Ahuva Motechin is so excited to be back on Michlelet for her third summer, her second as a madricha. She is from Bergenfield, NJ, and attended Bruriah High School, followed by a year in Michlalah. Ahuva is now going into her senior year at Stern, where she is pursuing a degree in Biochemistry. She is loving every minute of the summer, especially learning with her incredible chaburah!

The fantastic girls in Ahuva’s chaburah are: Neima Inslicht (Queens, NY), Efrat Klammer (Woodmere, NY), Leah Malka Leibowitz (Brooklyn, NY), Miri Porush (Chicago, IL), Leah Rothman (Lawrence, NY), and Emily Turner (Teaneck, NJ). Together they learn about kumsitz songs, in order to hopefully make them more meaningful. Each chaburah focuses on a different song, including its source in Tanach or Midrash, its literal translation, and a larger middah or Hashkafic principle that is embedded in the words. For example, they have learned about anavah from “Anavim,” about ahavat Yisrael and nosei b’ol from “Acheinu,” about zerizut and grabbing opportunities from “Pischi Li,” and about becoming a role model from “V’zakeini.” Through their study together as a chaburah, they hope to grow in their commitment and passion as ovdei Hashem.

What’s your favorite activity on Michlelet and why?
Neima: I love the baking activity for the most obvious reason: you get to eat yummy brownies and chocolate chip cookies! What could be better!
Efrat: My favorite activity on Michlelet is Zumba. I really enjoy this activity because it’s a fun way to get out your energy, get a good workout and spend time with friends and madrichot!!! It doesn’t matter if you are a good dancer or not everyone comes together to have a great time! The madrichot teach dances that everyone can learn and enjoy, and campers sometimes even teach dances they learnt in the past. Its always a great time when you are Zumba-ing on Michlelet!!
Leah Malka: I like art because it’s a fun and relaxing way to express yourself.
Miri: My favorite activity on Michlelet is color war because I find it so amazing how even when your competing against other teams everyone is still unified and works together and helps each other. Even when only one team wins, the other 2 teams are so happy for them. I also love how every girl is able to use her own strengths to help try to win. Whether it’s dancing, singing, or art everyone is able to add something to color war.
Leah: My favorite activity on Michlelet was hair braiding. It was really fun to see how everyone was excited to learn different techniques and styles of how to braid hair and seeing girls actually make the braids on each other.
Emily: My favorite activity was learning how to make potato kugel in cooking. It was my favorite because my mom is from Morocco and my dad is from Egypt so we don’t really eat kugel but it was interesting, fun, and easy to make.

What a meaningful day we had on Michlelet today!!!
We woke up early and headed to Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial we we learned a tremendous amount about the shoah. 

Today was an an amazing packed day on campus!

We learned with our teachers and madrichot, had creative and fun activities like cake decorating, jump rope, tennis and basketball!

We were so excited to welcome NCSY GIVE to our campus for dinner, to hear Mrs. Yudin speak, and of course for our annual MICHLELET vs GIVE basketball game!!!!

The energy could be felt in the air as the girls headed to the basketball court in their jerseys and swag! Cheers and songs from both programs were sung! After a close game, Michlelet won 29 to 28!!! We’re so proud of everyone’s skills and middos on the court! Everyone was happy to see old friends and meet new ones!

Stay tuned and check out our pictures!

Yael Mashiach, from Chicago, couldn’t be more excited to spend her first summer on Michlelet!! After high school, Yael spent a year in Israel at Shaalvim for Women and is currently studying at Stern in Manhattan. Through out the year she is a Midwest NCSY regional advisor!

The amazing girls in Yael’s chabura are Hayley Tanzman, Shira Kosowsky, Batsheva Rubin and Nelaje Branch.

Yael’s chabura is called Torah Through the Eyes of YouTube. The chabura focuses on middot and core Torah values. After watching a video related to the topic of the day. The girls discuss what they think it means and how it relates to their life. Every day they discover more about themselves as they discuss different concepts, middot and values. The chabura goes through various different Torah sources to be able to bring the topic to life. At the end of each chabura the girls leave with an understanding that Torah is their guid to life and how they can utilize each concept to improve and love Torah to its fullest.

Question: If you could be a food what would you be and why? 

Shira Kosowsky- I would be a prickly pear so no one would eat me.

Batsheva Rubin-Definitely mac and cheese because everyone loves it and I’m creamy, but almost chewable.

Nelaje Branch-I would be a pizza with veggie sausage because although I have many diverse layers and situations to me ,I become one cohesive world loved meal. And you can eat it at any time of day

Hayley Tanzman- A really good STEAK because cooked perfectly and juicy. it’s amazing like me.

Red noses! Tutus! Smiles galore!

Yesterday, on Sunday, we had medical clowning training, followed by trips to different hospitals in Yerushalayim where we visited patients, sang, and told jokes to brighten their day!

Upon returning to campus, we ate dinner, heard Rabbi Goldsmith speak, and then had a crazy fun night activity searching for our madrichot who disguised themselves in the mall!!

Stay tuned and check out our pictures!