Shabbat: August 7

The last Shabbat on the Kollel is always something special , and in many ways indescribable. The Shabbat stands apart in time, with an equally emphasis on the past and the future. It’s energy comes first from six weeks of intense study and achdut, and draws on the many accomplishments of the summer. At the same time, the focus is also on the future, and giving a boost for the days and weeks to come.

The Ruach was absolutely incredible. Rabbi Kaminetsly’s beautiful tunes for Kballat Shabbat set a clear tone, and the meals were rousing affairs that involved and inspired practically every member of the program. Long time NCSY Kollel veterans were hard pressed to remember a Friday Night Tisch with more enthusiasm and spirit. We heard from Rabbi Freedman and from Rabbi Turetsky who inspired with both words and song.

In an increasingly popular Kollel tradition, many of the NCSYers capped the night with post-Tisch Tisch events, joining with guys from the same dorm on our campus, from the same school in the the US, or any number of other group affiliations. These gatherings offered more focused and practical suggestions for keeping the Kollel experience vibrant when we leave the program.

Shabbat morning tefilot were led by Dani Bauer and Rabbi Freedman. There were various shiurim, chavrusas, and chaburas throughout the day that provided some formal learning and grounding. Everything culminated in our Shalosh Seudos program. The singing was out of this world, and reflected clear and heartfelt tefilot of both individuals and the group as a whole. Rabbi Lebowitz closed things with powerful and poignant words of inspiration. He spoke of identity and self-discovery, particularly through learning and performance of mitzvot. His remarks clearly resonated with the group, and gave a great lift at Shabbat’s end.

Motzai Shabbat was an incredible celebration of an unbelievable summer. First, we had our summer end melava malka. The event was marked by heartfelt thanks to all of the devoted members of our staff for their tireless efforts. There was also some quality entertainment from a group of madrichim who used humor and acting talent to conjure up some of the summer’s most memorable moments. The closing video really wrapped things up beautifully, and provided a powerful glimpse at some amazing achievements.

And the night was not over yet. The kumsitz turns the spotlight on individual NCSYers whose experiences were representative of the groups as a whole. Together with the beautiful singing, it is an unforgettable night that frames the summer and leaves an indelible impression.