Summer 2015

Yesterday we had the privilege of greeting another NCSY Summer Program to Michlelet! After a full day of learning and activities, including an amazing Q&A with Rabbi Sobolofsky, GIVE NCSY came to spend the evening with us. We enjoyed a dinner together, and heard from Mrs Yudin about the key to greatness. The legendary Michlelet VS GIVE basketball game was incredible, full of ruach and sportsmanship. We danced and sang, and the flashmob during halftime was awesome! Thank you GIVE for coming to hang out with us!

Elisheva was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and attended Hanna Sacks there. Post highschool she spent two years learning in Israel. Elisheva will be making Aliyah this upcoming year (Hurray!!!) and will be studying education specifically in Tanach and English at Michlalah while being a Madricha at Midreshet Moriah.
She hopes to continue her involvement at NCSY whether it be through keeping in touch, summer programs, or perhaps even Israel NCSY as soon as it takes off!
Having attended Michlelet as a camper for two years, Elisheva is very excited to be able to give back and to learn with and from the girls on Michlelet.

The NCSYers in Elisheva’s Chaburah are Ayelet Stern (Chashmonaim, Israel), Carmielle Bean (Denver, CO), Meira Gurell (Teaneck, NJ), Ariella Benovitz (           ), Miri Minkowitz (Brooklyn, NY), Moriel Draiman (Chicago, IL), Sarah Last (Plainview, NY), Sima Alhadeff (Seattle, WA), Elisheva Greenberg (Teaneck, NJ), and Devory Berger (Upstate NY).

Elisheva’s Chaburah is about the importance and the transition between relationships Bein Adam L’Atzmo (Between Man and Himself), Bein Adam L’Chaveiro (Between Man and His Friend), and finally, Bein Adam L’Makom (Between Man and G-D). Some example topics in each of these areas are “Having a Lech Lecha experience, finding yourself”, “Your Best Enemy – Lesson on the Yetzer Harah”, “I believe I can and He can, a lesson on the balance between self confidence and humility” and more! The Chaburah is text based with a range of sources in Hebrew and English. Often including Tanach, the teaching of Rav Kook zt”l, Rav Ahron zt”l, Rav Soloveitchik zt”l, Mesilat Yesharim, and many more exciting Sfarim! Often there is also a story being told or a song or video presentation to drive home the lessons even more in an exciting way.

What lesson stood out the most to you on Michlelet in Chaburah or in general?

Carmielle Bean- That the Torah is literally the instructions for how we should live our life.
Meira Gurrell- Many people think that the yetzer harah is a figure to set one up for failure. However, a different approach that I learned in Chaburah, was that the yetzer harah is our coach and trainer. He tries to push us to overcome challenges and to strive to reach our potentials. We must r realize that our yetzer harah is here to assist us, and we must prove to him that we can defeat any obstacle standing in our way.
Miri Minkowitz – I really like the topic of Achdut and the Pirkei Avot describing the unconditional love between Dovid and Yehonatan.
Sarah Last- I really liked this quote – “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give,”.
Sima Alhadeff- “This summer with Elisheva, I learned a thought about the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination)  that I liked a lot. I learned that I should not only think of the Yetzer Hara as my enemy, trying to get me to do the wrong thing. Rather, I can and should also think of it as a coach, my friend. My Yetzer Hara is training me and testing me until I reach my full potential as a Bat Yisrael. My Yetzer Hara is helping me to be the best me I can be,”.

Color War 2015 was a huge success! There were three teams- blue which was Eretz Yisrael, yellow which was Am Yisrael and purple which was Torat Yisrael. Color War lasted two days. The first was filled with activities and games, and ended with each team presenting a cheer! Today was extra special, because it was Color War and chessed day. The morning was filled with Color War prep and games, and in the afternoon was left campus to deliver care packages to an army base for soldiers. We wanted to show them our hakaras hatov for all they do for our country. Before we went back to Reishit, we went bowling! It was team vs team vs team and everyone had fun. After dinner were final presentations and scoring. Everyone’s banners and songs were amazing, and we are so impressed with the creativity and dedication shown by each team. In the end, Yellow won, and all of Michlelet celebrated with them. It was fun having Color War, but we are ready to get back to being on one team- #Michlelet15!

