Highlights from Yom Chessed
Home of Rav Mordechai Machlis: Jerusalem By Jacob Siegel (East Brunswick, NJ) Today my fellow NCSYers and I had a day devoted to Chessed. We all split into groups and we each had different trips to different places. My group went to the house of Rav Machlis who lives in Yerushalayim next to a large outreach yeshiva. Rav Machlis is famous around the world for housing at least 100 people every Shabbos, because his door is always open and whoever wants to can walk into his house…
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Sunday, August 14
After getting the ceremonies out of the way, we try to end with what we do best. There was a full day of learning and sports on Sunday, and a chance to revel one last time in the daily Kollel schedule. There were regular shiurim in the morning and at night. In the afternoon, randomly paired up NCSYers for an “Achdut Seder.” It was one final chance to learn with an from a peer that may be outside of your natural social circle. Rabbi…
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Shabbat, August 13
In so many ways, it seemed that the entire summer was leading up to our final Shabbat together. Themes and elements of the 6-week experience were woven into the Shabbat, leading to an incomparable weekend of ruach, learning, growth, and good feel. Of course, the special camaraderie that emerges from sharing such an intense and powerful time together was also a big part of our final Shabbat. Spending this Shabbat with Rav Schachter added yet another wonderful dimension. Rav Schachter spoke at the Friday…
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Thursday, August 11
The penultimate morning shiurim of the summer gave way midday to Chabura Trips. These outings served the purpose of cementing the chabura binds that had been developed all summer, and providing a fun respite in an intense week. Each madrich planned his own trip- some creative, some laid back, and all fun. Back in Bet Meir there was another round of playoff…
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Wednesday, August 10
The intensity and meaning of Tisha B’Av certainly spilled over and translated into a very productive Wednesday. We were back to a regular schedule, and the shiurim and chaburas were strong. The afternoon was highlighted by playoffs on the sports courts and swimming in the pool. The sports post-season are always a thrill on the NCSY Kollel. Already on Wednesday there was no shortage…
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Tuesday, August 9 (Tisha B’Av)
Tisha B’Av is an intensely moving day on the NCSY Kollel. Kinnot took up the entire morning. Each kinnah is introduced by a Rebbe or madrich. These introductions allow the kinnah to be more accessible, and also highlight various key points in the day as a whole. Rav Schachter spoke immediately before the kinnot, and described the ways in which Tisha B’Av can be a catalyst for change and growth. In the middle of the morning, we heard from Rav Benjamin Yudin. In the afternoon there was…
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Monday, August 8
Following regular morning shiurim, the schedule changed in advance of Tisha B’Av. In the early afternoon, we heard a special Sicha from Rav Chaim Marcus. Rav Marcus delivered an outstanding talk that set the perfect tone for the hours ahead. There were no sports leagues or other activities in the afternoon. Following dinner, there were short Chaburas which helped…
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Sunday, August 7
As we entered the week of Tisha B’Av, our entire focus was squarely on preparations for that day. There were regular shiurim and chaburas through the day, and each took time to explain and illuminate the meaning of Tisha B’Av and our connection to it. In the morning, we also heard from Dr. David Luchins, on the topic of the current global political scene. This important presentation, which touched on the Arab Spring,…
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Friday, August 5 - Shabbat, August 6
Even our off days have some excitement! On Friday, on our way to the Yerushalayim drop-off for the free weekend, we were privileged to a quick detour and a meeting with Rav Shlomo Amar, Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel. Rav Amar has been meeting with Rav Schachter, and when Rav Schachter described our group, Rav Amar was happy to arrange to meet with us. Rav Amar shared some words of chizuk for the 9 Days. It was a special honor to meet him, and to get a sense for the honor…
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Thursday, August 4
