July 2016 - Page 2 of 3

Learning, Activities, Trips, and More!

WOW what a packed day we had on Michlelet today!

We learned, celebrated two birthdays, had amazing activities including pool, tye-dye, baking and aerobics, just to name a few! Over 60 girls came on optional trip to the Bar Kochva caves where we crawled through the dark cave with our flashlights and songs!

We heard an amazing speech from Mrs. Schoonmaker, and ended off the night with a thrilling game of GLOW IN THE DARK DODGEBALL in the gym!!!

We’re happy from a very fun and full day in camp and we cannot wait for our full day tiyulim tomorrow!!!!

Stay tuned and remember to check out our pictures!

Chaburah Spotlight: Eliana Hammer

Eliana Hammer is from Woodmere, NY, and is currently a junior at Stern College where she is studying biology. She went to SKA high school for girls, then spent a year in Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim. Eliana is excited to be able to teach torah and inspire those around her during her first summer on Michlelet!!

The girls in Eliana’s Chabura are Ariella Seidemann (Lawrence, NY), Malkie Bugayer (Woodmere, NY), Shevy Alhadeff (Seattle, Washington), and Aviva Stieglitz (Philadelphia).

Eliana’s chaburah is based on the Rambam’s principle of “shvil hazahav”-the golden path. We discover the proper balance of each middah by comparing two people in tanach. Whether we define the middah of gevurah by comparing Shimshon and Yitzchak, or figure out if there’s such a thing as spiritual DNA by comparing Rivka and Lavan, the goal of the Chaburah is to expand the girls knowledge of Tanach and develop their middos and maximize their potential.

Who is your favorite person in Tanach and why?

Shevy – Esther because she was so brave, and the story of how she saves Am Yisroel is so cool!

Ariella – Yehuda because has a lot of courage when it comes to doing the right thing!

Malkie – Rivka because she cared so much about making sure Yaakov got the bracha in order to keep the mesorah alive

Aviva – David because he teaches us what it means to be a real melech

Chaburah Spotlight: Sheva Hamaoui

Sheva is from Lawrence, NY and is currently studying psychology in Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women. Sheva attended SKA High School for Girls before she spent a year and half in Darchei Binah. Sheva was so excited by the opportunity to return to Michlelet as a Madricha and be a part of the program that benefitted her so much as a camper!

The girls in Sheva’s chabura are Tamar Dimbert (Chicago, IL), Gitty Boshnack (Brooklyn, NY), Shira Siegel (Silver Spring, MD) and Yael Schild (Passaic, NJ).

Sheva’s chabura is called “Getting to Know Yourself.” The goal is for each girl to reach a higher level of self awareness and to be able to become familiar with her individual strengths and weaknesses. By understanding who we are, we can then work on developing the kochot within us and take the proper steps towards becoming the person we want to be. The chabura consists of learning about different middot and how they apply to each of us individually. The girls learn about how the middah comes up in the Torah, the challenges associated with obtaining the middah, and practical ways to apply the lesson positively to our lives. Each chabura ends by posing a practical challenge connected to the lesson so that the girls can take what they learned and practice it throughout the day.

What has been your favorite part about a Michlelet so far?
Tamar – “I found shabbos to be a really amazing and uplifting experience. Everyone had so much ruach and I really felt the love for shabbos.”
Gitty- “On Michlelet, shabbos is an amazing experience . All the madrichot are singing at meal times, and I love singing, and there are optional classes to go to. In the down time you get to bond with your friends which I believe is an essential part of camp because its good to have friends and there is so much to learn from everyone.”
Shira- “My favorite part of Michlelet so far was the sunrise hike in Eilat. Although it was difficult to wake up at four in the morning it was totally worth it. It was amazing to have the opportunity to daven at the top of the mountain overlooking the place where yam suf happened as the sun rose.”
Yael- “The melava malka after shabbos was amazing. Everyone had so much spirit and it was a great atmosphere.

Chaburah Spotlight: Raizy Abittan

Raizy Abittan is from Great Neck, New York. After attending Central for high school, she spent a year learning in MMY and is now in Stern College, majoring in Biology. She is super pumped to spend her first summer on Michlelet!

In Raizy’s chabura, the girls learn and discuss various middot and Jewish values that can be derived from classic children storybooks. Each chabura begins with the reading of the book leading into discussions about the many lessons that can be taken from it. They delve into one specific middah, and by the end they gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for that middah, and practical tips on implementing it into their daily lives.

The girls in Raizy’s chabura are: Aviva Marmer (Brooklyn, NY), Riva Charnowitz (Woodmere, NY), Talya Miller (Silver Spring, MD), and Shoshana Sudwerts (Passaic, NJ).

What book from your childhood brings back the best memories and why?

Shoshana – The Kissing Hand, because the boy’s mother was always with him and always loved him.
Talya – Goldilocks and the Three Bears, because my sister and I used to read it together all the time when we were little.
Riva – Fancy Nancy, because it taught me to appreciate everything I have.

Aviva – Goodnight Moon, because my mom used to read it to me all the time.

NCSY Michlelet Week 2 Video!

Weekly Update #2 from Mrs. Yudin

Dear NCSY Michlelet Parents,

Upon reflection of the phenomenal week we have had here, many things stand out. We have had so many different experiences. There are many incredible qualities that can be attributed to the exceptional group of girls we have this summer. The one that stands out most to me, though, is their excitement and energy in everything that they do!! They are on fire in whatever they do!

