Summer 2025

Ari Fenster’s inaugural summer on NCSY Kollel has been absolutely thrilling and that’s thanks to his Chaburah. A native of Riverdale, NY, Ari spent 16 years in SAR and then went on to learn in Yeshivat Sha’alvim for two years. Next year, he is excited to move on to eretz hakodesh, Washington Heights, and attend YU.

Joining him are four standout guys who bring their own strengths to the table and make the Chaburah a dynamic experience. Rallying from Monsey, NY, Nachman Genuth attends Heichal HaTorah and brings a smile on his face and charisma that lights up the group. Never afraid to ask the tough questions, Ari Vegh out of the Five Towns proudly attends MAY and always impresses with his sharp wittiness. Hailing from Baltimore, MD and attending TA, Chaim Lefkovitz charms with his swagger and smooth demeanor adding a really nice vibe for the Chaburah. Competing for king of Baltimore is Moshe Lerner who also goes to TA. Moshe always comes to Chaburah ready to tackle a sugya balanced with his subtle goofiness.

This summer the Chaburah is learning Hilchos Hanhagas Adam Baboker, exploring how a Yid starts his day according to halacha and hashkafa. From Netilas Yadayim and Asher Yatzar to Tzitzis, Birchos HaTorah, and more, they’re diving into the halachic details as well as the deeper meaning behind them.

With a crew like this and such powerful topics on the table, this Chaburah is making every morning count.

Ariel Kryzman’s summer on NCSY Kollel is off to a powerful start, and leading a Chaburah has only elevated the experience. Hailing from Teaneck, NJ, Ariel went to TABC and just finished his Shana Bet in Yeshivat Hakotel. He’s gearing up for his next chapter at Yeshiva University this coming fall, but in the meantime, he’s dedicated to making this summer the BEST. SUMMER. EVER.

Despite still having 0 Chaburah points, Ariel’s Chaburah is known to be one of the best out there. From Philadelphia come Raphael Mogyoros and Ikey Troodler, both Talmidim at the Mesivta of Philadelphia. Raphael brings sharp questions that often stump the Chaburah, keeping everyone on their toes. Ikey is a lot of fun and often treats the Chaburahs like a chess game, always 3 steps ahead. Representing Bergenfield are Yisrael Frohlich and Moshe Geffner, both from Heichal HaTorah. Yisrael is the calm before the storm, offering a peaceful balance to the group’s high energy, while Moshe brings a confident and passionate voice to every Sugyah, always holding the Chaburah to the highest of standards in its learning. Rounding out the crew is Akiva Horn from Neve Daniel, a Talmid in Shvut Yisrael, who is a tremendous Mensch, brings youthful energy, and is always ready to take the learning outdoors.

The Chaburah is diving deep into Pirkei Avos Be’Iyun, exploring the timeless wisdom of Chazal with a focus on unpacking each Mishnah with real depth and relevance. Ariel tries to ask never ending questions so that the guys in the Chaburah would give the Mishnayos real thought and offer their own ideas. The goal is to finish the summer with a much greater appreciation for the first Perek of Avos and for in-depth learning.

The Chaburah has already built something special, and they’re not done yet. Big things are still to come.

Moshe Horn is spending his 15th summer on NCSY Kollel — yes, you read that right — and somehow, this one might just be the best yet. Raised in Neve Daniel, Israel, Moshe attended Shvut Yisrael for high school and has been learning in Mercaz HaRav for the past two years, where he plans to continue next year. A true product of the Torah of Eretz Yisrael, Moshe brings a powerful mix of experience, authenticity, and deep passion to his Chaburah.

Moshe’s Chaburah this summer is a tight-knit group made up of four guys who each bring something unique and amazing to the table.

First up is Chaim Turetsky from Shaalavim, Israel, who goes to Yashlats. Chaim is quick-witted, always cracking jokes or hitting the chevra with a great line, but when it’s time to learn, he’s all in, connecting to the material and raising the level every single day. Then there’s Jacob Hanian from Edison, New Jersey. Jacob is consistent, grounded, and always a great guy to have around. He brings a quiet confidence to the Chaburah, always contributing with a relaxed vibe and a great perspective, not to mention, a serious sense of style. Next up is Jack Nordlicht from New Rochelle, NY. Jack is intense in the best way. Whether it’s the sugya or a deep hashkafa discussion, he’s fired up and fully engaged. His drive to understand and grow is infectious, and sometimes he’s more passionate than Moshe himself. And rounding it out is Dovi Tsarovsky, a fun and upbeat presence who truly enjoys the flow of Chaburah. It’s been a highlight to see his eyes light up when a beautiful idea hits just right, that spark of connection that makes the learning real and lasting.

