Judah Schanzer returns to NCSY Kollel, for his third time, after having participated in the Kollel in the summer of 2018 as a camper and last summer as a madrich. 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. This past year he was learning in Yeshiva University while studying Business.
Judah’s Chabura could be the greatest group of guys ever assembled in Beit Meir. Each member of this holy Chabura bring something special to the table while all having one thing in common, great middos.
The Chabura includes Noah Rancman, Yehuda Leib Lowenbraun and Betzalel Pleeter. Noah Rancman (Cleveland, Fuchs Mizrachi) is a young leader searching for opportunities to grow and has found what he is looking for on NCSY Kollel. He is a great contributor, who stands for what he believes is right, but can also have everyone in tears laughing with one of his jokes. Yehuda Leib Lowenbraun, (Baltimore, TA) is a man who is constantly growing and striving to improve which earns the respect of all he encounters (especially his madrich), which is due in part to his understanding that growth is a challenge which requires discipline and hard work. Betzalel Pleeter (Baltimore, TA), despite being physically intimidating, could be one of least intimidating people once you speak to him as he has a gentle soul and is a high-character individual. With his positivity, he is constantly searching for growth opportunities and trying to make others happy. Similar to his Chabura last year, the guys who the Kollel have assigned to the Judah Schanzer Chabura have outshined him, leading to them being the front-runners for “Chabura of the Year”.
This year, the Chabura’s main focus is learning the beautiful pieces of the Nesivos Shalom on Shabbos. Through learning his magnificent words and understanding the deeper meaning of Shabbos, the Chabura has appreciating Shabbos more, strived to maximize the opportunity the holy day of Shabbos provides. We even call ourselves Chasidim of the Slonimer Rav zt’’l. As the chabura comes towards the end of the summer, similar to last Summer, the Chaburah recognizes that collectively we have grown to extraordinary heights, which come with its pros and cons. On the one hand, we have gained an appreciation that if we focus on our growth, we can achieve great things, especially when working together. On the other hand, we have come to appreciate how much more we have to work and grow to fulfill the incredible potential within each of us.
