Esti Steinberg, from Chicago, couldn’t be more excited to spend her second summer on Michlelet! After high school, Esti spent a year and a half in Michlalah, and is now in Touro in Manhattan majoring in finance. This coming year Esti will be an NCSY advisor for the Atlantic seaboard region.
The nashim tzidkaniyos in Esti’s chabura are Shira Borochov (Cedarhurst), Ilana Brunner (Woodmere), Maya Molobsky (Denver), Chaya Weissman (Lawrence), and Chavy Weitz (Monsey).
Esti’s Chabura is called Torah Through the Lens of YouTube. Each Chabura they watch a different YouTube video that has gone viral and connects each one to a Torah idea. Esti’s goal is to show her campers that a Yid can uplift anything to a higher level- even YouTube. Together, Esti’s Chabura goes though various Torah sources to bring the topics to life in a new and refreshing way.
Ilana Brunner:
This year on michlelet one of my chabura’s focused on videos that went viral on YouTube. I, together with my chabura then looked a little deeper to find the reason why specific videos went viral. One YouTube video that really inspired me is a recording of a stepmother expressing her love to her stepson despite that fact that they are not biologically related. This touched my heart because it shows that love doesn’t run out and isn’t only for specific people. On a broader note this video shows the importance of the Jews loving each other even though we are not all relatives.
Shira Borochov:
Recently, I watched a video about a little poor boy who looks at himself and sees nothing. He’s wearing torn clothing and ripped up shoes. He then turns his head and sees a boy about the same age as him sitting in nicer clothing. All this boy wants is to switch places with him. So what happens? They switch places. The poor boy soon realized that the kid he was so jealous of ending up being paralyzed. From this video I learnt to be thankful for everything I have. I may wish that I have something that someone else has and I might not, but really, whatever that thing is- is not necessary in my life. And whatever I have is what I need. This video taking me not to take all the things I do have in my life for granted and to be much more appreciative for the things HaShem decided I need in my life.
Chavy Weitz:
In my Chabura we take YouTube videos and connect it to Judaism and gain inspiration through them. The Vharav Na music video (the first one) by Baruch Levine and Simcha Leiner inspires me because it combines music with such excitement for torah and happiness to learn it which is what I get a taste of on Michlelet.
Maya Molobsky:
In my Chabura this summer, we took YouTube videos that where inspirational or went viral, and we Learned how they connected to Torah and how to apply the lessons within the video to our everyday lives. A YouTube video that I found to be inspirational was about a homeless man who received 100 dollars from a random stranger. This homeless man was then followed and videoed to see how he would spend this money. Instead of using this money on unnecessary items, he went into a grocery store and bought food for other homeless people in need. This inspired me because this man could have used 100 dollars all on himself but instead he chose to help others who where just as needy as him. This video showed me the importance of recognizing other people’s needs, and being in the mindset of always thinking of others.
Chaya Weissman: There are a couple of videos on YouTube that show a few people helping out the homeless by giving them a makeover, food, and necessities that a normal person would need daily. It shows how much we take everything for granted and not appreciating even the littlest things like the homeless people do. It inspires me to look at big and little things in life and thank HaShem for all that He does for me.