Thursday: July 29

It would be impossible to single out a single highlight from Thursday. From early in the morning to late at night, there was a constant flow of excitement and energy, with special events that were once-in-a-summer experiences.

In the morning we embarked on the annual Shiur Trips. The hardest work in learning takes place each morning, and these outings were a deserved reward for jobs well done. Shiurim created their own itineraries, with swimming and good food featured prominently in many of them. Above all, these trips enhance the relationships already formed between Rebbe and Talmid. The less formal, out of Shiur interactions complement the more formal learning and educational achievements beautifully. And beyond any elaborate explanations - the trips were just good fun!

The sports schedule was supplemented by the thrilling conclusion of our 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament (advanced division). Each team in the finals boasted superior teamwork and impressive skill. A huge crowd gathered and was delighted by a spirited game that was completely up for grabs until the final moments. At that point the greater size of Rabbi Lebowitz, Josh Freedman, and Zev Miller proved to be too much for their opponents to handle, and a hard earned championship was theirs.

Most inspiring was a first time program that was extremely successful. Over the course of the day (in place of regular chaburas in the afternoon and then again late at night) we spotlighted various NCSYers with interesting stories to learn from. In the afternoon, we first heard from Sammy Aronson and Nathan Kohn-Magnus. Sammy and Nathan captivated the rest of the Kollel with vivid descriptions of their experiences in public high schools. They also shared their observations on the occasional insularity of the Orthodox world and how it is perceived from the outside. From the quality and quantity of follow up questions from their peers, it was very evident that Sammy and Nathan’s words hit their mark.

Next, we had the pleasure of hearing from four of the NCSYers who have made aliyah and currently reside in Israel. Yoni Alter, Shlomo Berman, Bezalel Cohn, and Alex Yudin each related their histories and challenges, and offered vivid descriptions of life in the Holy Land. Their passion and love for Israel was absolutely contagious, and provided much to think about.

Finally, late Thursday night, we heard a mesmerizing presentation from Ben Auerbach. Ben has Tourette’s Syndrome, and he courageously detailed his experiences. It was a most inspiring talk, and the emotional and rousing standing ovation he received at its conclusion was an accurate indication of how well it was received.

The cumulative effect of these programs was a greater appreciation for each other, and a deeper sensitivity to the people around us. We ended the day more aware and contemplative than we started.

The day (and week) ended with a late night mishmar program with the participation of well over 100 of the NCSYers. When all was said and done, and the dust settled on another fantastic week on the NCSY Kollel, we were in the Beit Medrash with the focus squarely on learning.