Ignite - Spring 2013 by NCSY

Supplement to Jewish Action Magazine

THE NCSY MAGAZINE

PASSOVER 2013

ATLANTIC SEABOARD Glenview, IL

NCSY is the international youth movement of the OU

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EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Rabbi Micah Greenland....................Interim International Director, NCSY Keevy Fried........................................Associate International Director, NCSY Dr. Simcha Katz..................................President, OU Joseph Stechler.................................National Youth Commission Chairman, OU Rabbi Steven Weil..............................Executive Vice President, OU Lenny Bessler....................................Chief Human Resources Officer, OU Sam Davidovics.................................Chief Information Officer, OU Mayer Fertig.......................................Chief Communications Officer, OU David Frankel.....................................Chief Operating Officer, OU Paul S. Glasser...................................Senior Director of Institutional Advancement, OU Shlomo Schwartz..............................Chief Financial Officer, OU

INTERNATIONAL STAFF Rabbi Jack Abramowitz....................OU Torah Content Editor Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin.....................Associate Director of Education Rabbi Moshe Benovitz......................Dean of Summer Programs Rabbi Glenn Black.............................Director of Strategic Planning David Cutler.......................................Director of Summer Programs & Finances Marc Fein............................................Director of Advisor Development Samantha Feldman...........................Summer Programs Associate Rabbi Dave Felsenthal......................Director of OU NextGen Tova Flancbaum................................Associate Director of Marketing Rebekah Friedman............................Summer Programs Associate Frieda Gartenhaus............................Office Manager Rabbi Yaakov Glasser.......................Director of Education Jen Goldman......................................Assistant Director of Summer Programs Dan Hazony........................................Director of Information Systems Rabbi Yehoshua Marchuck...............Director of Alumni Duvi Stahler........................................Director of Marketing Elliot Tanzman....................................Director of Summer Programs Recruitment Alex Weissman..................................Director of Social Engagement Avi Wollman.......................................Systems Support Manager

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ON THE COVER: Yehoshua Szafranski, an NCSYer from Teaneck, NJ, gets into the Pesach spirit at an NCSY mock seder.

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THE NCSY MAGAZINE

FOR A G LOOKIN

N R U T E R H HIG VESTMENT? LAST YEAR,

D E R I P S N I E R WE

TEENS

ON AN NCSY

RAM IN G O R P R E M M SU OF THEM ISRAEL DED

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E AWAR 'V E W , R E ETH

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RSHIPS TO IN SCHOLA AT HAPPEN.

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al internation NCSY is the OU. ment of the youth move

5 DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

What is it about the first mitzvah that is so foundational to the Jewish people?

8 INTERNATIONAL TEEN PRESIDENT

Ariella Freedman finds inspiration in an unlikely place: Pakistan.

14 NCSY STANDS WITH ISRAEL

A look at four teen-led initiatives that raised awareness and funds for Israel.

20 WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT, TORAH IS IN

NCSY Yarchei Kallah reached new heights as more than 270 teens spent their winter break learning Torah.

27 SEARCHING FOR FAITH

NCSY alumnus Barry Berkowitz’s journey from high school to Google headquarters.

32 COMING FULL CIRCLE

Daniel Gryfe, who went on NCSY Kollel in 1997, returns year after year.

36 KEEPING THE FAITH

A mother’s prayers for her daughter are answered.

FACES IN THE CROWD

Find out what the OU’s new chief communications officer thinks of NCSY and meet Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin.

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

Assimilation and intermarriage are accelerating. What can we do to stop it?

13 GIVE USA

AFTER THE STORM

When the storm of the century hit the tri-state area, NCSYers rushed to help out.

NCSY’s newest summer program will change the way you think about volunteering.

COMMUNITY SNAPSHOTS

All across North America, community members came out to support NCSY.

YOUTHCON CONVENTION

Nearly 500 people attended NCSY’s YouthCon, a one-day convention for experiential educators.

SHABBAT SHABANG

A look at NCSY’s newly-launched innovative program that brings inspiration to communities across North America.

GOOD TO GREAT

After 22 years, Rabbi Steven Burg, NCSY’s international director, has stepped down. A look back at his many accomplishments.

28 FITTING IN AND STANDING OUT

Growing up black and Jewish in California, Havneh Feder-Haugabook was proud of both his heritages.

DEAR ABBE

Rivka Abbe believes teens can change the world. She already has.

EYE ON ADVISORS

Raffi Glickman and Rachel Immerman met in high school and are now Central East NCSY advisors.

HOT IN CHILE

NCSY’s presence in Chile has been heating up.

CITY HIGHLIGHTS

ACT YOUR AGE

Happenings from around the NCSY world.

Rabbi Moshe Benovitz asks what we’re motivating our children towards.

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s the Jewish people were preparing to leave Egypt, the first mitzvah they were given as a nation was the commandment to establish a calendar in order to sanctify the monthly rebirth of the moon. What is it about this mitzvah that is so foundational to us as a people? There are many explanations, but I would like to share a unique kabbalistic approach. The Zohar, in elucidating the importance of this mitzvah, explains: “The Jewish nation is compared to the moon. Just as the moon fades and appears to vanish into darkness only to be reborn, so too the Jewish people often seem to be overwhelmed by the forces of darkness only to re-emerge as a nation reborn.” The state of Judaism in America today is truly a paradox. On one hand, we are flourishing. There are more Jews learning Torah in day schools, yeshivot, seminaries and kollelim than during any other time in our history. Jewish knowledge is accessible through Torah-oriented websites and Jewish publishing houses as well as thousands of daf yomi shiurim across the country. Becoming literate in Judaism is easier today than it ever was before. The Jewish people are strong. Our moon, to paraphrase from the Zohar, would appear to be full and complete, shining brightly. And yet, it’s impossible for us to be satisfied with that. Look around: Fewer than 10% of the Jewish youth in most American cities attend a Jewish day school! Hundreds of thousands don’t know an aleph from a bet, Shabbat from Sunday, and Israel from any other country in the world. Beyond that, even the students in our own Jewish day schools don’t often appreciate what they have. How many of our children are inspired when they daven? How many enjoy Shabbat? How many cherish mitzvot as opportunities to forge a relationship with God, rather than as burdens to somehow get past as they go through their daily routine? And an even more frightening thought: how can we guarantee that, despite the strength of their education, they won’t soon cast aside their Jewish practice in an effort to assimilate more easily on campus or in the workplace? It would seem that darkness is prevailing. Where is the hope for the spiritual rejuvenation of the Jewish people? Where is the message of the new moon, promising that darkness is only temporary, and that ultimately, the Jewish people will emerge re-energized? Only NCSY comprehensively addresses this unparalleled spiritual challenge facing our people, reaching both of those critical populations. By sponsoring Jewish culture clubs in public high schools through the Jewish Student Union (JSU), NCSY reaches thousands of unaffiliated and under-affiliated

PA S S O V E R 2013

Jewish kids across America with innovative Torah-learning programs. NCSY offers a wide range of summertime opportunities, from incredibly high level Torah-learning programs such as NCSY Summer Kollel in Israel to TJJ (The Jerusalem Journey), a highly subsidized Israel summer experience for 300 public school students. Only NCSY treats every single Jewish child as if his or her passion and commitment to Judaism is our responsibility — because it is our responsibility. As you will read in these pages, every single day NCSY brings to life the message of Rosh Chodesh, ensuring a brilliant Jewish future by inspiring teens across the country and around the world. I have been involved in NCSY since 1985, when, as a fourth grader, I began attending Junior NCSY events at Congregation Beth Shalom in Rochester, NY. The leadership skills that I developed during my years in NCSY, as I served on chapter, regional and national boards, continue to guide me to this day. Furthermore, NCSY was instrumental in developing my passion and commitment to yiddishkeit, as well as my dedication to serving klal Yisrael. I believe in NCSY’s capacity to instill those same values and strengthen those capabilities in each of our participants. Now, as NCSY’s interim international director, I am thrilled about the opportunity to continue to build and develop this great organization. I believe that with your help, we at NCSY can ensure that the moon of the Jewish people emerges, brighter than ever. With Torah Blessings,

Rabbi Micah Greenland

How have you grown from NCSY? Dec 19, 2012 at 3:00pm · Like

Ari Zwiren NCSY gave me the tools, the opportunity and the experience to grow as a leader, as a contributor and most importantly as a Jew. December 19, 2012 at 3:19pm · Like 1 Hannah Ash NCSY has allowed me to be a part of something that is bigger than myself. I have countless people I have to thank due to the strides I have made in NCSY. December 19, 2012 at 10:25pm· Like 1 Orly Ohayon NCSY has made me reach heights I thought I could never achieve. It showed what it meant to be a real Jewish leader. It showed me that each and every day when I walk through those doors in my public school, it only makes me a stronger person. NCSY ignited a certain passion, inside me, towards Judaism that will last forever. December 20, 2012 at 5:18pm· Like 1

RABBI DOVID BASHEVKIN

“Like” us on Facebook. Visit facebook.com/myncsy

Associate Director of Education for NCSY

Dovid Bashevkin wants NCSY advisors and educators to be magicians. “Magic is about taking the ordinary and doing something extraordinary with it,” he explains. Dovid attended DRS Yeshiva High school for Boys in Woodmere, NY, and then spent two years in Yeshivat Shaalvim in Israel. After returning from Israel, Dovid attended Ner Yisroel in Baltimore for three years, followed by RIETS (Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary). He received his master’s degree from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, focusing on Polish Hasidism, specifically Rav Zadok of Lublin, under the direction of Dr. Yaakov Elman. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in public policy and management from The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs. In 2010, Dovid was hired to strengthen the educational programming of NCSY. As part of his responsibilities, Dovid produces and oversees educational material for NCSY Regionals, Shabbatons and summer programs. Last year, Dovid produced the material for 110 different educational sessions, totaling over 1,000 pages. (Dovid catalogs everything he reads and keeps a 100 gig hard drive filled with alphabetized Torah sources and articles on nearly every topic — from advertising to zombies.) His breadth of knowledge on matters, both secular and spiritual, makes Dovid a sought after scholar-in-residence around the world. Dovid, along with Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, is also responsible for staff development for NCSY. “I try to give people the skills to become long-term educators,” he said. Judging by all that he has already accomplished, his success is no illusion.

for OU Chief Communications Officer

Mayer Fertig

Q: Welcome to the Orthodox Union! As an awardwinning journalist and broadcaster, did you ever imagine you would end up working for the Orthodox Union? A: I can’t say that I did imagine I would ever work at the OU, but think how boring life would be if it were predictable. I do know that ‘work’ takes on a whole new level of meaning and importance when you feel — when you know — that you’ve got skin in the game; that the work you do matters to the future of your family and friends and to the Jewish people.