This summer, the Chaburah is learning sugyas on Torah, Avodah, and Gemilus Chasadim, exploring how these three foundations of the world can be used to strengthen our connection to Hashem and live more meaningful lives.

With 15 summers of Kollel energy fueling it, this Chaburah is one for the books, and they’re only getting started.

If you believe in G-d, you understand that some things are simply meant to be. It doesn’t matter what is taking place in the world, whether it be wars, forest fires, rockets, ballistic missiles, airport closures, or nuclear threats. It doesn’t matter how many times man has scrupulously planned, abandoned those plans, and developed ever more elaborate backup plans and safety options. When something is meant to be, G-d’s laughter ultimately thunders down upon us, unperturbed and unconcerned. A couple of weeks ago, this defiant laughter took the form of an unassuming email from NCSY Summer stating that “our Israel groups will fly on their scheduled days.” With this email, it became clear that NCSY Kollel 2025 was meant to be, and Yitzchak Hagler couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it!!

A resident of Bergenfield, NJ, Yitzchak attended MTA for high school, and he has followed that up with three years at Yeshivat Sha’alvim. Next year, Yitzchak plans to return to Washington Heights to begin his studies at Yeshiva University. This is Yitzchak’s second summer on NCSY Kollel, and his goal in Chaburahs this year is to explore different areas of Torah—Machshavah, Parshah, Lomdus, Mussar, and Halacha—and encounter the depth and sophistication present within each of them.

As privileged as Yitzchak feels to be on NCSY Kollel in Israel this year, he’s even more excited that he gets to spend the summer with an awesome Chaburah of six amazing guys. So without further ado, let’s meet the Chaburah.

First up, we have Simmy Baum. Simmy lives in Bergenfield, NJ, and he attends Heichal Hatorah. Simmy is a true masmid, eager to learn and to do it with a smile. If anyone is looking to sponsor Mak’s cakes for someone, Simmy is your guy. Next, we cross over two bridges to Yonah Herrmann, a product of North Woodmere and DRS. Yonah gets along with everyone, and he is a model of consistency in davening and learning, always showing up to Chaburahs ready to learn and participate. Staying in the DRS greenhouse, our next Chaburah member is Moshe Kagan of Woodmere. Ever since he took the lead in the Chaburah acappella challenge in the beginning of the summer, Moshe has found his niche in the Chaburah as the one always ready with an insight in learning or a funny reference. Moshe also made his mark with a dominant Chaburah Jeopardy performance which fell just short based on a questionable call from the referee. Next up is Adin Lopin, a student of MTA hailing from Brooklyn. Ever thoughtful, Adin contributes to the Chaburah with his insightful and persistent questions. An avid chess player, we know that Adin will represent the Chaburah well in the NCSY Kollel chess tournament. We then travel back to New Jersey for Bentzi Tabaczynik, a resident of Bergenfield and student at Heichal Hatorah. Bentzi pulls the Chaburah together with his fun demeanor, and he can often be found in the Beis Medrash late at night learning Sefarim of nigleh and nistar. We are ever grateful to Bentzi for providing the Chaburah with its first Chaburah points, and his dominant performance in Chaburah basketball lives on in the Mak’s cakes it was supposed to earn. Rounding out the Chaburah, we have Mosher Tokayer, another Brooklyn-based MTA lion. After acting as the brains behind an imaginative Chaburah picture early in the summer, Moshe has continued to be right on the money with his questions and insights in Chaburah, and he can often be found in intense discussion about important topics in Machshavah and Hashkafah.

All in all, this Chaburah has a quality and depth which is truly unmatched, and so far they have been having an amazing summer. If NCSY Kollel in Israel this summer was meant to be, Yitzchak’s Chaburah has made it their mission to make the most of it.

Meir Lanner’s third summer on NCSY Kollel (his first as a madrich) has been absolutely incredible. Meir is from Boca Raton, Florida and is a proud alum of Katz Yeshiva High School. He just spent his last two years learning and growing in Yeshivat Sha’alvim. He is now headed to continue on his journey to Ner Yisroel.

Meir’s Chaburah isn’t just like any other Chaburah. From four completely different places on the map, all gathered together to form an all-time squad. וקבצנו יחד מארבע כנפות הארץ. Yakir Schwartz from Chicago, Illinois, who attends Fasman Yeshiva High School, brings a positive mood and locked-in mentality every day ready to learn and have a great time. Akiva Goldfischer from Bergenfield, New Jersey, a student at Heichal Hatorah, adds thoughtful contributions and deep observations to every discussion. Baruch Flamholz from Beit Shemesh, a talmid at Ahavat Yisrael, adds a wonderful point of view and vibe and energy to the group. Ari Solomon from Silver Spring, Maryland, a bachur at Berman Hebrew Academy, brings a light and curious mentality always searching for answers.

