How is it possible for teenagers to relate to the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash that happend so long ago? On Tuesday, we celebrated the 17th Day of Tamuz, which is the beginning of the mourning period of the Three weeks, which culminate with Tisha B'Av.

In Camp Sports, the fast day of the 17th of Tamuz began with Shachris, and emphasizing to the NCSYers that the greatest way for us to commemorate the time period of destruction, is by continuing to grow in our learning and Mitzvos, and so we began the day with a packed Beis Medrash and sound of Torah learning throughout the campus. 

After some well deserved rest, the NCSYers returned for for several programs dealing with the Jewish approach to Tragedy. We began by watcing "Names, Not Numbers," a production of MTA, the High School of Yeshivah University, where students interviewed their own grandparents who are Holocaust Surviviors.

We watched as the surviviors described their stories of survival and struggle in the different concentaration camps and the NCSYers held a discussion about courage, never giving up, and what it takes to continue on living a Jewish life, despite having to go through such pains and tribulations.

After Mincha, we turned the focus to the more recent tragedy of the murder of Leiby Kletzky Z"l, and the NCSYers wrote letters to the parents, who were finishing up their week of Shiva, of mourning, over their son, wishing them words of encouragement and expressing to them that teens from all over the USA, Canada, Israel and Poland, who they never met, have gotten together to show them that they care and share in their pain.

With a few minutes left to the fast, the day ended with words of inspiration and songs and Kumzitz as we led into Maariv.

We broke the fast with Bagels, Cream Cheese and Lox, as is tradition, and played some dodge ball.