This weekend was incredible! We had an amazing day on Friday, building rafts and swimming in the Kinneret. We headed all the way up to Tzfat and welcomed in Shabbos in the place where Kabbalas Shabbos was created. It was a very special Friday night, and the tisch was a real hit. Shabbos day was relaxing, and many of the girls took advantage of the walking tour around the old city of Tzfat. Motzei Shabbos was spent in Tevaria, on an amazing party boat! There was pizza and music and it was a blast. On Sunday, we went to Kfar Bloom and rafted down the Yarden. We then went to visit Kfar Kedem, and ate an amazing lunch! We made pita and rode donkeys. It was an amazing activity! We came back to Reishit and ate dinner, and then we had COLOR WAR BREAKOUT! We’re looking forward to Color War! It is going to be great!

Rina Landsman is from Teaneck, New Jersey. She attended Ma’ayanot High school followed by a year of learning in Israel. She is now a junior at Stern College majoring in Jewish Education. Rina is so excited to be back on Michlelet again, this time as a madricha!

The girls in Rina’s chabura are: Rikki Bruckenstein (Woodmere), Malka Edery, (Norfolk, Virginia), Shana Friedman, (Chicago), Gabrielle Hawk, (Woodmere) and Shoshie Wasserman, (Columbus, OH)

Rina’s chabura is titled “Gratitude is an Attitude” and focuses on learning important lessons in hakaras hatov through stories in the TAnach. Each chabura highlights a different gift we are given from Hashem, and the essential attitude of gratitude that we must display in response. A recent chabura that focused on the story of Maaseh Bereshis taught the vital lesson of opening your eyes to the beauty in the natural world that we tend to take for granted. The structure of Rina’s chabura involves activities, textual sources and lots of stimulating discussion. A highlight of Rinas chabura is a game called ” Thankagories”, a spin off of the classic “scategories” game. The game, played every chabura, is meant to bring to mind the small and seemingly insignificant gifts of life, reminding us to never take these things for granted. The goal of Rina’s chabura is to emerge with a heightened awareness and appreciation for the small and large gifts of everyday life.

What is your favorite Oreo flavor and how does it connect to our chabura?

Gabi Hawk: “Plain – we have to recognize that Hashem gave us, our original selves, the tools and potential we need specifically to be “milks favorite cookie.” If we look within us, like Adam Harishon had to, and not at others we can unleash our potential. We should be thankful for the things Hashem gave to us to fulfill our tafkid”

Shoshie Wasserman- Reese’s (chocolate and peanut butter) we live in a physical world and our job as Jews is to elevate physicality to spirituality. Therefore combining the Chocolate(physicality)and the peanut butter(spirituality) to make a wonderful delicious Oreo.

Shana Friedman- double stuffed. Hashem gives us everything we need in this world to serve Him (which is the first layer) and then He also gives us things to enhance our lives, things that we actually don’t need (the second layer).

Rikki Bruckenstein: Birthday cake because every day of life is a party because it’s another day Hashem gave us to live which we must have hakarats hatov for

Malka Edery: My favorite Oreo flavor is birthday cake and I think it relates to the theme of our chaburah because many times we take our birthdays for granted.  We only focus on the fun and celebrations and we tend to not focus on the deeper meaning of our birth day. This is a day that a major miracle occurred where Hashem  brought us into the world and gave us the gift of life . Many babies aren’t so fortunate to be born healthy and we have to be grateful that we were . Our birthday is actually a tremendous  day of gratitude to Hashem  and our parents for raising us all these years and taking care of us from the minute we were born.

Dear Michlelet NCSY Parents,

I write this letter to you from the Holy City of Tzfat.

This week, has been a tremendous week for us all, a week of experiencing what it is to be part of Am Yisroel in the deepest ways. It is hard to think of a better place, that a Jew can feel so much a part of the destruction and rebuilding, than here in Eretz Yisroel. And that in a nutshell is a synopsis of the magnificent week we spent here at Michlelet NCSY.

After a Shabbos, with an impossible to describe amount of spirit, energy and unity and feeling the glory of Yiddishkeit, we, together with all of our Nation, sat on the floor to read Eichah.

The entire Tisha Bav was extremely moving and meaningful.

The most touching and uplifting parts for me were the two kumzitses we had on Tisha Bav. The first, after Eicha and Kinos at the beginning of Tisha Bav, was on the porch outside the Beit Midrash, overlooking the hills of Yerushalayim and Beit Shemesh, where we had powerful programs and the most beautiful, heartfelt kumzits. We ended Tisha Bav as well, with the glorious sunset and magnificent hills in the background, praying, hoping, connecting and feeling as we sang, our voices joining in unison. The most special part to me was at the end, when the fast was over, all the Michlelet NCSYers walking down to the dining room, arm in arm, singing V’LeYerushayim Ircha B’rachamim Tashuv (Please bring us back to Jerusalem with Your Mercy..”) and then, when they got to the dining room, they stood in one big circle, arms around each other, singing over and over again, with such passion and meaning, “Uvneh Yerashalayim,” (“Please rebuild Jerusalem”) not even thinking of breaking their fast, just singing, connecting and yearning. That scene was so incredibly uplifting and beautiful.

