Summer 2022

Judah Schanzer is returning to NCSY Kollel, this time as a madrich, after having participated in the Kollel in the summer of 2018 as a camper. Judah lives in New Rochelle, NY, and attended SAR for both Elementary and High School. After graduating in 2020 he went to Yeshivat Torat Shraga for two years through May 2022 and then spent June 2022 at Birchas Hatorah. In the Fall, he will be bez”h attending YU, where he plans on studying Business.

The guys in Judah’s chabura are some of the best guys around with each bringing a special ingredient to this extra-special group of shteigers. The chabura includes Avi Becker, Noam Azaguary, Josh Canner and Arei Kanguon. Avi Becker (Memphis, Cooper) is an intellectual superstar destined to become probably the first Talmid Chacham to have spent some of his childhood years in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Memphis. Noam Azaguary, (Pittsburgh, Hillel) is the man who keeps everyone on their toes both with his fascinating questions while learning and his intimidating sunglasses when playing ball. Josh Canner (Boston, Maimonides), despite being a big man with a sweet shot, is more notable for his genuine desire to learn Torah and grow in both mitzvot ben adam lamakom as well as ben adam lchavero. Finally, Arei “koolest kid in Kollel” Kangoun (Boston, Maimonides) lives up to his name by probably being the most outgoing, honest, and infectiously happy person, who also is at davening before minyan even starts almost EVERY DAY. Despite the five of us coming from different backgrounds both geographically and otherwise, we have meshed to such a great extent that we must be front-runners for “Chabura of the Year”.

This year, our Chabura learned the deep and hidden messages planted in the Shemonei Esrei by Chazal. Through learning different mekoros, from pesukim to Rishonim, we have been working on connecting to the Avodah in order to find greater meaning and strengthen our passion for Avodas Hashem. Every day, after reviewing everyone’s ball game the day before and sharing some mak’s cakes (thanks Noam), we first learn the words of the bracha. Afterwards, they go through an intriguing question or two about why the loshon of the text is the way it is. Finally through Kangoun reading pesukim and Gemera’s inside, to Avi pointing out ideas that make your brain thump, to Josh answering our original questions, we find ourselves learning a beautiful lesson about how to be better a friend, son, and Eved Hashem, only to be further uplifted by a deep philosophical discussion raised by Noam.

As we come towards the end of the summer, the Chaburah recognizes that collectively they have grown to unimaginable heights, which come with its pros and cons. On the one hand, they have gained an appreciation that if they focus on our growth, they can achieve great things, especially when working together. On the other hand, they have come to appreciate how much more they have to work and grow to fulfill the incredible potential within each of them.

Julian Kofman is loving his second summer as a madrich on NCSY Kollel. Julian grew up in Manhattan, NY, and went to SAR High School before spending a year and a half at Yeshivat Orayta. He is sad that he will soon be leaving the wonderful Kollel campus in Beit Meir, but is excited to return to Yeshiva University for his senior year.

Julian’s chabura is made up of incredible guys from all across the map. Yehuda Horowitz is from Brooklyn, NY, and goes to Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis, Tennessee. Also from Memphis is Dovid “D.R.” Wogan, who goes to “The Yeshiva” of Skokie, Illinois. Dovid is thrilled to be in Chabura with his classmate from Chicago, Shlomo Applebaum. Spicing things up even more is Netanel Polatsek from Houston Texas, a student of the Mesivta of Houston. The Chabura’s proud representative of the east coast is Avigdor Steinberg of Columbus, Ohio, who goes to Columbus Torah Academy.

Beyond the Chabura’s liveliness which is fostered by its ‘out of town’ nature, the learning and discussion that takes place is truly special. The Rambam’s Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah serves as the springboard for learning topics that are the utmost foundations of a Torah life. By dissecting primary mitzvos such as Emunah, Ahavas Hashem, and Yiras Hashem, the Chabura dives into a unique mix of Halacha and philosophy. This blend naturally sparks intelligent questions and insights from the Chabura’s thoughtful members. The discussions are kept fresh with occasional miscellaneous Chaburas on relevant topics such as Tisha B’Av, attending sports games, and Q and A.

This Chaburah has already grown tremendously together and is excited to close out the summer strong!

Not only was Isaac Schertz a rockstar as an NCSYer, but he is also currently dominating as a madrich. Born and raised in Woodmere, he boldly decided to attend Ramaz for high school. Subsequently, he spent two years in Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh; for university, he will be attending The Cooper Union, where he will be majoring in Electrical Engineering.

The boys in Schertz’s chabura are not good… they’re GREAT!! Coming in hot representing the city of Stars, Ezra Helfand (Beverlywood, Shalhevet), representing the Lions, Yisroel Kirshner (Teaneck, MTA), and Yehuda Pfeiffer (Teaneck, MTA). Lastly, from the towns, they have Jacob Ostroff (Bay Park, MAY) and Shmuel Weiss (Cedarhurst, MAY). Although the group of guys’ backgrounds is diverse, their connection and interactions with one another are inspiring. They truly represent what friendship symbolizes. The bond amongst the guys is- electric.