This summer, Meir’s Chaburah has had the unique opportunity to learn many different sugyos across all of Yiddishkeit, ranging from mitzvos bein adam l’chaveiro all the way to mitzvos bein adam l’Makom and anything in between. Most Chaburahs start off with an interesting intro or discussion question so everyone can share their ideas and thoughts, then delve deep into the sugya itself.

With such a strong start and incredible chevra, this Chaburah is only just getting started.

Noah Krup’s first summer as a madrich on NCSY Kollel has been filled with learning, laughs, and real connection. Hailing from Woodmere, Noah is a proud DRS alum, spent two years learning in Aish Gesher, and is now continuing his growth in Yeshivas Sh’or Yoshuv. Being part of a team driven by Torah values and strong hashkafa has made this experience especially meaningful.

Noah’s Chaburah is a dynamic trio with great chemistry and even better energy. Gavriel Mirkin, from Baltimore and a student at TA, is a real, genuine guy who brings honesty and good vibes to every conversation. Joseph “Mojo” Voskovsky, from Miami and attending Ohr HaTorah, mixes deep thinking with a great sense of humor, always ready with a sharp idea or a sharp one-liner. Eliyahu “Yahu” Greenberger, from Chicago and repping Fasman Yeshiva, adds thoughtful questions and a helpful, grounded presence.

Together, they’ve been diving into the world of tefillah, exploring the hashkafa behind Shemoneh Esrei and the depth of our mesorah.

They say every tefillah counts, and with this group, so does every minute. The best is yet to come.

Noam Kornwasser’s second summer on Kollel (first as madrich) this year has been one full of unreal tiyulim, great vibes, Meat lunches, and unbelievable learning thanks to his Chaburah. All the way from Teaneck, NJ, Noam has been a devoted member to the Teaneck family for his entire life. He didn’t want to spend too much time in Teaneck so spent 4 years in the heights at MTA, and 2 years at Mevaseret, the largest NCSY Kollel feeder, and is beginning his years at YU this coming fall.

Noam’s Chaburah consists of four very holy Yidden. Hailing from Flushing, NY, we got Binyamin Mandelbaum, proud talmid of MTA, keeping the Chaburah in check from beginning to end and ensuring Noam is aware of his spelling mistakes in the Chaburah packets. We got Mikey Roth, esteemed bochur of Yeshiva Toras Chaim, from Hollywood, Florida, reminding us that the Tri-state area isn’t the only place in the world and showing up with top notch energy day after day. Speaking of the Tri-state area we got Mo Max, proud Lion of YUHSB, always on his game absolutely killing the riddle competition putting everyone else to shame. Last but most certainly not least we got David Felsenthal, a proud Heichal Hornet from Bergenfield, NJ, always making everyone else look like they got no sense of fashion, and if you need to know when Bennys is coming just ask Dave.

This summer Noam’s Chaburah is practicing being a beis din. Every day we are presented with some very exciting, strange, but very complex halachic dilemmas that we work together as a team to learn through the relevant sugyas and give a psak Halacha together as a beis din.

Noam’s Chaburah has really had an incredible time this summer so far. Not only in the Beis have they been electric, but on every single tiyul and Kollel activity. We all look forward to seeing what this Chaburah has in store for Klal Yisroel in the coming years.

Avi Sudwerts grew up in Passaic, NJ (aka P-Town), attended Heichal HaTorah, just finished his Shana Bet in Yeshivat Sha’alvim, and is taking his talents to YU next year. This is Avi’s second summer on Kollel — and like aged wine, it just keeps getting better. (Also, Avi’s getting a little uncomfortable writing this paragraph about himself.)

Avi’s Chaburah consists of some serious ballers — and they’re also pretty good at basketball. There are some iconic combos out there: cookies and cream, PB&J, Kobe and Shaq… but who knew the Heichal x HANC connection could be this electric?! First up is Leo Brandler from West Hempstead, NY (HANC), probably the most calm and chill guy you’ll ever meet. Then there’s Noah Feldman from Plainview, NY (also HANC), always ready to learn and grow, and always putting the Chaburah first. From Springfield, NJ, we’ve got Eytan Smilow (Heichal), hands down the funniest guy around — always bringing the energy and keeping everyone laughing. Rounding out the squad is Akiva Jacoby from Teaneck, NJ (Heichal), best baller in the camp. You heard it here first.

This summer, Avi’s Chaburah is focused on living the Jewish calendar — not just going through the motions, but internalizing each moment and fully breathing Yiddishkeit.

With this crew and this mission, the Chaburah is making every day count — and there’s no telling how high they’ll climb by summer’s end.

