton and its programming, this Shabbos most certainly inspired a sense of connection to Eretz Yisrael, and particularly Yerushalayim, for many who attended.  Between Kabalas Shabbos at the Kotel led by Rabbi Cohen, a tisch at the Kotel led by Rav Horn, optional vatikin shacharis at the Kotel, Rav Horn’s tour of the Old City, and simply the amazing Kotel views seen from the Hakotel Beis Medrash, it was impossible not to feel inspired by and in awe of the Old City and the Kotel.  Shabbos ended with free time in the Rova before everyone headed back to Beit Meir.

Today had a bit of a somber mood to it.  Throughout the day, nobody could help but think about the terrible terrorist attack that had taken place in Israel over Shabbos.  At 5:00, after a shortened day of learning and sports, the post-11th Graders and CIT’s boarded buses to attend the levaya of the victims of the attack, while everyone else remained on campus to hear a powerful speech by Rav Turetsky.  While certainly devastating, there was a tangible feeling of unity and connection to our fellow Jew that was felt throughout the Kollel today, something that, while obviously unplanned for, complemented the feelings we felt over Shabbos.

As we enter the 9 days, we hope to take these feelings with us and channel them positively into our learning and everything else that we will iy”h enjoy moving forward.

In major golf tournaments, some of the middle rounds of competition are referred to as “Moving Day.” The early moments of play are more about getting settled and over nerves. The last day of golf is about closing out and finishing strong. It is those middle rounds when the action and highest degree of change takes place. Moving Day.

Our most obvious manifestation of movement was also the most tangible. This week’s NCSY Kollel schedule was, quite literally, all over the map. NCSY Kollel is a most active place, all the more so for what is essentially still a learning program. There is constant motion and energy. We try to get the NCSYers out as often as possible, to experience the beauty of the land, and to exhilarate in a way that more stationary events cannot.

This week’s Tuesday mega-tiyul was a perfect example of this. From bungee jumping to water parks, and from ice cream to schwarma – there was a great buzz and enthusiasm throughout. The grand finale of the trip was at the new Kineret “AquaKef” park. The picturesque setting and over the top fun will leave a lasting impression on all of the NCSYers. All of these trips were complemented by a full range of mini-tiyulim during our “regular” on-campus days. These mini-tiyulim included flag football at Kraft Stadium, the Jerusalem Museum of Music, the Stalactite Caves outside of Beit Shemesh, soccer, and bowling. All of these options were supplemented by another round of morning shiur educational trips, which included visits to the Aish HaTorah world campus, the renowned Shalva care facility, and an Israel Advocacy session at Mitzpe Yericho. And of course, today (Friday) there were chaburah trips to Jerusalem for Shabbos preparation in the incomparable Israeli Friday atmosphere. If you’re not out of breath yet, please remember that even our campus days are a whirlwind. Consider the 20+ daily league games, all coordinated in a constant hum of summer fun. These leagues have never been better, with competitive games and an infectious spirit. Movement.

Why is this so critical? Beyond the inherent value of good fun and happy faces, these experiences serve the purpose of opening up the minds of the NCSYers. A good friend who runs a biking club for youth in Israel once commented to me that most every important educational message and value that can be communicated in a classroom can be better communicated under a tree on a mountain after a challenging ride. We believe this to be so. Evening prayers on the shores of Tiberias as night falls are simply a different experience than any davening in even the most impressive of standard structures. Conversation and exchanges on the courts after a big game can unite in a way that regular dialogue falls short. And classes about the sanctity of Jerusalem that are delivered while overlooking Jerusalem are much more effective than those that rely on imagination and speculation.

Of course, when we speak of movement on the NCSY Kollel, it goes far beyond physical activity. Our “Moving Day” describes the extraordinary growth and maturation that marks the NCSY Kollel experience.

Nowhere is this more evident than in our new Mechina program. Many of us watched the extraordinary video produced last week, and there is not much more that can be added to those wonderful images and descriptions. The mechina phenomenon was mirrored this week in our two day interaction with our welcome guests from TJJ Ambassadors. This program is an elite touring and leadership training opportunity for NCSYers attending public high schools across North America. They spend two days of immersive study in our Beis Medrash. Together with our own Mechina NCSYers, they represent the very best in inspirational growth. Both the TJJers and Mechina students are the greatest of role models for the entire program. At its core, NCSY is an organization of unrivaled dynamism and growth. There is a healthy and gentle push towards self improvement and stronger Jewish identitiy. There is nothing stagnant about the NCSY or NCSY Kollel experiences, and this is true about both the programming and learning. It’s a reversal of the all-too-common “Groundhog Day” effect, and perfectly matches the mentality and ambitions of our NCSYers.