Q: What message do you have for NCSY supporters and teens involved in NCSY? A: Supporters should be very proud of the work that NCSY

is able to accomplish because of their help. Teens involved in NCSY should be just as proud. I’m always impressed when I meet people who simply decide that there’s something missing in their life — that there’s more to life than what they’re currently experiencing — and decide to make it different. To change, to take on more, to become more observant and have a different relationship with God than they did before. I think people with the strength of character to do that are incredible.

Q: How has your perception of NCSY changed since coming to the OU? A: I’ve always thought well of NCSY, but since arriving at

the OU and meeting some of the players and learning about the amazing work they do and the incredible programs they run — I’m truly impressed. And I’m proud to be here.

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By: Joseph “Yossi” Stechler Chairman, NCSY

t broke my uncle’s heart. His first grandson was getting married. My uncle should have been thrilled, but his eyes were filled with tears. A survivor of the Buchenwald concentration camp, my uncle is more traditional than religious. He has a Pesach seder and attends the High Holiday services, but he sent his children to public schools. After his daughter moved to the West Coast, her sons had little contact with their Jewish heritage. When the wedding invitation came recently, the cover was a photo of my uncle’s grandson smiling at his Cambodian fiancé. That painful scenario is being increasingly replayed all over North America. More and more young Jews have lost interest in our faith and in being part of the Jewish people. The reason: they know nothing about Judaism. In prior years, many non-religious Jewish families sent their children to after-school and weekend Jewish studies programs. They attended Conservative and Reform congregations with their children. To a large extent, even that minimal contact with Judaism is no longer occurring. In a June 2012 opinion article on the Times of Israel website, Josefin Dolsten, then the president of the Reform Jewish student organization of Cornell University, noted a personal example of this growing trend. Even though there were over 1,000 Reform students on campus, she said it was difficult to get a quorum of ten for Friday night services — despite the fact they counted both men and women. Ms. Dolsten also observed that when she went home and attended her family’s Conservative temple, she was the only young person in the entire congregation — by several decades. Her conclusion: non-Orthodox Judaism isn’t engaging the great majority of young Jews anymore. The saddest, most tragic aspect of this horrendous portent of accelerating assimilation and intermarriage is that it is preventable. With the necessary scholarship funds, most young North American Jews can attend exciting NCSY programs that help them learn about and experience the rich heritage and eternal faith of Israel. Just before the Holocaust began, many Jewish children were saved by relatively small amounts of donated funds. Following Kristallnacht in 1938, the British government allowed nearly 10,000 Jewish children predominantly from Nazi Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland to immigrate to Britain. Jewish organizations in Britain funded

PA S S O V E R 2013

the rescue effort. Almost 7,500 Jewish children were saved. Many went on to build large Jewish families. Many became leading public, communal and business leaders. This was all due to the hard work and financial assistance of a small group of British Jews dedicated to saving Jewish children. NCSY, the youth organization of the Orthodox Union, and its supporters are also dedicated to saving Jewish children — not from a physical threat but from the corrosive impact of ignorance and assimilation. Whether it’s the Jewish Student Union (JSU) clubs in 250 public high schools across North America, the individual and group learning sessions, the Shabbatons or the intensive summer programs, NCSY has a profound and lasting impact on thousands of participants each year. An overwhelming number of NCSYers are drawn to the Torah, to a more spiritual, caring life and to a determination to marry Jewish. One of NCSY’s staff members in Toronto, Avi Levinson, wrote me that that he hosts 15-20 public school students for Friday night meals each Shabbat. Recently, they hosted the dinner at the house of Taylor, a young girl who attended NCSY’s TJJ (The Jerusalem Journey), a month-long Israel touring program for public high school students. Since returning from TJJ, Taylor has started keeping Shabbat. Avi wrote: Since Taylor’s family does not keep a kosher home, my wife did all the cooking at our house. Taylor’s mother really wanted to be involved so she came over on Friday to cook with her, which my wife told me was a very inspirational experience for the mother. Over the course of the meal, I asked Taylor’s parents if they normally have a Shabbat meal. Her father told me that they started to stay home on Friday nights because of Taylor keeping Shabbat and they will make some sort of dinner because of her... One kid goes on TJJ and the whole family is now on a growth track towards a stronger Jewish life. We need to transport more Taylors from the road to assimilation to the path of a meaningful Jewish life. Please contact your regional NCSY office to offer your support. Together, we can change the fate of American Jewry. u

BY: ARIELLA FREEDMAN n October 9, 2012, Pakistani Taliban boarded a school bus and shot 15-year-old Malala Yousufzai. Why? What did young Malala do to deserve it? In 2009, the Taliban demanded that all private schools be closed in an effort to ban girls’ education. Malala was determined to stand up for what she believed. “I have the right of education... I have the right to talk... I have the right to speak up,” she said in a 2011 interview with CNN. Despite receiving death threats, she blogged for the BBC (British Broadcasting Channel) under a pseudonym promoting girls’ education. In 2011, Malala was awarded the first Pakistani National Youth Peace Prize, which was later renamed the National Malala Peace Prize. When she was shot, the entire world came together on her behalf. The head of the Pakistani International Airlines put a plane on standby to take Malala anywhere in the world for special treatment. Two neurosurgeons, one in the United States and one in the United Kingdom, offered to fly to Pakistan to treat her. Vigils were held all over the globe and thousands of supporters rallied behind Malala. When asked in an interview why she risked her life to raise her voice, Malala responded with extraordinary confidence and pride: “I shall raise my voice because if I don’t do it, who would?” In Judaism, we believe the same thing. Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), states: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” A true leader is someone who takes action when no one else does. It doesn’t matter how old or where he or she comes from. As the international teen president of NCSY, I have the tremendous opportunity to impact thousands of NCSYers throughout North America, despite only being a high school senior. In November, when hundreds of rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, I found myself feeling a bit helpless. I empathized with our brothers and sisters in Israel, but I didn’t see anything that I could do to address the situation.

NCSY teen president Ariella Freedman, surrounded by national board members Jordyn Kaufman and Rebecca Hefter, proves that teens can make a difference.

As the color red became closely associated with Operation Pillar of Defense (red represents the “Code Red” sirens that are set off when a rocket is launched from Gaza), it occurred to me that maybe the most meaningful thing to do was to simply show Israel that we stand with them. With this in mind, I, along with my fellow national board members, organized the #NCSYStandsWithIsrael campaign — a day when NCSYers across the world showed their solidarity with Israel by wearing red. In total, more than 850 NCSYers joined together to show their support (see page 14). In addition, this past January we launched three programs to deliver inspiration and Judaism on a regular basis to thousands of NCSYers throughout the nation. “Call of Inspiration” is a weekly nation-wide phone conference that features guest speakers who share inspiration with NCSYers for 15 minutes, followed by a 90-second update of NCSY news from around the regions. “Share-A-Shabbat” pairs up NCSYers with local community members to partake in Shabbat meals. Lastly, “Teen 2 Teen” connects NCSYers from all over America and Canada to learn Torah via video chat, phone and in-person meetings. These initiatives came into fruition because, like Malala, teens stood up for what they believed in. Because of Malala, and others like her, Pakistani women are now attending school and furthering their education. Malala did not only change the present, she changed the future. It is up to us in NCSY to empower ourselves and change the future too.

A true leader is someone who takes action when no one else does. IGNITE

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MAJOR EVENTS AROUND NCSY

AFTER THE STORM

GIVE USA

NCSY STANDS WITH ISRAEL

COMMUNITY SNAPSHOTS

YOUTHCON CONVENTION

WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT, TORAH IS IN

SHABBAT SHABANG

When Hurricane Sandy hit the tri-state area, NCSYers across the world rushed to help out. NCSY’s newest summer program will change the way you think about giving. A look at four teen-led initiatives that raised awareness and funds for Israel. Across North America, community members came out to support NCSY. Nearly 500 people attended NCSY’s YouthCon, a one-day convention for experiential educators. NCSY Yarchei Kallah reached new heights as more than 270 teens spent their winter break learning Torah. A look at NCSY’s newly launched, innovative program that brings inspiration to communities across North America.

NCSY teens around the world do their part to help victims of Hurricane Sandy There are no words to describe the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Trees were uprooted, houses were destroyed, shuls were flooded, and thousands of people were left without power and displaced from their homes. NCSYers immediately began volunteering and doing whatever they could. Take a look at NCSY’s relief efforts in the months following the hurricane.

Canada NCSY Teens from Canada NCSY’s Thornhill, Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto chapters who were participating in their annual New York Shabbaton partnered with NECHAMA: The Jewish Response to Disaster and spent a day gutting, cleaning and repairing a city-run day care center in Hoboken, New Jersey.

