ncsy
Michlelet
Worlds Expanding! Good Shabbos!!

 Often times in life, we get caught up in our own worlds, inner circle of family, friends and community and our daily life exists within our routine schedules.  Seldom, do we see beyond our own immediate space and we subconsciously think that our world is representative of the entire world. “Normal” in terms of people and experiences is completely subjective and will be understood differently by each individual and each community.


At Michlelet NCSY, we can certainly say, that through the depth of our routine and breadth of our perpetually moving schedule, our world is constantly evolving and expanding!  There is nothing more satisfying than realizing how much more there is to life than what we previously understood.


This past week on Michlelet, we began to expand and reach beyond our comfort zones, thereby enabling us to discover a whole new world inside ourselves.

This began in the heart and soul of Michelele; the daily learning. The delight in their eyes, as they listened to Rav Gav Freedman, Mrs. Shira Smiles, Rav Mordechai Berg and Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin as their night speakers this week, displays a newfound appreciation and excitement for learning Torah. The inquisitive faces seen while learning with their madrichot and teachers reflects a freshness and a whole new world in the Torah that they have been taught their whole lives but is larger than life itself.  I am excited for them, primarily because I am confident that it will deepen as time goes on.

Eretz Yisrael is described as “Tovah Urechava,” good and expansive. The Michlelet NCSYers have reached beyond their usual neighborhoods and communities and have begun to connect to Eretz Yisrael and see the breadth of the land and its people. Whether pushing beyond as they climbed Masadah at 4 am or splashed in the waters of Ein Gedi, or whether it was sheep herding in Shiloh and seeing the place of Mishkan Shiloh or visiting Ethiopina villages, the girls have expanded their worlds!

Perhaps my two favorite moments this week on Michlelet, were the ones that I believe had the deepest impression on your daughters and truly expanded their worlds, allowing them to connect to our fellow sisters from completely different worlds.

On Wednesday and Thursday, we had the privilege of hosting girls from TJJ Ambassadors, an NCSY Summer program for public school teens who have come for Israel Advocacy. The Michlelet girls learned with them, interacted with them, and hosted them with such love and acceptance, that I was moved several times to tears. To quote a TJJ Ambassador who came in worrying that the Orthodox girls from our program would be judgmental, “The girls on Michlelet are the nicest ones I ever met!! I love the environment here! I never knew religious girls were so nice!”

 

One incredible moment was when the TJJ Ambassadors walked into our building, with shyness and trepidation. To accurately describe the scene would be impossible but I will try my best. The Michlelet NCSYers who were standing outside the Beis Medrash, formed arches with their hands and started singing loudly, joyfully, and warmly, as they excitedly welcomed the TJJ Ambassadors whom they had never met before.  The Ambassadors, upon seeing this, ran through with looks of surprise and elation, coming out with huge smiles on their faces. 

 

Another extraordinary moment occurred the very next day. Each year on Michlelet, we have had the honor of making a wedding from scratch, here at Reishit, for a needy couple. This year, as well, we will have that privilege and the wedding will G-d willing be the last week of Michlelet, on August 13th. On Thursday, we made a bridal shower for our kalah, Rachel. 

In preparation, the Michlelet NCSYers, together with the TJJA girls, wrapped presents, decorated a chair for the kalah, made centerpieces, and transformed the dining room. The kallah was so touched when she received the presents!! She and her mother were incredibly moved to tears as she thanked them for their love, warmth and presents.

 

The second moment I refer to, that encapsulates it all, were ones that can only happen here; moments of complete ahavas chinam, of breaking down barriers and of feeling united with all of the Jewish People. These are moments that our reminiscent of “vayichan sham yisrael neged hahar,” when Klal Yisrael was one, unified as they accepted the Torah and stood at Har Sinai. 

 

Try to imagine the following scene: after a day of learning Torah with TJJA girls, the room is filled with young Jewish women from all different backgrounds from all over the world.  Included in this incredible assemblage were a group of Michlelet NCSYers, a group of young ladies from public school, from TJJA and TJJ bus 7 who joined us that evening as well, and a Sefardi bride, who grew up and lives in Bnei Brak her whole life and does not speak a word of English. None of the groups has met each other before, yet the very second they met the kalah, they grabbed her, brought her in, and felt such joy and happiness for her. The scene was one of pulsating energy. There was loud and joyful, singing and dancing, circles moving in and out of each other, voices strong, coming together to bring happiness and uplift this kalah. This is what it means to truly feel part of Am Yisrael. The bride’s mother could not get over the incredible ruach and happiness that the girls displayed and was just overflowing with shock and felt incredibly moved!

 

This was a week in which our Michlelet NCSYers learned, toured, had fun, and performed acts of chessed. They learned to reach beyond themselves. They realized and felt that there is so much more to Torah, to Eretz Yisrael, and to the Jewish nation. They learned to connect and love so many different types of Jews, simply because they are fellow Jews. But most importantly, they learned to grasp further and higher within themselves. They experienced what it means to be true leaders and to lead with passion, warmth, and commitment and to truly be proud of who they are.

 

With love from the Holy City of Tzfat, where we are spending Shabbos together as we continue to expand our worlds!

 

Good Shabbos! 

 

Rivka Yudin

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