Throughout the summer, the young men in the Schertz squad have been on a wild ride. The theme for the summer was Mencishkeit. At first, they deeply analyzed hand-selected Mishnaots in Avot while raising profound philosophical questions that coincide with worldly views. Although Schertz mediated these sophisticated discussions by channeling the guys in the proper direction, once the debates began, the rest was history. Towards the midway point of the summer, the chabura transitioned into apotheosis topics of Jewish life. Such as, דרך ארץ, בין אדם לחברו , כיבוד אב ואם, גזל, גובה, תיפילין. They analyzed several Talmudic texts about the subject. Then they broke down the Gemara with commentaries, learned what the Halacha is, and finally discussed as a chabura on a personal level how each individual connects to this idea. Before each shabbos, the boys heard from Isaac a simple yet complex notion from the Parsha that they could apply to their lives to become the best version of themselves.

In all, through grinding in Torah, the bond amongst the Schertz squad is an eternal one. And the chabura is stoked for the final week!

Ami Mashiach is currently enjoying his fourth summer on NCSY Kollel. He attended Fasman Yeshiva High School and Sha’alvim and is attending Landers College for Men this coming year. This is Ami’s second year as a Madrich.

Ami’s chabura includes some of the best guys around: Reuven Drazin from Montreal (Hebrew Academy of Montreal), Yishai Rosenblatt from LA (YULA), Shmuel Schon from Detroit (Farber), and Yishai Shapiro from California (Southern California Yeshiva High School).

This summer, Ami’s chabura will be focusing on growing in our Bein Adam Lachaveiro. They are learning about a variety of topics including Onas Devarim, lifnei Iver, Kibud av v’em, and much, much more. The goal of the learning is to learn how to treat our chaveirim with respect.

The chaburah is vibrant, energenic and adds so much to the beis medrash. They are truly an amazing group of guys who add so much to the kollel in and out of the beis medrash.

All of this has combined for what continues to be an incredible summer!

This chaburah spotlights Yitzchok Lowy’s chaburah, which is the team to beat and hasn’t lost a game all summer.
Coming in at PG, all the way from Baltimore (TA), is Yair “the archive” Ziffer. Constantly writing notes, he can tell you anything that’s been said this summer.
At SG, also from Baltimore (TA) we got Yaakov “the fact-checker” Levenbrown. Always making sure nothing false is said during chaburahs, he contributes greatly to emes aspect of chaburahs.
At PF standing at 5’11 is the Israeli himself Adir Seiferas. Living in the holy city of Yerushalayim, Adir is making sure none of us chas v’shalom decide to live in chutz la’aretz full time.
Coming in at SF, also from Baltimore (TA), is Noam “yidius” Schulman. Always bringing raayas and questions left and right, enhancing the quality of what’s being said.
Lastly, standing at Madrich is Yitzchok Lowy. Freshly out of Shana Bet, at Yeshivat Hakotel this marks his 2nd summer on Kollel. Originally from NY, he starts his YU journey this upcoming fall.

This summer, the burah has been discussing more fundamental topics that help them grow both on and off the court. This includes the importance of happiness, simplifying why people should be keeping mitzvos in general, how we can be taking more advantage of our time, why it’s so important that we use our speech in a positive way and the value of Talmud Torah and Olam Habbah.

This chaburah has been killing it so far and hopes to keep up the good work as the summer comes to a close.

Ving Levy is back for his second summer on Kollel. After one year as a camper, this is Ving’s first summer as a madrich. Ving is from Teaneck, went to TABC, spent two years in Mevaseret, and is now in YU.

Ving’s chabura really covers the map. The dynamic duo from Texas of Cooper Sutton and Yosef Yavner are yet to be seen apart. Avi Stotland is the Vegas representative of the chabura. Hailing from the East Coast is Oliver Ferber from Bethesda Maryland in addition to Isaac Zelermyer from Boston. This core five has become tremendously close and love hanging out together.

The Beatles once said, “all you need is love,” and Ving’s chabura took that to heart, learning in depth about the topic of ואהבת לרעך כמוך. They have explored the different understandings of the term, the different applications in the Gemara, and more. Each member of the chabura provides wonderful insights daily to enhance the learning of everyone.

Ving’s chabura has had an incredible start to the summer and is looking forward to closing out strong!

Daniel Cywiak is back for his third summer on NCSY Kollel. After two summers as an NCSYer, he is now serving as a Madrich. Daniel grew up in Woodmere, NY, and attended DRS for High School. He just finished his second year in Yeshivat Sha’alvim, and he is starting his first semester at Yeshiva University this coming fall.

The guys that are in his Chaburah are Donny Langsam (Woodmere, DRS), Rafuel Mayerson (Brooklyn, MAY), Dovid Bennun (Cedarhurst, DRS), Binyamin Ritholtz (Woodmere, MAY), and Shlomo Alter (North Woodmere, DRS).