Whew- was that close! NCSY Kollel’s alltime unblemished sports record and win streak was severely threatened on Thursday by a great basketball effort from our guests from Morasha’s Sulam program. There were quite a few Kollel fans who began to lose faith, but fortunately the Kollel All-Stars themselves never lost confidence and pulled out a very dramatic four-point victory over Sulam. Sulam got off to a fast start, and to add injury to insult we lost stalwart center Yoel Schreier to an early finger injury. When…
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Wednesday, August 3
To capture the feel and import of Wednesday, we would need more of a book than a blog post. It was an incredible day from dawn to midnight, with no less than three separate events that each could lay claim to being true top highlights of the summer. The morning was devoted to our annual Yom Chessed. We divided up into different groups and engaged in activities that were genuinely productive, meaningful, and intense. Please see the post to come to read accounts of these great trips in the words of some of the NCSYers who participated…
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Tuesday, August 2
The week rolled on, and the focus continued to move towards the 9 Days and Tisha B’Av. After a very good day and full Kollel schedule (including a mini-Tiyul to the Machon HaMikdash institute in the Old City of Yerushalayim) we celebrated a very special siyum after Maariv. There were three young men who were completing a section of learning, and coincidentally all were valued and hard working members of our tech staff. Yehuda Guttman, Evyatar Katz, and Avi Rosenbaum represent the best of what the Kollel is about. As I mentioned in the daily phone message, we are incredibly proud to have…
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Monday, August 1
Back in Bet Meir, we enjoyed a strong day of learning and a great day of sports. There was a fun mini-tiyul to the Stalactite Caves outside of Bet Shemesh and the debut of Sushi in the Canteen. But the highlight of the day was the championship of our Three on Three tournament. Both finalists were more than worth competitors. Coincidentally, the championship match featured two of our…
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Sunday, July 31
With Rosh Chodesh Av and the Nine Days commencing on Sunday night, our weekly Tiyul day was pushed up all the way to Sunday. It was an incredible way to start the week, and following on the heels of the Shiur Shabbatons, a great one-two punch of energy and excitement. Once again, three entirely diverse options were presented, each extraordinary in its own right. Our first group tackled the famed Nachal Darja. This is the third of our three master hikes, and the most demanding of the summer. The guys were great and handled everything that was thrown…
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Shabbat, July 30
Our fourth Shabbat in Israel this summer offered a never-tried-before feature on the NCSY Kollel - Shiur Shabbatons. After a spirited Friday morning soccer tournament, basketball and hockey All-Star games, and free time in Yerushalayim, it was off to the homes of the morning Rabbeim for a Shabbat of bonding, learning, and inspiration. After a few weeks of learning, it was great for the NCSYers to see and interact with their Rabbeim in the Rebbe’s home. It was a special experience to spend time with the Rebbe’s family, and to get an up close view on real life in an Israeli community. We…
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Thursday, July 28
This incredible week ended on a high with a great day of learning and activities on Thursday. We enjoyed our first full day with Rav Schachter, including the morning Halacha shiur and the mussar talk of the night. After a few days break (due to the basketball tournament and tiyul) our intramural leagues returned at full force. As we draw closer to the playoffs, the games get a little more intense. Thursday featured some serious showdowns with postseason implications, and the games lived up…
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Wednesday, July 27
There were dual focal points to Wednesday’s action. On the courts, we had the thrilling continuation of the 3 on 3 tournament. In the advanced bracket, the 16 teams still alive on Wednesday were whittled down to two. For those previously eliminated, there was swimming, a roller hockey tournament, and an extraordinary soccer tournament at Kraft Stadium in Yerushalayim. In the Beit Medrash, there was also no shortage of excitement. We were visited by Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Dean of Yeshiva University’s…
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Tuesday, July 26