West Coast NCSY Shimrit O’Brien (left) and Nofar Movshovich, a Portland NCSY JUMP member, worked together to make a blanket for a family affected by Hurricane Sandy. Additionally, through a clothing drive held by Portland’s JSU club, they were able to send three full suitcases to New York for people in need.

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A teen’s firsthand account of Hurricane Sandy New York NCSY

PHOTO: LIZ LIGON

New York NCSY hosted a food drive to help families who were without power for days.

New Jersey NCSY New Jersey NCSY kicked off their annual Winter Regional Convention with a community-wide carnival in Hoboken, NJ — a city that suffered severe damage and flooding from the storm. Games, clowns, magicians, manicures, balloons and face painting brought smiles to everyone’s faces. The entire carnival was sponsored by New Jersey NCSY and staffed by New Jersey NCSYers.

Midwest NCSY On November 11, people from all over Chicago and the surrounding areas dropped off clothes and supplies that were sorted and packed into a truck by an army of NCSY volunteers.

PA S S O V E R 2013

By: Nikki Feerst I’ve lived in a two-story house for my whole life and we’ve never had any flooding. Before the hurricane, there was a mandatory evacuation planned for the town of Long Beach. Even though we got countless calls from town hall, we decided to stick it out, just like all of our neighbors. When the hurricane approached, it didn’t seem like anything was happening. Slowly, as the evening continued, the tides grew higher and higher. The water began to cover our yard and then reached our doorway. We began moving our valuables to the second floor, just in case. Then the flood really began. It came in like a huge wave and within 15 minutes, I was walking through waist-high waters. Aside from what we moved upstairs, everything was gone. Later that night, there was a fire around the corner. It looked big, but I couldn’t see exactly what was happening. Later, I learned that eight homes burned down. All that was left were piles of ashes. We lived on our second floor for a week until we were able to find a hotel room. It was great just to have heat and flowing water. After a week in the hotel, we found a house for rent in a nearby community. From this whole experience, I learned not only to appreciate the small things in life, but also that everything we have is from God and it can be taken away in the blink of an eye. u

New Jersey NCSY New Jersey NCSY’s JUMP team was honored for their Sundays 4 Sandy program at Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s annual menorah lighting ceremony on December 10. Sundays 4 Sandy is an organization created by members of the NJ JUMP team that asks teens to volunteer on Sundays to help those suffering from the hurricane.

Atlantic Seaboard NCSY Sixty teens at Atlantic Seaboard NCSY’s Winter Regional Shabbaton elected to spend their Friday morning volunteering at a local food bank and assembling packages for families reeling from Hurricane Sandy.

Other Initiatives: New York NCSY Above, Yossi Schwartz, North Shore NCSY Director; Aryeh Smith, MidIsland NCSY Director; Jonny Irom, senior at Oceanside High School and regional board member; and Morgan Ossofs, senior at Oceanside High School, worked together to clean homes and a local synagogue. Below, a Torah scroll dries out at the Young Israel of Oceanside.

1) Ottawa NCSY organized a BBQ & Bake Sale on November 18 to raise funds for families affected by Hurricane Sandy. Over 200 people from the community attended and more than $5,000 was raised for the relief effort. 2) Manhattan NCSY helped clean the Bach Jewish Center in Long Beach with Long Beach Disaster Relief. 3) Kohelet NCSY’s JUMP team partnered with local Philadelphia public schools to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy by collecting toiletries and food. 4) Brooklyn JSU and NCSY members helped prepare 300 meals for residents of Brooklyn’s Seagate community. Some teens were so moved by the experience that they collected money to sponsor more meals. 5) Sarita Weltman, a student at Wolfson High School in Jacksonville, FL, together with her chapter board, encouraged members of their community to donate non-perishable food and cleaning products at an emergency Sandy drive. 6) Westchester NCSYers joined a Sh’or Yoshuv disaster relief effort and assisted in organizing all the clothing donations.

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NCSY BUILDS ON THE SUCCESS OF ITS ISRAEL-BASED SUMMER VOLUNTEERING PROGRAM IN THE UNITED STATES. GIVE USA will change the way you think about giving. Modeled after the highly-acclaimed NCSY summer program GIVE (Girls Israel Volunteer Experience), GIVE USA will take girls on a volunteering mission down the East Coast. Girls will run a carnival for the developmentally disabled, deliver food to the homeless and build houses, all while having the time of their lives with activities like hiking, biking, swimming and horseback riding. “GIVE USA is designed to fully immerse high school girls in an environment that empowers them to grow spiritually while having a blast with their friends,” said GIVE USA director Amy Tropp. “Girls will travel along the East Coast and experience firsthand what chesed truly means.” GIVE USA was developed over 18 months by Tropp and David Cutler, director of NCSY Summer Programs. Cutler cited the principle of tikkun olam, the Jewish idea of repairing the world, as a motivation for the program. “Hundreds of teens travel to Israel every summer to volunteer and help communities in need,” explained Cutler. “What about the communities right next door to us? We have an obligation to help them too.” The program is exclusively for high school girls and runs for five weeks beginning at the end of June. The impact, however, will last a lifetime. Learn more and register at www.ncsysummer.com.

On TJJ, I connected with my Jewish heritage. On TJJ Ambassadors, I embraced Judaism and stood for my Jewish identity. On GIVE USA, I want to share my Jewish values through chesed. Jessica Sabbah-Dery Junior, Fair Lawn High School, New Jersey

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In November, hundreds of rockets were fired into Israel. Warning sirens sounded all over the country, day and night. For NCSYers, it wasn’t enough to simply watch the news — they had to act.

Standing with Israel Kansas City teens showed their support for Israel by sharing tweets and Facebook posts from the IDF. Teens sold “NCSY Stands with Israel” t-shirts in their region, schools and even in Israel. The NCSYers raised over $800 that went towards delivering gift packages to IDF soldiers.

$15 for :15

In southern Israel, a child has 15 seconds to run to safety when rockets are fired from Gaza. NY NCSY launched “$15 for :15” to raise money for children affected by terror in Israel. For every $15 donated, participants were entered into a raffle to win one of eight iPad Minis distributed during Chanukah. All the iPads were generously donated to NCSY.

Bracelets for Israel RASG Hebrew Academy’s NCSY JUMP team in Miami Beach, Florida, sold Am Yisrael Chai bracelets to raise money for Sderot.

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NCSY Wears Red On November 20, six days after Israel announced Operation Pillar of Defense, NCSY teen president Ariella Freedman launched “NCSY Wears Red,” an online campaign in which children, teens and adults wore red to symbolize the condition of “Code Red” that southern Israel experienced. Within hours, hundreds posted photographs on Facebook and Instagram to demonstrate their solidarity with Israel. Central High School, Queens, NY

Columbus Torah Academy, Columbus, OH

RASG Hebrew Academy, Miami Beach, FL

Kohelet Yeshiva High School, Philadelphia, PA

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Akiva Hebrew Day School, Detroit, MI

PHOTO: SHYNDEE KESTENBAUM

On December 4, more than a thousand concert attendees packed into the Toronto Centre for the Arts for Canada NCSY’s 32nd annual concert. As part of this year’s concert, a “Top Talent Live” singing competition was introduced for the chance to win $1,000 and sing a duet with this concert’s featured performer, Avraham Fried. The winner, Jonathan Green (right), proudly displays his trophy with Avraham Fried (center) and Glenn Black, CEO of Canada NCSY.

Pittsburgh, PA More than 135 people attended Pittsburgh NCSY’s Casino Night at Congregation Poale Zedeck on December 22. Thanks to a generous matching grant from a local foundation, the total funds raised increased nearly 45%. The event also demonstrated what NCSY does for local NCSYers and the broader Jewish community. Pictured above (from left): Mr. Danny Shaw, Dr. Marc Itskowitz and Dr. Rob Davis.

PHOTO: WWW.KRUTER.COM

Toronto, Canada

Baltimore, MD Atlantic Seaboard NCSY held its 38th Annual Isaac H. Taylor Jewish Music Festival at The Lyric Opera House on December 30. With more than 2,200 attendees, the sold-out event featured singers Shloime Gertner, Baruch Levine and 8th Day. Above, honorees Rabbi Chaim and Hali Gottesman accepted their award from NCSY’s Youth Commission Chairman Dr. Michael J. Elman (second from right), Dana Sicherman, director of institutional advancement, and Rabbi Jonah Lerner, regional director of Atlantic Seaboard NCSY.

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PHOTO: WWW.KRUTER.COM

Teaneck, NJ

Chicago, IL

PHOTO: REUVEN TURK

Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, regional director of NJ NCSY, with honorees Dr. Adam and Renee Becker with their daughter Lauren, Rabbi Steven Weil, executive vice president of the OU, and Bennett Schachter, a chair of the event, at New Jerseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual scholarship fundraising event on December 31. Other honorees included William and Gail Hochman and Rabbi Steven and Rachel Burg.

Nearly 350 guests joined Midwest NCSY to celebrate at their 49th anniversary banquet on January 14. A highlight of the evening was an inspiring speech by Midwest NCSY regional president David Iken from Clayton, MO. He spoke about the challenges he faces as a Jewish teen in a public high school, and how with NCSYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help, he maintained and developed a deeper connection to his Judaism, which has inspired him to study in Israel for a year after he graduates. Left picture: Guests of honor David and Miri Rosenwasser. Right picture: Rabbi Micah Greenland and Mr. Joe Zimmerman, Midwest NCSY lay leader, presented Shosh and Dovid Friedman with the Advisors of the Year award.

Napa Valley, CA NCSY supporters sipped fine wine on an annual men-only one-day escape to Wine Country in Napa Valley with Rabbi Effie Goldberg, executive director of West Coast NCSY. They sampled kosher wines from HaGafen, Rudd and Covenant wineries, followed by dinner in a private home with local wine makers.