There are additional motivators to our movements. One especially powerful influence is exerted by our remarkable Rabbinic leadership team. This week was actually something of a rarity for us, as the calendar allowed for Rav Schachter, Rav Sobolofsky, and Rav Twersky to be with us all at the same time. They were a constant presence and source of guidance and direction. Rav Yonason Sacks spent three full sensational days this week learning and teaching in our Beis Medrash as well. There is a seamless flow from these leaders to the rest of our Rebbe staff, our special guests like Rabbi Lavi Greenspan (who spends a full month with us) and our incredible team of madrichim and support staff. They inspire growth in two ways. First, they provide an almost magnetic pull towards greater righteousness and commitment. Their powerful personal example spurs growth in very special ways. Second, they don’t just model good behavior; they also model real growth. Each staff member is an active participant himself in our learning program. Their investment in their own growth is exemplified by our robust and impressive ongoing staff training program. This week included four world class sessions for our staff, offered by our own Rav Yehuda Turetsky, Rabbi Dr. Alex Mondrow (NCSY Summer’s resident mental health professional), Rav Yonason Sacks, and Rav Berel Wein. The staff were particularly spellbound by Rav Wein’s presentation, and we hope to share a recording with the greater community shortly. A madrich on our program is constantly changing, evolving, and growing alongside the NCSYers. The created effect is a wonderful motivation to the entire group.

If we can stretch the theme a bit further, we are happy to report another exciting first on the NCSY Kollel. After years of wistful discussion, we finally created the first group of the NCSY Kollel Choir! Wow. Their practices alone have enhanced our time here, and their debut official performance will take place over Shabbos in the Old City. I may not have expertise in all etymologies or music history, but it seems most appropriate to us here that musical compositions are often referred to as “movements.” Exactly. Much in the same way as the Galil sunset described above, the soundtrack of a summer on NCSY Kollel spurs growth and development in very meaningful ways. Regardless of an NCSYer’s voice quality or prior interest, it is hard not to be moved by the song and spirit that accompanies our most every move.

Perhaps most poignantly, “movement” as a dominant theme was expressed this week as we began to develop the deepest of connection with the past and future of the city of Jerusalem. Always central to our hearts and prayers, it also took center stage on our program and summer jouney. “Next year in Jerusalem” is a most apt rallying cry for NCSY Kollel. We are not just moving or in a frenzied state of flux. There is focused motion and progression. Always, we move towards Jerusalem. This week we enjoyed an incredible Leil Iyun (Night of Learning) that focused on our NCSYers’ relationship with the city, ancient and modern. The insights and understanding completely captivated the group who were in rapt attention as Rav Blachman and Rav Taragin (in one session) and Rav Bronfeld and Rav Burg (in a second) expounded on themes of Jerusalem and challenged us to think and connect like never before. Rav Twersky provided a powerful endnote to the proceedings. One would have to see to believe the level of participation and engagement demonstrated throughout by the NCSYers.

What could be more fitting then, but to end our week by ascending to Jerusalem. The movements continue as we head to our Shabbaton in the Old City and continue to lay claim to a place and a legacy that informs greatly on all our growth.

We can’t wait to share with you great reports of our weekend and beyond!

Safe travels to you and yours, and wishing you a great Shabbos from Jerusalem!

Moshe Benovitz

Maury Rosenfeld is bravely and boldly enjoying his first summer ever on NCSY Kollel! After finishing DRS Yeshiva High School, Maury spent two wonderful years in the incubator at Shaalvim, where he decided to carry the torch of his avodas Hashem to the NSCY Summer Kollel to give Chaburah to five amazing incoming eleventh graders.

The Chaburah (dubbed officially as “The ‘Burah”) is going through various famous contemporary Halachic Responsa; this allows the ‘Burah to gain in both Halchic limud and in Jewish History. The study of these Respona have allowed for the entire Chaburah to have highly engaging – and at times intense – dialogue and debate about a particular opinion in the sugyah.

Dovid Boim, a silent but deadly component of the Chaburah’s halachic investigation, is often coming up with answers early in the discussion on his own that we later find are brought down by the poskim we discuss. His logical foresight is seen in parallel on the court as well, where Dovid absolutely dominates the low post. With G-d’s help, Dovid will be returning to Woodmere, NY and DRS with a sharp mind that can foresee the path of the sugyah and keep ruling the paint.

Shua Hackel, another DRS bachur from Cedarhurst, is quick to challenge the psak from a logical level. Shua’s thirst for answers powers the Chaburah, allowing them to push through even when the AC isn’t working as well as we’d like. Outside of the Beis, Shua is either running the show on the court or running the chill with the squad – his unique collection of Nike DriFit hats gives him the edge in whichever field he may be active.

Yoel Rahmani from Mestiva Ateres Yaakov (our third Five Towns boy!!) brings the highly important chill aspect to the ‘Burah. Often times, while the Chaburah is engaged in a heated discussion, Yoel brings them back down to their senses with a logic-based question – Yoel’s vast curiosity allows the Chaburah the amazing opportunity to expand the discussion and topic to points they’d otherwise miss out on. As of press time, Yoel is leading all post-10th graders in points per game in basketaball.

Yonatan Katz and Joseph Segal, both representing the Garden State, from Bergenfield and East Brunswick respectively, provide the important core to the Chaburah. Yonatan and Joe, the ‘Burah’s only dual athletes, add an excitement and seriousness that provides the Chaburah with nothing less than a sheer opportunity to learn. Their excitement inspires the Chaburah to be engaged, and their questions prove to be challenges to the logical thought process of the entire group. Their prowess on both courts certainly turns heads as well.

While not pounding it out in the Beis, the ‘Burah enjoys ball, slushies, chilling, and going on the amazing tiyulim that the Summer Kollel has to offer.

The ‘Burah is currently enjoying the Best Summer Ever.