Tuesday was tiyul day, and this time all arrows pointed north. We had three incredible- and incredibly diverse- options for the tiyul, catering to all tastes on the program. The first option was the hike through Nachal Yehudiya. This is the second of the three “master hikes” that we are offering this summer. Yehudiya has beautiful scenery, challenging trails, and amazing waterfalls.The second option began with a more relaxed water hike, which provided welcome relief on a sweltering day. From there they continued to a Chocolate Factory, where the NCSYers observed, participated and enjoyed the chocolate making. The 3rd group was a new…
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Monday, July 25
The annual 3 on 3 basketball Tournament is always one of the sports highlights of the summer. This year’s edition was especially awesome. Sixty-seven teams were competing on 8 courts in a single elimination tournament over the course of Monday afternoon’s sports break. There were two brackets and competitions, one for advanced competitors and one for beginners. Over the past few year’s we have added an entire courtside festival to the proceedings, and it was with great excitement that we welcomed so many of the Rabbeim’s families,…
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Sunday, July 24
Sunday was the third and final day of our collaboration with TJJ Ambassadors. It was the climax of a very meaningful three days of interaction. In the afternoon, in addition to the regular sports and swimming schedule, there was a special program of Tzitzit making. The group was led by Rav Moshe Gordon who explained and demonstrated every aspect of this Mitzvah. It was a perfect activity to help cement the bonds with the TJJ NCSYers. The…
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Shabbat, July 23
How can we describe a Shabbat spent in the Old City of Yerushalayim? It is hard to do justice to the inspiration, intensity, beauty, and majesty of this special Shabbat. For certain, there were numerous specific highlights that contributed to the specialness of the weekend. Friday night’s Kabbalat Shabbat on the Kotel plaza was particularly memorable. We returned to the Kotel for a spectacular Tisch. There were multiple options for late night Old City tours. On Shabbat Day there were some more conventional tours, although with a decided Kollel spin. We also heard from Rabbi Gav Friedman, a popular lecturer at…
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Sports Update
By most accounts, this year’s sports leagues are as strong as they have ever been. The basketball intramurals have been highly competitive and great fun. Practically each day has been marked by a great game. There have been numerous overtime thrillers, and stupendous individual performances. Here are the team breakdowns, standings, and league leaders: …
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Thursday, July 21
Thursday was a great, classic, Kollel day. First, there were Shiur Trips. These mini-tiyulim provide a well deserved break from the regular learning and an opportunity for shiurim to bond with each other and with their Rebbe. Whether it was bowling, swimming, flag football, or go-karting (to name just a few of the destinations,) the result was the same great fun and an enhanced relationship in the shiur. Upon returning to Bet Meir, we conducted our annual Yom Iyun, always one of the learning highlights of the summer. …
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Wednesday, July 20
On Wednesday we returned to our regular schedule and also continued our three days of interaction with the boys from TJJ Ambassadors. The highlight of this interaction was the annual Kollel-TJJ Basketball Challenge followed by a siyum and festive meal. First the game: In this year’s edition TJJ put a real early scare into the Kollel stars. With 7 minutes gone by, the score was actually tied, and it was gut check time for Kollel. Fortunately, they responded beautifully and finished the half strongly while opening a double-digit lead. In the second half, Kollel really put it…
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Tuesday, July 19
On Tuesday we switched gears a bit, as we observed the fast day of 17 Tammuz. While the tone is appropriately somber, these days are filled with meaning and content. This year our observance was enhanced by two special presentations. In the morning, we heard from Rav Moshe Chaim Sosevsky, Rosh Yeshiva of our hosts, Yeshivat Ohr Yerushalayim. After morning shiurim we had a special shiur from Rabbi Steven Weil.
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Monday, July 18
Following on the heels of Yom NCSY, it was very appropriate that we welcomed the young men from TJJ Ambassadors to our program. The TJJ Ambassadors are outstanding teens who attend non-Yeshiva high schools and spend their summer touring Israel with NCSY. Their program includes intensive sessions in Israel Advocacy, week long community service projects, and most remarkably, three full days participating in the complete Kollel schedule. The interaction between the two groups is always a highlight of the summer.