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NCSY’S SECOND ANNUAL CONVENTION A SMASHING SUCCESS CSY’s second annual YouthCon convention, held on August 19 at the Stamford Hilton, exceeded expectations with nearly 500 attendees. YouthCon continues to lead the world of informal Jewish education by bringing together hundreds of Jewish educators on the forefront of informal education to network and learn from each other’s leadership and educational roles. This year’s convention included participants from more than 165 organizations and presenters from over 60 organizations.

This year’s convention featured 15 sessions in Digital Media, Organizational Management, Spirituality, Social Sphere and Synagogue Youth as well as an afternoon plenary and an all-day Service Center. Specific segments of the day were set aside for networking and brainstorming with other like-minded educators. Recognizing that every individual learns differently, each category was discussed in three different forums: workshops, panel discussions and “15 Minutes of Fame,” brief presentations showcasing new ideas.

“The best thing about YouthCon was there was no agenda other than sharing ideas on how to engage Jewish youth,” explained Rabbi Jonathan Gross from Omaha, Nebraska.

Photos by Meir Kruter (www.kruter.com)

YouthCon’s highlight was the afternoon plenary which featured a discussion moderated by Rabbi Steven Burg, former international director of NCSY, between Richard Joel, president of Yeshiva University; Ruth Messinger, CEO of American Jewish World Service and Shimon Waronker, headmaster of the New American Academy. All three spoke about their journeys to become leaders in the field of Jewish education.

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Matt Bar, creator of Bible Raps, explains how music can be used as a tool to infuse spirituality in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewish youth.

The best thing about YouthCon was there was no agenda other than sharing ideas on how to engage Jewish youth. Rabbi Jonathan Gross Omaha, Nebraska The YouthCon Service Center enabled educators to meet one-on-one with experts in various fields in order to strengthen their understanding in areas such as resume building and social media management.

At YouthCon, participants had the opportunity to choose between five distinct tracks: Digital Media, Organizational Management, Spirituality, Social Sphere and Synagogue Youth.

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Rabbi Dov Emerson, assistant principal of DRS Yeshiva High School, taught Jewish youth professionals how to leverage technology to teach others and develop themselves.

NCSY’s Yarchei Kallah reached new heights this year as a record 273 Jewish teens spent winter break learning Torah

CSY hosted its largest-ever Yarchei Kallah with more than 270 public school students from all over North America. Yarchei Kallah is a five-day learning program during winter break designed to connect public school teens with their Jewish heritage through one-on-one Torah learning, asking questions and latenight discussions.

Thanks to a generous donation by Touro College, every participant received two books to add to their own Jewish library.

PHOTO: JOSH WEINBERG

After three full days of learning and growing in the Stamford Hilton, the entire convention boarded buses and travelled to Teaneck, New Jersey. There, NCSYers and advisors spent Shabbat in a thriving Jewish community and stayed with families who embrace a Torah lifestyle.

PHOTO: JOSH WEINBERG

The week kicked off with an inspiring and empowering d’var Torah introducing the focus of Yarchei Kallah: Megillat Esther. “Yarchei Kallah is here for you. It’s here for you to challenge yourself, ask questions, learn Torah and grow in your Judaism,” said Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, director of education for NCSY. Yarchei Kallah was filled with classes, smaller learning groups, guest lectures and optional learning. Above, Rabbi Simcha Willig leads a class on Megillat Esther, the focus of this year’s program.

Through each activity that passes on the Yarchei Kallah schedule, I not only understand Judaism more, but myself and what I believe and stand for.… It warms me to know that I am surrounded with kids my age who are willing, able, and wanting to philosophically engage with each other to learn and grow.” Jackson Nemeth

Senior, Shaker Heights High School, Cleveland, OH Read Jackson’s Yarchei Kallah blog at www.ncsy.org/blog

Thanks to a generous donation by Touro College, each participant walked away with two Jewish books to add to their personal Jewish library.

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PHOTO: TOVA FLANCBAUM

A record number of Jewish public school students from North America gathered together during their winter break to discover and connect with their Jewish heritage.

Participants had fun learning about NCSY’s twelve unique summer programs during a creative and experiential NCSY Summer fair. Forty percent of this year’s Yarchei Kallah participants went on an NCSY Summer program last summer.

During Yarchei Kallah, we asked teens to take pictures and post them to the popular social media site Instagram

Capturing the

Moment

with the hashtag #ncsyyk. Here are some of our favorites:

jordyn214

lizzth3shizz

#ncsyyk

@myncsy #ncsyyk #ncsy #faith #megillah

yakovsamuels @myncsy “I <3 NCSY” spelled out in custom NCSY M&Ms. #missing #ncsyyk #takemeback #2012

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havenofeel

#ncsyyk national board

ssandlerrr

Jam sesh #1 #ncsyyk #ncsyjenna #jamsesh #goodtobeback #tjja

arirosa_5

#jewlife #ncsyyk #myncsy #newbooks #thechumash #talmudbavli #artscroll

From coast to coast, NCSY’s innovative program is popping up in communities across the country eens are constantly craving more Shabbatons. Aside from making new friends and being immersed in an environment filled with spirituality, NCSYers are building relationships with advisors. These advisors are role models, mentors and friends to every participant. To help bridge the gap between Shabbatons, NCSY launched Shabbat Shabang this year. Malkie Krieger, director of NCSY Shabbat Shabang, explains, “Shabbat Shabang is a program where NCSY advisors are brought into communities on a regular basis. We saw there was a need for more consistent NCSY involvement so we brought Shabbatons straight to them. It also gives community members the opportunity to be involved and see the magic of NCSY.” Over the past seven months, Shabbat Shabang has expanded into five communities across North America. Unlike the typical NCSY Shabbaton, Shabbat Shabang is for the whole community, not just NCSYers. Throughout the weekend, advisors engage both teens and community members in exciting and meaningful programming, spiritually enlightening discussions and zemirot (Shabbat songs).

peers, and the community is more involved than ever in NCSY programming.” Rabbi Judah Darkik and his shul, Oakland, California’s Beth Jacob Congregation, experienced their first Shabbat Shabang in October. “The enthusiasm of sharing Shabbat together is infectious,” he says. “Beyond the impact that experiencing an authentic Shabbat has on our teens, Shabbat Shabang has brought excitement and spirit to our community Shabbat.” Sofia Meola, an 11th grade East Bay NCSYer shares, “Through Shabbat Shabang I am able to learn with one of our advisors on a weekly basis! I’m so thankful for this opportunity.” Although in its first year, Shabbat Shabang has already brought life and spirituality to five communities around the country, it’s only a matter of time until it reaches yours. For more information about bringing Shabbat Shabang to your community, e-mail Malkie at kriegerm@ncsy.org.

Every five weeks, advisors spend Shabbat with their selected communities. They lead a Friday night dinner filled with singing and divrei Torah, a community-wide oneg, Shabbat day programming, and a fun Saturday night and Sunday activity. In short, they give the community a glimpse of what NCSY is all about. Currently, Shabbat Shabang takes place in East Bay, CA; Kansas City, KS; Philadelphia, PA; Cherry Hill, NJ; and Las Vegas, NV. Rabbi Akiva Naiman, director of East Bay NCSY, explains, “If I had to point to one specific NCSY program that has been the source of the most growth, the most Torah learning, and the most inspiration, it would be our new monthly Shabbat Shabang program. NCSYers build stronger relationships with their incredible advisors and

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Profiles of the people and places that matter

GOOD TO GREAT

SEARCHING FOR FAITH

FITTING IN AND STANDING OUT

DEAR ABBE

COMING FULL CIRCLE

EYE ON ADVISORS

HOT IN CHILE

KEEPING THE FAITH

pg pg

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After 22 years, Rabbi Steven Burg, NCSY’s international director, has stepped down. A look back at his many accomplishments. NCSY alumnus Barry Berkowitz’s journey from high school to Google headquarters. Growing up black and Jewish in California, Havneh Feder-Haugabook was proud of both his heritages. Rivka Abbe believes teens can change the world. She already has. Daniel Gryfe, who went on NCSY Kollel in 1997, returns year after year. Meet two advisors who met in high school and are now married. NCSY’s presence in Chile heats up. A mother’s prayers for her daughter are answered.

PHOTO: NOACH KLEIN

Rabbi Steven Burg joined NCSY in college as a volunteer advisor and rose to become its international director; a look back on the 22-year career of Rabbi Steven and Rachel Burg

The career of Rabbi Steven Burg, NCSY’s former international director, began with a single Shabbaton. “People know the real thing when they see it,” Rabbi Burg recalled. “I walked in and saw the spirituality. I understood right away that this was what God intended for the Jewish people.” At the time, 1991, Rabbi Burg was a freshman at Yeshiva University who envisioned becoming a lawyer. That Shabbaton changed everything. “I fell in love,” he said. “I decided, then and there, I wanted to be an NCSY regional director.” Rabbi Burg immersed himself in the world of NCSY. He became an advisor for the Central East region and eventually became a program coordinator. He went on every Shabbaton for Junior and Senior NCSY, attended the National Yarchei Kallah Convention and was a madrich (advisor) on NCSY Kollel for three summers.

PHOTO: WWW.KRUTER.COM

In 1996, he married his wife, Rachel Kosberg, who was the head advisor for Southern NCSY. Eight days after their wedding, the newlyweds boarded a flight to Israel where Rabbi Burg took up a position as a rabbi on NCSY Kollel. (The Burgs, now married for almost 20 years, have a running joke as to when they’ll take their honeymoon.)