What’s unique about Daniel’s Chaburah is that although the entire chaburah is comprised of New Yorkers, each guy has their own special contribution. Whether it’s Binyamin’s humor, Dovid and Donny’s sharp questions on the Gemara, Shlomo’s quick-witted questions about Machshava, or Rafuel’s discussion-inducing shaylos, it’s everyone working together that makes this Chaburah something special. The Chaburah has learned inspiring Sugyahs about the importance of Talmud Torah and Tefillah, but also some interesting discussion-based topics like the lomdus of Shomea K’oneh.
The guys have already grown so much together, and they’re looking to finish off the summer strong!!!

Yonatan Kurz is spending his third summer in Beit Meir as a member of the NCSY Kollel, and second as a madrich, in addition to concurrently serving as Chief of PR and Head of Night Seder on the North Campus. After growing up in Teaneck and attending TABC, Yonatan spent two years in Sha’alvim, and is about to start his senior year at YU, where he is learning in Rav Rosensweig’s shiur.

Yonatan’s chabura is comprised of some incredibly talented and high-caliber guys, each of whom contributes in a unique way that bolsters the group, pushing them even further as a collective whole. Eitan Book (Bergenfield, TABC) is the Chabura Masmid and can always be relied upon, with a remarkable ability to give lucid explanations to any question. Elan Berner (New Milford, TABC) is usually able to provide a sharp insight or witticism to the conversation, ensuring that the chabura continues to move further in the topic. Shlomo Ganz (Boca Raton, KYHS) is the spark plug of the group, bringing excitement, exhilaration, and enthusiasm to the ‘bura on a daily basis that keeps them pumped for whatever is to come next. Zachy Gross (Boca Raton, KYHS) is always a step ahead of the game and can be depended upon for a profound suggestion that is often reflected by a source to be discussed later by the group. And finally, Chaim “Cash-Back” Grunhaus (Baltimore, TA) provides the glue that holds the bura together, electrifying the chevra with his charisma and engaging anecdotes.

This summer, Yonatan’s chabura is focusing on a myriad of Orach Chaim-related topics, with a special focus on Inyanei Shabbos. Over the course of these past few weeks, the group has covered a dazzling array of subjects, including “Signing Shabbos to a Long-Term Extension – A Deeper Look at מלווה מלכה,” “Bready to Start the Meal – Breaking Down the Mitzvah of לחם משנה,” and “An Aliyah A Day Keeps the מלאך המות Away – The Importance of שנים מקרא.” Using a combination of lomdus, machshava, and halacha, as well as extensive flow charts to map out the topics, the group seeks to carefully examine and analyze these commandments and ideas. Additionally, the group will often engage in an “Around the Horn” discussion where a question related to the sugya or halachic is posed and then thrown around the chabura to exhibit an impressive variety of answers. This engages the group in a lively and vibrant dialogue that, in turn, develops a nuanced understanding of the topic as a whole.

Additionally, on Shabbos, the chabura delves into different hakdamos (introductions) of various sefarim relating to the content learned during the week, including the Sugatchover Gaon’s Eglei Tal, the Chofetz Chaim’s introduction to the third cheek (section) of Mishnah Berurah, and Rav Moshe Feinstein’s Iggros Moshe, as well as a biography of their lives. This serves as a way of glimpsing into the lives of these Gedolim as well as delving into these incredible works that often fly under the radar.

All of the incredible learning and camaraderie has enabled the chabura to enjoy what can only be described as an amazing summer, with even more great things to come!

Coming from London where he attended JFS high school and then having spent 3 years in Sha’alvim, Benji Simon is loving it in his first year on NCSY Kollel as a madrich.

He couldn’t believe his luck when he met and got to know his chabura: Moshe Horn (Israel), Shuki Shafran (New York), Simcha Uretsky (LA), Shai Warso (Chicago) and Noam Abramson (LA). Apart from the incredible friendship, these guys made with each other, as if they had known each other since birth, they also pushed and inspired each other to grow in their avodas Hashem in the most positive and caring manner.

They have delved into core and fundamental topics such as ‘Onas devarim’, ‘Dan lekaf zechus’ and ‘Why we are on the planet’ which all focus on understanding how human beings work and hence how to become not only closer to Hashem but to also develop better relationships with those around you.

To say it simply, the guys have been killing it in every possible way and the summer should only get better (if that’s even possible) from here on!

Elie Burg is currently enjoying his fourth summer on NCSY Kollel. He attended MTA and Sha’alvim and is currently entering his Senior year at YU. This is Elie’s second year as a Madrich.

Elie’s chabura includes some of the best guys around: Netanel Fruchter from Cedarhurst (DRS), Gavin Esmail from Manhattan (Ramaz), Aryeh Cywiak from Woodmere (DRS), Naftali Kieffer from Boca Raton (KYHS), and Aryeh Ohayon from Hollywood (KYHS).

This summer, Elie’s chabura will be focusing on Shabbos topics and general Halachic areas from Melava Malka to making a minyan. They will be learning about a variety of topics including Melva Malka (4th seuda?), the Importance of Minyan, and much, much more. The goal of the learning is to grow learn a little and have a great time doing it.

All of this has combined for what continues to be an incredible summer!