Ephraim Shmidman is living it up this year on NCSY Kollel. Whether it’s dropping buckets on the basketball court or dishing out dimes of Torah in the Beis, this summer has been nothing short of exhilarating. Born in Mountain Brook, Alabama, Ephraim brings a healthy dose of Southern hospitality to every Chaburah. After moving to Bala Cynwyd, PA, he became a proud part of what he calls the greatest Jewish community in the world. Ephraim attended Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia, The Mesivta High School of Greater Philadelphia, and spent two impactful years at Yeshivat Sha’alvim. He’s heading to Yeshiva University this coming year.

Ephraim’s Chaburah is truly one of a kind. Bringing together four guys from three different schools could have been a challenge — but this crew clicked instantly. As the saying goes, “teamwork makes the dream work.”

First up is Mordechai “Mort” Zachter from Bergenfield, NJ (Heichal HaTorah). Mort is hands-down one of the funniest people you’ll meet. His upbeat personality fills the Chaburah with constant laughter and good vibes — and behind the jokes is a sharp thinker who brings real Torah to the table. Eytan Erez from Baltimore (Yeshivas Mekor Chaim) moves with speed and grace — both on the ice rink and in the Beis. Whether it’s tech know-how or Torah insights, Eytan brings quick wit and focused energy to every Chaburah, always contributing with clarity and confidence. Dovi Kaplitt, from Livingston, NJ (Heichal HaTorah), is a top-tier golf player and an even better Torah thinker. His boundless imagination and thought-provoking questions constantly push the group to deeper discussion. Dovi’s passion for learning and standing up for what he believes is truly inspiring. Last but not least, Moshe Trump from the Five Towns (Mesivta Ateres Yaakov) is a creative force with a thoughtful approach to everything. Whether reading Gemara inside or dominating Chaburah trivia, Moshe blends lightheartedness with laser focus, and his wise, calculated input is always appreciated.

This summer, Ephraim’s Chaburah is exploring a wide range of practical topics — from whether to wear Tzitzis while playing sports to the importance of being an active part of your community (not being Poresh Min HaTzibbur).

Despite their geographical and hashkafic diversity, this Chaburah has come together in the most powerful way — creating an atmosphere of serious growth, great conversation, and incredible memories. One thing’s for sure: this Chaburah isn’t done yet — and the best is still to come.

From camper to Jr. Madrich to Madrich to Assistant Head Madrich, this is Ezra Schechter’s fourth summer on NCSY Kollel — and you can feel it in every corner of the Beis. Ezra has grown up through Kollel, and now he’s helping the next generation do the same. Coming from Bergenfield by way of MTA, two years in Sha’alvim, and now YU, Ezra brings a unique combo of Torah passion, emotional depth, real relationships, and a contagious drive to grow.

This summer, Ezra is leading a top-tier group in a Chaburah called “Guide to Growth.” The name isn’t just catchy — it’s the mission. This Chaburah is about asking the questions that matter and using Torah to guide real-life personal growth: How do I grow? What does it mean to be all in for Hashem? How can I be confident even when I’ve messed up? Is it okay to serve Hashem when I’m not feeling it? What role do emotions like love and simcha play in Avodas Hashem? What if I struggle with Torah or Tefillah — how can I still grow? Through honest discussions, deep sugyas, and a lot of laughter along the way, Ezra’s Chaburah is building a powerful foundation in Torah and life.

Let’s meet the squad: Benny Dayan from YULA is the grill master of the Chaburah. He brings the heat both in the kitchen and in the Beis, with thoughtful ideas and a taste for good conversation. Akiva Nagel, also repping YULA and LA, has the unique talent of getting very into the discussion very quickly — and making everyone else want to do the same. The man shows up fired up and ready to learn, and somehow makes every Chaburah more fun and more real at the same time. Dovid Ratzersdorfer, coming in from TABC and Bergenfield, balances razor-sharp Torah insights with elite-level hockey skills. Whether he’s shooting questions in shiur or goals on the court, Dovid’s intensity and depth add a lot to the Chaburah’s vibe. Aaron Edell from Heichal HaTorah is a budding guitar legend, a solid baller, and a great guy to learn with. He brings great energy, great Torah, and is one of the most chilled-out serious learners you’ll meet this summer. Moshe Goldenberg, also from Heichal, is technically Aaron’s guitar rebbe, but he’s also the comic relief of the group — and somehow one of the deepest thinkers too. His jokes hit, his questions hit harder, and when he drops a vort, everyone listens.

Together, this crew from LA and Bergenfield, Heichal and YULA and TABC, has built something special — a Chaburah that’s deep, thoughtful, and actually a ton of fun. But more than that, they’ve built a space of trust, friendship, and real growth — where guys can ask big questions, explore Torah honestly, and support each other in becoming the best versions of themselves.