After the summer the two flew down to Detroit where Rabbi Burg became the associate regional director of Central East NCSY. He wore many hats during his time there: he was also the director of Junior NCSY and the Detroit chapter director. As associate regional director, Rabbi Burg came to a realization about the impact NCSY was having. “A person really begins their journey into adulthood when they’re 15 and 16; that’s when they start to think and try

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to figure things out,” he said. “It’s at that point that the Jewish people need to be on the scene to make the case for passionate Judaism. Most teens aren’t passionate because they don’t know how to be passionate. That is our job: to teach them to be passionate about Torah and mitzvot.”

The Jerusalem Journey (TJJ) In 1998, Rabbi Burg, along with Rabbi Barry Goldfischer, launched The Jerusalem Journey (TJJ). The summer program took public school students on a whirlwind tour of Israel over five weeks for a heavily subsidized price. “One summer in Israel can change a person’s life,” Rabbi Burg said. Since its inception, the program has become NCSY’s flagship summer program for public school students. As of 2012, more than 2,000 public school students have gone on the program.

Go West Young Man In 2000, Rabbi Burg became the regional director of West Coast NCSY. Under Rabbi Burg’s direction the region exploded and went from having 175 teens attend Regional Conventions to more than 400. The region also expanded, opening new chapters all over the area, including El Paso, Texas, and Vancouver, Canada. The Burgs had an open home in Los Angeles. “On average we would have 40-50 teens every Shabbat,” explained Rabbi Burg. “This was part of what made NCSY work — we showed NCSY teens what a functional Jewish home is. My wife was instrumental in building that.”

An Equal Partner When Rachel Kosberg had her first date with Steven Burg, he made all the classic shidduch mistakes. He didn’t have any idea where to take her. He took her on the subway and took her out to a bad, unfunny IMAX movie. For most girls at Stern College for Women, these faux paus may have been enough to doom any chance of a second date, but it worked for Rachel. “We had a great time,” she recalled 22 years later. “I liked the fact that he didn’t follow the ‘rules.’ We clicked.” The two married months later. Unlike her husband, Rachel had been involved in West Coast NCSY during high school and was already passionate about NCSY as a college student. She chose to work at NCSY over other volunteering opportunities and became the head advisor for NCSY’s Southern region. “I was drawn to it due to the consistency of the program,” she explained. “The expectations for both the advisors and the NCSYers were established by virtue of us returning Shabbaton after Shabbaton for many years.” Rachel played an integral role in her husband’s efforts throughout his career. “There’s no question he did the physical work and ran the place but at the same time, we were partners in this endeavor,” she said. “It’s the only way to continue raising successful kids. Unlike most jobs that stay in the office, this one impacts your family life.” As for stories and personal anecdotes about NCSYers, Rachel said that “there are so many, but they all sound the same.” “Maybe that’s the beauty of it — each story is unique but they follow the pattern,” she mused. “There’s a tipping point that people go through and my family and I have been granted the opportunity to watch people make positive changes that have transformed their lives. NCSY didn’t change them, it empowered them.” As she and her husband take their final bow on the NCSY stage, she said NCSY has changed her and her family’s life.

Rabbi Steven Burg (left) with Phil Barash, a student at Michigan’s Berkley High School, on Yarchei Kallah in 1995.

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“The building blocks that NCSY gave us are the foundations of our family life.”

Under his watch the number of attendees of NCSY’s summer programs tripled. Rabbi Burg credits the staff he brought on, including David Cutler on NCSY Summer Programs, Rabbi Moshe Benovitz on NCSY Kollel and Rabbi Barry Goldfischer on TJJ. “The most important thing is to empower people,” Rabbi Burg said. “NCSY has the most talented people in the world and they believe in the cause.” Rabbi Burg also worked to bring different regions together through the annual staff conference and cross-regional events. He was frank about the situation before he arrived.

Jewish Student Union (JSU) In 2002, several public school students at a Beverly Hills high school emailed the Gush Etzion yeshiva in Israel with a strange request: they wanted someone to help them start a Jewish club during the school’s club hour. They found the yeshiva by randomly googling Jewish terms. The email eventually made its way to Rabbi Burg. It was a revelation. “The main issue people have with engaging unaffiliated Jews is we simply can’t find them,” he said. “They’re not in synagogues; they’re not in JCCs. That letter made us realize that we know where 99 percent of Jews between the ages of 13-18 are on Monday through Friday.” And from that, JSU was born. The success of the club was almost immediate. Dozens of unaffiliated Jewish teens spent their lunch hour learning about Judaism. Within a few years, hundreds of JSU clubs were set up throughout the United States. On a local level, JSU acted as a feeder program for Los Angeles NCSY and NCSY programming. Teens met advisors at the JSU clubs who encouraged them to come on Shabbatons and other NCSY programs, including summer programs.

International Director In 2005, Rabbi Burg was promoted to the international director of NCSY. He picked up his family and moved to New Jersey to be near NCSY’s headquarters in Manhattan. The change was a difficult one for Burg, who relished the personal relationships he had with his NCSYers while working as a regional director. “It’s a difficult and lonely job,” he said about the new position. “Your ability to be fulfilled changes.” The happiest times in his life, he said, were at West Coast Regional Conventions. “I had to rewire my brains so that even though I may not see teens day-to-day, I know that there are a hundred people seeing those teens day-to-day.” As international director, Rabbi Burg handled a different set of responsibilities as he set the vision for NCSY and strategically planned how to make those goals and dreams a reality.

“Regions didn’t like each other,” he explained. “We broke down the walls between them. We created an NCSY staff conference that built a sense of community.” Rabbi Burg also oversaw a unified marketing effort that effectively rebranded NCSY. NCSY expanded internationally and created a database to track where NCSYers went after they graduated high school. This way, NCSY can keep in touch and help them find Jewish resources on their college campuses. Rabbi Burg also redefined NCSY’s mission. “The breakthrough for me was when I realized that we don’t have a set hashkafa (Jewish outlook),” he said. “We tell teens that Judaism is a great thing. We have graduates across the spectrum of Jewish life. We’re not here presenting one flag, we’re here saying that you need to be passionate and find your own path.”

“The most important thing is to empower people... “NCSY has the most talented people in the world and they believe in the cause.”

When NCSY was at its peak, Rabbi Burg felt another calling. The Simon Wiesenthal Center offered him the position of eastern director. “In Jewish organizations, sometimes people just stay and stay,” he explained. “There needs to be an awareness that our job is not the organization; it’s about God. The thought process is: ‘What does God want me to do next?’” “There is an international need to speak for the Jewish people,” Rabbi Burg continued. “After 22 years, right now God needs me in a different spot for the Jewish people.” The move is a proud one for Rabbi Burg, especially given that the interim international director is Rabbi Micah Greenland, CEO and regional director of Midwest NCSY. Micah was Rabbi Burg’s NCSYer. “Every day that I was the international director of NCSY, I knew that eventually someone in NCSY would take my job,” he said. “Here I am able to hand off the leadership of the organization to Rabbi Greenland. This is the way it should be.” u

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n the eleventh grade, Barry Berkowitz was given his first pair of tzitzit on NCSY’s Yarchei Kallah program. When he graduated high school, an anonymous NCSY donor donated a pair of tefillin for Barry on the condition that he put them on each day. “I took the slow and steady approach,” Barry explained from Palo Alto where he now lives with his wife and newborn son. “I figured if the pendulum swung too far it would swing back and I’d lose the momentum I’d gained.” Barry grew up in a Conservative family in East Meadow, New York. “I grew up traditional: having Shabbat dinner and going to shul on Saturday morning and Hebrew school but that was the extent of it,” he said. Barry went on his first NCSY Shabbaton in sixth grade and was immediately hooked. “I look back with very fond memories of NCSY,” he stated. “It was the highlight of my high school experience, especially coming from a public school environment.” For university, Barry went to Babson College, which has one of the best entrepreneur programs in the United States. “It wasn’t until college that I was able to blossom and find my own comfort level in observance,” he said. He described hitting the pinnacle during his sophomore year at Babson. “I decided to put my yarmulke on fulltime,” he explained. “It was a big commitment. All of a sudden I felt like I was the face of the Jewish people.” This in turn led him to be aware that he needed to fill the void of not having a Jewish day school education. Since there was no kosher food on campus, Barry began spending Shabbat at the nearby Brandeis University and supplementing his studies in Babson with an aggressive schedule of chavrusas (learning partners) and shiurim (classes). “I had to teach myself how to daven and how to learn,” he asserted.

In 2011, Barry was contacted by a Google recruiter through Linkedin. “I wasn’t even looking to leave PwC but my wife said, ‘How can you not respond to a Google recruiter?’” After a phone interview, Google flew Barry out to the company headquarters in California. “I accepted the position and we made the difficult decision to move away from our family and friends,” he said, before adding that working for Google has many perks. “It’s fun coming to work. Google has been ranked the number one company in the world to work for.” The company provides three kosher meals a day from the local kosher restaurants for the less than 10 observant Jews who work in the company’s headquarters. He and his wife attend the local Orthodox shul, Emek Bracha. Within three months, he became the shul’s treasurer. Rabbi Yehoshua Marchuck, the current director of NCSY Alumni, was a staff member when Barry was in Jr. NCSY. He wasn’t surprised by Barry’s success. “Barry was always the type of NCSYer that would notice new kids at their first event,” Rabbi Marchuck recalled. “He would approach the newcomer and get them involved. Those leadership qualities were there as a teen and have only been refined.” Even though he’s 3,000 miles away, Barry is still connected to his former NCSY region. When he makes a donation, Google matches it. “I want to create as many opportunities to enable programs like the Hebrew culture clubs and summer programs,” he said. “That’s where it all starts. All you need is one successful program to spark that interest from a non-observant public high school student and they can start on a successful path to get to where they feel their life should be. That was my experience.” u

After graduation, Barry moved to the Upper West Side and began working in the mergers and acquisitions division of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Orthodox life in New York was much less challenging than college. “It’s easy being religious in New York City,” he said, though he still faced some difficultly when he travelled nationally and internationally for PwC. He met his wife, Erica Mikhli, through mutual friends. The two married in 2010. Barry proposed in Central Park on Friday afternoon before sunset so the two could spend a quiet Shabbat together before making their engagement public.