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Sunday, July 17
We returned to Bet Meir rejuvenated and rested from the free weekend. For the first part of the day there were regular shiurim and chaburas, and an abbreviated schedule of league games. Then it was on to the busses and a short drive to the annual Yom NCSY festivities. We were proud to be the largest single program represented at the event,…
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Thursday, July 14
It would have been easy for Thursday to get lost in the shuffle of our crowded and varied schedule. On the heels of the big Tiyul, and immediately before the Free Weekend, it would have been easy to write Thursday off as a lazy day or time for a break. It was anything but. We had our strongest day of learning to date. As the NCSYers got increasingly comfortable with the schedule and the options, the quality of learning really took off. …
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Wednesday, July 13
Day 2 of our southern adventure was incredible from beginning (3 AM !) to end. Our intrepid hikers were given the option of an early wake up and the chance to tackle Har Shlomo. Over 120 NCSYers took us up on the offer, and headed off in the middle of the night for a great hike and an exhilarating and uplifting Shacharit on the mountain’ s peak.
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Tuesday, July 12
After two days of strong learning, it was time to hit the road for our first full Tiyul experience of the summer. This year we jumped right into things with our two-day mega-tiyul to the south. Tuesday’ s had multiple options. Many started the day with a great hike through the beautiful Ein Gedi nature reserve. This is always a favorite, and the refreshing waterfalls and magnificent scenery certainly did not disappoint.
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Monday, July 11
Monday was about momentum and hitting our stride. We got more acclimated to the schedule and rhythm of Kollel life. The entire Kollel was privileged to hear a special shiur from Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, Senior Rabbi at the Boca Raton Synagogue. In the afternoon we enjoyed our first mini-Tiyul, visiting the historic and panoramic Har Adar. At night, our canteen- Yummy’s- celebrated its…
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Shabbat, July 9
There is nothing quite like Shabbat on the NCSY Kollel. The incomparable ruach and atmosphere allow Shabbat to be experienced on the highest of levels. Shabbat is a time for reflection and focus, and our first Shabbat was specifically a time to contemplate goals and appreciate the opportunities that the summer has to offer. Kabbalat Shabbat set the tone (no pun intended). The spirited davening was led by Mordy Prus (an authentic Maccabeat!) The great energy led directly into the Friday night zemirot and the amazing Rabbi Lebowitz-led Tisch…
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Sunday, July 10
No thrill in the summer can compare with the first Morning Seder. The full Beis Medrash and melodic sounds of Torah study are a something to behold. For some, Sunday was the long-anticipated fulfillment of summer goals. For others, it provided comfort and reassurance that a daunting schedule could be manageable and even exhilarating. Beyond the learning,…
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Friday, July 8
Erev Shabbos included a trip to the beach for some more bonding and enjoyment of this beautiful land. There was pick up ball and an optional shiur from Rav Sobolofsky. Most importantly, there was an air of anticipation for the legendary Ruach and spirit of Shabbos on the NCSY Kollel. Preparations were in full swing and there was tremendous excitement in the air.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICTURES FROM OUR SUMMER EXPERIENCE
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Thursday, July 7
Learning and ball, Chaburas and Chabura Trips, Torah and Eretz Yisroel, fun and more fun - this is the NCSY Kollel recipe, and also the main components of our first full day. We met with the morning Rabbeim and enjoyed our first leanring with them. There were introductory chaburas, and a chance to choose from the awesome array of night shiur options. We opened our brand new second hockey court, and enjoyed an afternoon of sports and relaxation. There were…
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Wednesday, July 6
After months of preparation it was incredible to welcome everyone to Israel and the NCSY Summer Kollel 2011. What a thrill to see over 170 NCSYers (plus a large staff) streaming into the arrivals hall from such varied locations and backgrounds. There were plenty of familiar faces along with newcomers to the NCSY Kollel family, and it was clear from the first glimpse that the quality of the group would translate into an unforgettable summer. After checking in…
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