At Michlelet NCSY, our goal is to provide the girls with great opportunities and experiences in all areas of life. We have tried to provide excellence in our learning, chessed and touring, and in the fun we have, and the girls have truly already experienced Torat Eretz Yisrael, Chessed B’Eretz Yisrael and the Magnificent Land itself, while having a blast!

This group takes every opportunity thrown their way, in every area, and just jumps in, with their entire beings, with every ounce of energy and excitement that they have; and trust me, there is certainly no shortage of that! When they have fun, they truly have a blast. When they learn, they really learn, and the same with touring and chessed.

In the area of learning, it has been a great first full week. Their learning started off with a bang. While watching them learn with their top notch teachers, or in smaller settings with their incredible madrichot, you can see how thirsty they are to absorb each and every word and concept of Torah. I loved walking around this week, watching their excitement and involvement and listening to the sounds of Torah reverberating in the air. They were so engrossed and moved while listening to our extraordinary night speakers this week as well.

In the arena of touring, what an amazing time was had in Eilat! Whether while laughing when eating purple carrots on our Salad Trail, cheering by repelling and jeeping in Mitzpeh Rimon, hiking on an optional sunrise hike which 80% of the girls took advantage of, cheering and screaming with sheer joy while rafting and banana boating, snorkeling or dancing on a boat, the Michlelet NCSYers clearly enjoyed and were engrossed in every moment, enjoying the fun, our Beautiful Land and each other’s company!

It was so beautiful to see them give to the people of Israel this week, while packaging food for the poor at Yad Eliezer, picking tomatoes in the fields for soup kitchens all over Israel and making and delivering thank you packages to our Soldiers. There too, their sincerity, enthusiasm and dedication were apparent.

Watching them participate in the plethora of activities offered this week- basketball, tennis, zumba, cake decorating, swimming, baking, art and so much more, I was equally impressed to see how into it they were! The night activities were indescribable! When they dance and sing, you can feel the floor vibrating and literally taste the excitement in the air! When they have fun, they really have fun!

It was so touching to see them welcome TJJ Bus 6 this week. The TJJers were so touched by the warmth and acceptance of our girls. They walked away blown away!

It all came together when you watched the Michlelet NCSYers at Yom NCSY last night! The cheering and screaming, positive energy and pride of being Michlelet NCSYers was nothing short of awesome!! They cheered and danced the night away, having an incredible time, in an electric atmosphere, united together with thousands of other NCSYers. This year was especially unique and moving, as there was a beautiful Hachnasat Sefer Torah in memory of David Cutler’s parents a”h. May it be uplifting for their neshamos!

If this is just the beginning, I can only imagine how fantastic the rest of the summer will be with your incredible daughters!

Have a great Shabbos,

Rivka Yudin

Shiva Asar b’Tamuz

After a restful and fun off shabbos, we returned to Reishit for a nice day of learning and programming in honor of shiva asar b’Tamuz.

We had an optional afternoon trip to the Kotel to daven mincha!

After we broke our fast, we had an exciting night activity of Family Feud!!!! Each dorm room dressed up as a different family!

Our madrichot had the privilege of hearing Rabbi Micah Greenland, international director of NCSY, speak at night.

Looking forward to a day full of food and fun tomorrow!

Stay tuned, and remember to check out our pictures!

Yom NCSY!

We spent the first half of the day learning and doing a special chesed activity making packages for chayalim. We made a special stop to an army base to deliver them.

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Then, with our blue Michlelet shirts on and lots of pride, we headed to Yom NCSY!!! We ate dinner, met tons of friends, experienced loads of NCSY energy as we sang, danced, and celebrated a new Torah!!! The energy was unreal as each program united on the dance floor! What great memories to leave Michlelet with for our off shabbos!

Looking forward to a relaxing and fun weekend, and can’t wait to reunite on motzei shabbos to get the party started again!

Remember to check out our daily posts! Have a great shabbos!!!!

Day on Campus Full of Visitors!

Today was a great day of learning, activities, and fun!

We had many visitors: Hadaya came to sell jewelry, NCSY staff came to learn hands on about Michlelet and other NCSY summer programs, and the girls of TJJ Bus 6! We had a great time meeting everyone and eating dinner outdoor on our beautiful campus.

Following dinner, Rabbi Yudin spoke to Michlelet and all our guests. Night activity was an amazing “throwback” bat mitzvah celebration for our very own shana bet madricha as well as one TJJ camper who never had a bat mitzvah! We danced, watched a montage, played games, and had a ball!

Check back for more updates and remember to look at our pictures from today!

First Day of Learning and Chesed!

What a day! We began the day with amazing learning in our homerooms, madricha chaburahs, and teacher classes!

We continued the fun with amazing activities including tennis, basketball, swimming, and baking!

We then went on our chesed trips to package food at Yad Eliezer and to pick fresh tomatoes from the Leket Israel fields! We played music, danced, and had the best time knowing we were helping others!

We ended off the day with an inspiring speech by Rabbi Nissel, a hilarious night activity of PANIC, and an optional shiur by our Madricha Coordinators!

Tons of fun! Tons of friends! Tons of good memories in the making.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post, and check out today’s pictures!