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Google provides three kosher meals a day for the less than 10 observant Jews who work in the company’s headquarters.

A YOUNG MAN’S QUEST TO MERGE TWO WORLDS By: Michael Orbach

PHOTO: BENJI CHEIRIF

avneh Feder-Haugabook grew up being equally proud of both his heritages: AfricanAmerican and Jewish. “You have two different cultures that have really strong values and you put them together,” he explained. “There are so many advantages — you have such a different perspective on everything.”

Havneh’s father, James Benjamin Haugabook, was a figure in the Civil Rights movement and the first black painter allowed to work on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge (“They put him on the highest part, the most dangerous part of the bridge,” Havneh said). His mother, Dvorah Feder, is a biochemist. The two met when James was working in the building trades at UCSF where Dvorah was pursuing her postdoctoral work. When the two married,

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People accept me in NCSY and I try to teach other people that I'm just like them. the condition was that their children receive a Jewish education. “It surprises people,” Havneh explained. “People don’t expect me to have a Jewish education or know anything about Judaism or speak Hebrew.” Growing up as a black Jew wasn’t without its hitches for him. As a child in a religious school, Havneh experienced racism from his fellow students. A recent trip to Israel on an NCSY summer program was amazing except when a couple began making racist remarks. “I was going to Israel to be connected to the Jewish part of me and to get rejected like that really made an impact on me,” he said. In some ways, he admitted, “I carry the burden of both my people.” However, Havneh found an outlet for himself in NCSY when he met Rabbi Mike Donovan, the director of NorCal (Northern California) NCSY in shul one Shabbat in his sophomore year of high school. The two bonded over a discussion about a topic of perpetual Jewish interest: different flavors of herring.

strict fitness program and plans on pursuing a career in physical therapy and kinesiology, the most challenging part of the trip was running a summer camp for children of Sderot in Zanoach. “It impacted us,” he explains. “It showed us how to set an example. We constructed an entire camp as if we were adults. It taught me that when you have responsibilities, you must fulfill them.” “Havneh is a teen who is built to inspire, to teach and to grow,” said Rabbi Akiva Naiman, director of BILT and East Bay NCSY. “This was really exemplified throughout BILT, in particular during the three-day camp the NCSYers made for Sderot youth, when Havneh’s kind and giving nature really showed. I know that he will always use his leadership qualities for helping the Jewish people.” Havneh also blazed a trail for his sister Ayala, 15, to follow. She’s a member of NCSY too. “I like that there are teens from everywhere, not just San Francisco,” she said. “Every time I go to an event, NCSY gives me a new view on things. I learn something.” Recently, the Feder-Haugabook teenagers suffered a tragedy when their father died from complications from a heart transplant. “My dad had such strong values for being African American,” Havneh said. “He had so much pride in our people. That passed down to me.” Havneh said that his experiences on NCSY BILT have helped him deal with it. “I have to be able to commit to being there for my mom and my sister,” he said. “Through BILT I got the strength to do it.” u

When Rabbi Donovan asked Havneh if he was interested in joining the fledgling NCSY chapter that Rabbi Donovan was starting, Havneh readily agreed. “We started with two people, me and a friend of mine,” he recalled. “Now we have 15 people and we keep on getting more.” “Havneh is one of the most warm and thoughtful teens I know,” said Rabbi Donovan. “He makes everyone feel like he is their best friend. Havneh’s personality has helped bring many teens to our events in San Francisco. He is a real class act, a true NCSYer.” This past year, Havneh rose to become the chapter president. “People accept me in NCSY and I try to teach other people that I’m just like them,” he said. “That’s a part of my job in the NCSY community: to show Jewish teenagers that when you break down the wall between you and other teens, you only stand to benefit.” Havneh said he had a life-changing experience on NCSY BILT (Boys Israel Leadership Training) last summer. During the six-week program, boys hike all over Israel, spend a week in Israeli military training and build rafts and float over the Kinneret. But for Havneh, who does a

PA S S O V E R 2013

Havneh Feder-Haugabook believes NCSY allows him

to break down barriers between teenagers.

Rivka Abbe is on a mission to make the world a better place.

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s she strolled through the corridors of the White House with more than 100 other Jewish teenagers, Rivka Abbe thought about a single moment during the summer she spent on NCSY’s GIVE (Girls Israel Volunteer Experience). As part of the five-week program, girls from all over the US and Canada volunteer in a variety of locations in Israel. One day the group worked at Aleh, an organization that helps the severely disabled. The 81 girls on the program wheeled the patients out into the courtyard of the building. The girls were supposed to dance with the patients but since they were unable to lift them, the girls decided to dance together in front of them. As the girls danced, the patients began to smile. “We held a mini-dance party,” the naturally exuberant Abbe, 18, explained. “Children who had never smiled before started smiling. We felt like we changed their lives. It taught me that you can really make a difference, even in the smallest way possible.” Months later, after attending two AIPAC summits, Abbe came to a realization. “Out of 400 high school students on both trips, I was one of 10 Orthodox teens,” she explained. “It’s wonderful that unaffiliated Jewish teens connect to their Jewish identity through Israel, but it’s sad that yeshiva kids are not involved.”

“I have never met more of a mensch than Jarrod,” Abbe said. “He’s doing the most amazing work with such humility and sincerity.” The meeting also had an impact on her personal prayers. “My mincha after our meeting in the White House had more kavanah than I had for a while,” she said. “It is an unbelievable gift that God gave us to live in this country.” Community involvement runs in her family. Rivka is the daughter of Cyrus Abbe who was instrumental in the campaign to free the Jews in the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia and Syria. Abbe’s mother, Judith, is a pediatrician who works with underprivileged families for the New York Department of School Health.

WHEN WORD GOT OUT ABOUT HER WASHINGTON TRIP, JEWISH RADIO PERSONALITY NACHUM SEGAL APPROACHED ABBE ABOUT HAVING HER OWN RADIO SHOW ON HIS NETWORK.

Following this experience, she formed the Central Political Awareness Committee at her school, Yeshiva University’s High School for Girls (Central). The club’s mission was to educate students about the political process and teach them how to effectively advocate for Israel.

“My parents have instilled these values in me,” she said. “Part of our God-given mission is to help our fellow Jews and make the world a better place.” When word got out about her Washington trip, Jewish radio personality Nachum Segal approached Abbe about having her own radio show on his network. Shortly thereafter, “Teen Spirit with Rivka Abbe” launched. The program airs from 7-8 pm on Tuesdays and is available at nachumsegal.com. “It’s a show for teens by a teen,” she explained.

Each show is dedicated to a specific topic. Previous guests included Barbara Ribakove Gordon, the executive director of the North American Conference of Ethiopian Jewry, and Richard Joel, the president of Yeshiva University. “The goal of the program is to inspire teens to make a difference,” Abbe said. Abbe gave three pieces of advice for teens.

Later that year she met Rabbi Steven Burg, then the international director of NCSY. She introduced herself and expressed how grateful she was to have been able to attend NCSY GIVE. “GIVE literally changed my life,” she told him. When he found out that she didn’t have any plans for the upcoming summer, Rabbi Burg offered her an internship at NCSY.

“Recognize that everything is from God and that He’s in ultimate control,” she recommended.

She called the summer she worked under Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, NCSY’s associate director of education, “the time of my life.”

“If you’re a girl, go on NCSY GIVE.” u

“Take every piece of flak people throw at you with a grain of salt,” she continued. “If you think something is going to make the world a better place — it’s your job to do it.” And finally:

“Everyone in the OU office is really there because they want to help the Jewish people,” she said.

PHOTO: LEAH BRICK

Abbe impressed everyone inside the office with her dedication. “Rivka’s unusual ambitions are only overshadowed by her resolve to achieve her goals,” said Rabbi Bashevkin. While she worked on education programs for NCSY, Abbe came up with the idea of a two-day learning and lobbying effort for Jewish high school students. The first part of the event took place on October 14 at Yeshiva University. On the second day, the teens visited Washington, D.C., to meet with their representatives. The teens also spent two hours at the White House with the President’s Jewish liaison, Jarrod Bernstein.

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Rivka Abbe, second from left, volunteered on NCSY’s summer program GIVE (Girls Israel Volunteer Experience) in 2011.