 What a sad but unifying, elevated feeling we had at the end of the fast.  So many girls said that it was the most moving, powerful Tish’a B’av they had ever experienced.

Tisha Bav was connecting deeply to the pain of Klal Yisroel, of longing for a connection with Hashem and His Bais Hamikdash. Monday, was connecting to being a part of Am Yisroel in all its glory and splendor; of feeling pride to be able to be privileged to be part of a nation serving Hashem. 

Yom NCSY was simply an awesome experience. To hear the powerful words of Mrs. Racheli Frenkel, mother of Naftali, Hy”d, together with 1500 other NCSYers and staff members, from all walks of life was nothing short of extraordinary! You literally could hear a pin drop as she spoke. This reflected so much of our week together; the highs and lows of Am Yisroel, and feeling proud to be a Jew through it all. Mrs. Frenkel  appropriately represented that sentiment. A woman, who has been through such immense pain and suffering yet gave such chizuk to us all and stated firmly and passionately that even through it all, with everything she has been through, she  would never give up the privilege of living in Eretz Yisroel. How privileged we all are to appreciate each other and be a light in each other’s lives, she continued. A woman who represents the strength and grandeur of our Nation.

The dancing during the Shlomo Katz concert was electrifying; so many different programs, all under the auspices of NCSY, coming together, joining in unity in song and dance, feeling the honor it is to be part of this glorious Nation!

Another moment that I really felt the beauty and feeling of Nechama, of really feeling part of Klal Yisroel was when the girls made an incredible carnival for children from Sderot this Thursday. !! It was so moving to be able to put a smile on these children’s faces and give them a great time, helping them forget the fear and trauma that they go through. There was dancing and laughter and tons of happy spirit. When they were leaving, one of their staff members said to me “Many of these children never leave their homes because their parents are too fearful for sirens due to past trauma. Your girls gave them so much attention and made them so so happy- they had two hours of calm and happiness in their life. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts”

There were so many other highlights this week; a water tiyul, a trip to an Attraction Park, fun activities, 2 am café night, phenomenal speakers and so much more. But perhaps where it hit me most- the tapping into the highs and lows of Klal Yisroel and feeling so much a part of it, was watching the girls learn throughout the week. It is always a real source of inspiration and chizuk for me to walk around our Reishit campus. To watch girls spending a portion of their time during the summer months, enjoying learning with their madrichot and teachers, tapping into our rich and magnificent heritage with passion and excitement is truly amazing and not something to be taken for granted. It is absolutely amazing and completely inspiring  to spend the summer with your daughters, the true future leaders of Klal Yisroel.

We had a refreshing, glorious day in the North today, building rafts and swimming in the Kineret and are looking forward to real bonding and feeling the true Nechama this Shabbos Nachamu as one can especially tap into in the holy  city of Tzfat; a true culmination of the very unique and special week we shared together.

As always, continue to check our daily blogs on michlelet.ncsy.org and feel free to be in touch about any feedback you may have.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Thank you!

Rivka Yudin

 

We had the privilege of hearing from Rabbi Benovitz about Shabbos Nachamu and how we are supposed to internalize it:

http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/839290/Rabbi%20Moshe%20Benovitz/Shabbos%20Nachamu-%20Build%20Yourself

We had the Sederot carnival today and it was a blast! The gym was fully decorated and we wore costumes to add to the mood. We had carnival games set up and music to dance around to! We really enjoyed it, and everyone felt great about the event. The rest of the day was filled with learning, and we heard from Dr. Luchins about the current affairs in Iran. The guest speaker was Rabbi Benovitz and night activity was a crazy zumba party! Another amazing day on Michlelet!

Here is the link to the inspiring shiur that Rabbi Burg gave to Michlelet on the relationship between Tisha B’Av and Tu B’Av:

http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/839269/Rabbi%20Mordechai%20Burg/From%20Tisha%20B’Av%20to%20Tu%20B’Av:%20Restoring%20the%20Light%20to%20the%20Darkness