Fifteen years after going on NCSY Kollel, Canada’s Daniel Gryfe returns year after year ne participant of NCSY Kollel keeps on coming back. As the fast of Tisha B’Av wanes to a close and the sun begins to set behind the Western Wall, hundreds of teens on NCSY summer programs sit on the stone courtyard and sing together as part of a kumzits (gathering). Frequently, passers-by will sit in the circle and join the teens as they commemorate the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash (Holy Temple) two thousand years ago. Among those seated in the circle is real estate investor Daniel Gryfe who attended NCSY Kollel 15 years ago. In 1997, as a junior in high school, Daniel Gryfe decided to spend a summer on NCSY Kollel. He was never really active in NCSY, but the experience was significant for him. “It was my first yeshiva experience,” he explained. “It was fantastic. It was a stepping stone. I still remember the sugya, topic, I learnt in Kollel: the seventh perek (chapter) of Berachot.” After the summer, in his senior year, he began learning night seder in the Toronto-based Ne’er Israel and then went on to study in Israel at Kerem B’Yavneh (KBY) — one of the few students from his high school who attended the esteemed yeshiva — and then Yeshiva University where he majored in business. He met his wife, Dena Graff, a student at Stern College for Women, while he was there. After graduation, he joined his family’s firm and began working in Toronto. In 2004, at the tail-end of a European business trip, Daniel ended up in Israel for Tisha B’Av. As he went to daven Ma’ariv at the Kotel (Western Wall), he saw the familiar circle of NCSYers and joined the group.

with NCSYers. At his last count, he’s made it to nine kumzitses. Rabbi Moshe Benovitz, the director of NCSY Kollel, said that the kumzits developed organically. “It was actually a grassroots movement, energized by many NCSYers and advisors who felt that they simply could not stay away from the Kotel on Tisha B’Av,” he said. “Not only are there no extravagant bells and whistles, but there are not even spoken words of explanation and inspiration.” Daniel is also highly committed to Canada NCSY. “I’m on the board of Canada NCSY,” he said. “I attend meetings as a board member and give my support both financially and personally. It has to do with my own personal experiences as well as the fact that NCSY does a phenomenal job on Jewish continuity. They really enlighten kids who would never have the chance to get enlightened about yiddishkeit. I know firsthand several people that it has done wonders for in their lives.” Rabbi Glenn Black, CEO of Canada NCSY, was effusive about Daniel’s activities. “Daniel is part of our Young Leadership Team,” explained Rabbi Black. “He’s a person I turn to on a regular basis for advice. He’s got an amazing business mind and he’s able to help me develop my thinking and create programs and events that are just right for our community.” As for the kumzits, Daniel plans to continue to attend and hopes to bring someone along with him. “My son will probably be there with me in the next couple of years,” he added. u

“I stumbled upon it,” he said. “There wasn’t a problem joining the circle. It was a remarkable feeling of achdus, of unity. It’s a great feeling — it’s a sense of inspiration. The achdus that it provides is a major factor of what the redemption of Tisha B’Av is supposed to be based upon.” Gryfe noted that he’s seen Jews from every walk of life — religious, not religious, Ashkenaz, Sephardic — join the circle and sing with the teens. Every year since then, he makes it a point to spend his Tisha B’Av in Israel and spends the last hour of the fast

“It was my first yeshiva experience,” explained Daniel about his summer on NCSY Kollel.

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Raffi Glickman

Rachel Immerman

Growing up as an only-child in the small Jewish community of Cleveland, Ohio, it was difficult for Raffi Glickman to find a large group of friends. Raffi joined NCSY in 6th grade with the hopes of meeting more kids just like him; however, what he got was much more.

Throughout high school, Rachel was always active in youth groups, just not NCSY. With some of her closest friends involved in NCSY and her boyfriend, Raffi, on regional board, Rachel finally made the jump and registered for her first NCSY Shabbaton.

Raffi instantly fell in love with NCSY. It gave him something that he did not get at home or at school. Besides for making new friends, he was happy to be in an environment filled with heart. “The inspiration and love of Judaism present at Shabbatons was something that you didn’t get back at home,” explained Raffi.

“After just one Shabbaton, I really felt like I made new friends,” said Rachel. “An advisor who I became close with texted me after the Shabbaton that she was so happy I came on the Shabbaton. From then on, I was sold. My advisors really cared about me — it wasn’t just a job. I owe my journey through NCSY to that one text message, that one advisor,” said Rachel.

Today, Raffi can be found walking the halls of any NCSY event with his funky baseball cap — sideways, of course. As a senior in Yeshiva University majoring in psychology, Raffi continues to be a dedicated advisor. “It gives me fulfillment to be able to help teens with big decisions just like my advisors did for me. Whether it’s with school, friends or explaining why you do certain things on Shabbat, NCSY advisors give teens a natural outlet for questions,” said Raffi.

She is now in her fourth year of being an NCSY advisor and enjoys every minute of it. Before switching to Stern College to study Jewish education, Rachel attended a secular university. Although there was a thriving Jewish life — she felt that something was missing and her Judaism was being challenged. “I missed being in an environment surround by Torah and being an active NCSY advisor kept me connected to a Torah environment.”

Raffi and Rachel Get Married Raffi and Rachel met their first year of high school at Fuchs Mizrachi School. At first, Rachel’s loudness overwhelmed Raffi and the two were merely cordial. However, as time went on, Rachel’s lively personality grew on Raffi and they began dating their sophomore year of high school. Fast forward to January 22, 2012, Raffi and Rachel tied the knot. “We continue to actively be involved with NCSY because NCSY does amazing things and we want to be a part of that as long as we possibly can,” said Raffi. When Raffi first brought up the idea of getting married, Rachel insisted that they could only get married if Tzali Freedman, regional director of Central East NCSY, promised to keep them on the advisor staff. “I felt so connected to all the teens and had so much hakaret hatov, appreciation, to the region that it wasn’t even a consideration for me to leave,” said Rachel. “NCSY embodies the lifestyle we want to live.” u

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NCSY’s presence in Chile is on fire

By: Michael Orbach

ne thing you should know about teenagers in Chile: don’t serve them pizza at NCSY events. “A lot of them get offended by the pizza,” explained Michael Bengio, director of NCSY Chile. “They view it as bribery.” At 25, Bengio is the youngest regional director at NCSY. Bengio, a native of Chile who attended Yeshiva University in Manhattan, grew up in a religious family and did not have much to do with NCSY. This changed at a random Friday night dinner, when a member of New England NCSY heard him give a dvar Torah and was so impressed, she invited him to be an advisor at a New England NCSY Shabbaton.

However, as the lectures progressed and became more intensive, students would drop out. “Here it’s very difficult to be religious; it’s social suicide,” Bengio explained. “By the end of the year, you would have two students who were religious. Next year NCSY would be uncool and no one would go.” Bengio decided not to devote his energy to the twelfth and eleventh graders who were already dissuaded from attending NCSY. He centered his efforts on the tenth graders. He restructured the classes NCSY offers to focus on the larger questions in Judaism, such as what a person’s purpose was in the world.

It was love at first Shabbaton. “It was more than I could have ever imagined,” Bengio said. “I didn’t miss a single Shabbaton or activity.” In his second year as an advisor, Bengio won the coveted “Advisor of the Year” award.

“I dedicated time for them,” he said about the tenth graders. “We did fun activities; we went to Argentina and Fantasialand. I played it by ear, hoping they would spread the word that they were having a blast.”

After he graduated from Yeshiva University and got married, Bengio was unsure of what career he wanted to pursue. Rabbi Shimon Vinger, the founder of NCSY Chile, offered him a position at NCSY Chile. Bengio and his new wife relocated. A few months later, when Rabbi Vinger left NCSY Chile, Bengio found himself in charge of the region. At that point, Bengio explained, the popularity of NCSY Chile had waned. Bengio knew he needed to do something different.

The gambit paid off. “Kids were happy,” he said. “Parents were happy because their kids were becoming more respectful and becoming closer to Judaism without doing much to change their lives.”

“I’m a big fan of change,” he said. “You can’t improve if you leave things the way they are.” Bengio introduced NCSY’s havdalah services and the festive singing and dancing resonated with the NCSYers. Bengio also felt that NCSY faced a specific problem. The biggest draws for NCSY Chile were the weekly lectures given by the organization.

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Assimilation is an international concern for the Jewish people. What NCSY does works no matter where you are and Bengio's success is a testament to that. Bengio’s warm and friendly personality helped as well. “I’m young, my wife is young; we have a cute baby,” Bengio said. “We’re normal but Orthodox. Parents don’t get so frightened when they see us.” NCSY Chile is different than other regions. Because of strong Saturday youth programming, it is almost impossible for Bengio to hold Shabbatons. Instead he invited teens and their families over for long Friday night meals. By the end of the year, NCSY Chile had 100 teens. Lectures filled the local Starbucks and Bengio began hosting events in his living room. Bengio also reached out to the local Orthodox school and began giving a shiur there once a week.

Alan Herzberg, one of NCSY Chile’s local donors, explained why he supports the organization. “NCSY Chile is all about getting kids to make the decision of having Jewish grandchildren,” he said. “In a community as heavily assimilated as ours this cannot be taken for granted. NCSY proves that Judaism can not only be cool, but it also makes a lot of sense.” Mitch Aeder, whose wife is South American, supports the region from his home in Queens, NY. “The Chilean Jewish community is an anomaly,” he explained via email. “On one hand, there is a powerful Jewish social culture, and there is a large network of popular secular Jewish youth groups. On the other hand, the community is largely Jewishly illiterate, and intermarriage is rampant. With NCSY for the teens and Aish Hatorah for the collegiates, there now is a path for the future of the Jewish community in Chile.” NCSY Chile also received its first permanent home. Bengio’s parents bought a complex in an apartment building and dedicated part of it to NCSY. NCSY Chile has already woven itself into the fabric of Jewish life in Chile. “NCSY is a piece of the puzzle; when you take it out, it all crumbles down,” said Bengio. u

However, the rapid growth came at a cost. The next year, due to community infighting, Bengio saw his numbers decrease until only 40 teenagers were attending NCSY programming. Bengio, not one to give up easily, attended NCSY’s annual staff conference. He met with the leading advisors and regional directors and refocused his approach. “Rabbi Israel Lashak, director of Southwest NCSY, told me he had a JSU of three students and those were the students he was most close with,” Bengio said. “I liked the idea. If you have small groups, the teens know they’re important to the group. And once you have a small group, you can become close.” Bengio opened up more classes, each for a small number of students. He recruited four other advisors to launch their own classes; he dubbed the effort “NCSY Inspire.” Because of NCSY Chile’s prior success, Bengio was also able to pick advisors who had felt the effects of NCSY firsthand. “NCSY Chile allows you to learn more about your Judaism,” said Karen Sabah, one of NCSY Chile’s advisors and a former NCSYer. “Beyond that, it helps you grow as a person in order to improve yourself and help others.” NCSY Chile quickly rebounded. At the start of this year, Bengio had 75 NCSYers. Bengio also gets strong support from the international NCSY office, through weekly phone calls with Keevy Fried, NCSY’s associate international director. “Kiruv isn’t just for North America,” explained Fried. “Assimilation is an international concern for the Jewish people. What NCSY does works no matter where you are and Bengio’s success is a testament to that.”

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Alan Herzberg, one of NCSY Chile’s local donors, explains, “NCSY Chile is all about getting kids to make the decision of having Jewish grandchildren.”

A mother’s prayers for her daughter’s future are answered

By: Robin Greenman

Robin & Adam Greenman, proud parents of Eleanor.

oon after our daughter Eleanor entered high school, my husband and I braced ourselves. Among the only Jewish teens in her school, how happy could she be staying at home while everyone went off to Friday night dances, Saturday games and the mall? It was going to be a challenge, even for our Eleanor who, as a little girl, had modeled herself after one of the few observant families in Portland, Oregon — Rabbi Leonard and Lonni Oppenheimer. There we were in 2006. Our only child, then a freshman in high school, enduring yet another boring Shabbat dinner with her parents. And then God sent us Oregon NCSY Director Meira Spivak and her husband Chanan. Suddenly, Friday nights were a blast, packed with more than 80 teens. Saturday nights lit up with citywide scavenger hunts, laser tag and sushi events. There were ski trips to Vancouver, B.C. and AIPAC trips to Washington, D.C. Instead of feeling like the odd one out, our daughter felt like the cool one in.

To us, NCSY is the single best organization in this city. I donate every year through my company’s United Way Campaign. I have a set amount taken out of my paycheck that goes directly to NCSY — and my company matches it. It’s hard to make a large, lump sum donation, but by doing it in small increments, it’s easy and affordable. Let’s be honest. Most of us give our kids a bar or bat mitzvah and expect them to make it to adulthood on that one tank of gas. NCSY is the fuel that drives teens to become adults who marry Jews and care about Israel. We’re obsessed with giving our kids every opportunity: the best schools, varsity sports and exotic travel. Shouldn’t we care as much about giving them a stellar Jewish experience? I’d say to parents, if you do nothing else that’s Jewish, give your kids NCSY. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. ORIGINALLY FROM L.A., ROBIN GREENMAN IS AN ADVERTISING COPYWRITER AND HER HUSBAND ADAM IS AN ATTORNEY IN PORTLAND, OREGON. THEY ARE MEMBERS OF CONGREGATION KESSER ISRAEL.

NCSY is social, fun and delicious. But it’s also incredibly meaningful. Every week, Rabbi Spivak and members of our community lead thought-provoking discussions where teens are encouraged to tackle issues about Judaism and Israel. More importantly, NCSY helps teens answer the most important question of all: Why am I here? Because of NCSY, kids who lacked direction or were headed in the wrong direction now have an empowering sense of purpose. While we’re told that the age of open miracles is over, you can’t convince us of that. Our family has witnessed too many miraculous transformations.

Eleanor (right) learns with an NCSYer on Yarchei Kallah, a learning program for public school teens during their winter break (see page 21).

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Happenings from around the NCSY universe

MONTREAL NCSY RETURNS TO CANADA

MIDWEST GOES ONLINE WITH LOL

TEANECK NCSY CELEBRATES A 94-YEAR-OLD’S BAR MITZVAH

One of the largest Jewish communities in North America will once again have an NCSY presence in 2013. A new initiative called LOL (Latte Online) allows NCSYers to earn money towards the NCSY summer program of their choice.

Julius Kaplan, 94, never had a bar mitzvah and when he requested to have one, NCSY came to visit.

NCSY SETS GUINNESS WORLD RECORD

ATLANTA CARNIVAL FOR CHILDREN

EAST BAY HOSTS ISRAEL ADVOCACY TRAINING

New York and Atlantic Seaboard NCSY united for the world’s largest menorah lighting event in history. NCSY’s Yeshiva Atlanta JUMP team organized a holiday carnival for 120 underprivileged children. NCSY and StandWithUs partnered to launch an amazing three-week Israel advocacy-training program.

ATLANTIC SEABOARD Rabbi Jonah Lerner, Regional Director 410.358.6279 // atsoffice@ncsy.org atsncsy.org

ATLANTIC SEABOARD SENDS MORE THAN 30 TEENS ON YARCHEI KALLAH During winter break, 32 public school teens joined National Yarchei Kallah where they were fully immersed in a Torah environment. NCSY’s Yarchei Kallah offers the perfect balance of Torah learning and down-to-earth fun. For more info, see pages 20-21.

Baltimore Rabbi Rocky Caine – rabbirocky@ncsy.org

Philadelphia, PA & Cherry Hill, NJ Rabbi Yitz Levi – RabbiYitz@ncsy.org

LOWER MERION AND CHERRY HILL HOST SHABBAT SHABANG Philadelphia and Cherry Hill NCSY continue to add new programming. Thanks to a grant from NCSY, the chapter added Shabbat Shabang, a monthly Shabbat program that brings NCSY into their community. The first Shabbat Shabang was held in the Lower Merion area. It was an amazing success with more than 60 teens in attendance and 100 teens participating in the Saturday night activity. The success continued with more than 50 teens attending the second Shabbat Shabang in Cherry Hill.

GREAT YEAR FOR BALTIMORE NCSY Baltimore NCSY is having an amazing year. The Senator Ben Cardin Jewish Scholars Program is off to a great start with many of the participants spending their summer in Israel on NCSY’s The Jerusalem Journey (TJJ) program. Latte & Learning is filling Starbucks every Wednesday night where teens are getting their weekly dose of caffeine and Torah. Baltimore JSU clubs are the talk of the schools as the teen leadership is always looking for new ways to inspire their fellow Jewish students.

Greater Washington Lauren Chornock – lauren@ncsy.org

GREATER WASHINGTON NCSY WORKS OVERTIME TO ENGAGE TEENS More than 50 teens gathered on a Friday night at the Goodman family home in Kemp Mill for a beautiful oneg run by Rabbi Yitzchok Dinovitzer. Greater Washington NCSY also kicked off the GNO (Girls Night Out) program where girls come and talk about what’s on their mind. Together with their weekly Latte & Learning, the teens of Greater Washington are living and breathing NCSY.

CANADA Rabbi Glenn Black, CEO 905.761.6279 // ncsyca@ncsy.org canada.ncsy.org

Montreal, Quebec Devora Tanny – devora@ncsy.ca

MONTREAL NCSY RETURNS TO CANADA NCSY Canada is proud to announce that one of the largest Jewish communities in North America will once again have an NCSY presence in 2013. With nearly 6,500 Jewish students in public high schools in Montreal, NCSY Canada is proud to welcome Devora Tanny as the new director of Montreal NCSY. Devora will develop programming as well as adopt the best practices that have aided Canada NCSY’s growth elsewhere. The plan includes JSU clubs, local and regional Shabbatons, participation in Yarchei Kallah and social, recreational and holiday programming.

Ottawa, Ontario Bram Bregman – bram@ncsy.ca

NCSY CANADA HAS MOVED After 14 years at their Bathurst and Steeles location, NCSY Canada and Torah High moved to new premises at the UJA Federation’s Sherman Campus, 4600 Bathurst Street. Reflecting on more than 40 years of NCSY history in Toronto and Thornhill, Rabbi Glenn Black, Chief Executive Officer of NCSY and Torah High, said “We are going to miss our old home, but we are thrilled to make a new start at the Sherman Campus, one of the most important hubs of Jewish communal activity in Canada.” UJA Federation President and CEO Ted Sokolsky welcomed the move. “With Jewish education one of UJA’s top priorities, NCSY’s move to a growing and dynamic centre of Jewish living here on Sherman Campus makes perfect sense.”

Edmonton, Ontario Alan Richter – alan@ncsy.ca

SMALL POPULATION NO PROBLEM FOR EDMONTON NCSY Despite having one of the smallest Jewish

CENTRAL EAST NCSY HOSTS YESHIVA FAIR: 36 HOURS, 45 SCHOOLS

JEWISH TOUR OF OTTAWA NCSY teens visited the Ottawa Kosher Food Bank as part of a Jewish tour of Ottawa. The students heard from the director of the Vaad HaKashrut at the local grocery store about what makes products kosher, learnt about Torah scrolls and baked seven lasagnas and 100 cupcakes for a local chesed organization that distributed them to families in need.

Vancouver, British Columbia Rabbi Samuel Ross – samuelross@ncsy.ca

FAMILIES THAT GIVE This year, Vancouver NCSY launched “Families that Give,” a program created to facilitate families working together on a project while giving back to the community. For each Jewish holiday, a different chesed opportunity is offered. This past December, 250 community members were busy baking cookies, decorating Chanukah mugs and packing 100 Chanukah gift bags with menorahs, candles, a candle-lighting guide, dreidels and chocolate coins. At the end of the program, 100 Chanukah gifts were distributed throughout the community.

CENTRAL EAST

More than 100 students came to Ohio’s Green Road Synagogue for a weekend dedicated entirely to post-high school options that included a wide spectrum of schools from Israel and America. Students had the opportunity to spend meaningful time with school representatives, gather information and build relationships. This is a critical decision students will make and having the most information possible is vital.

communities, Edmonton manages to have between 25-30 teens at Latte & Learning and 40 students at their JSU club. Edmonton also managed to send eight teens on NCSY Summer Programs and 10 to Yarchei Kallah. With more NCSY programming than ever, Jewish identity is thriving in Edmonton.

Rabbi Tzali Freedman, Regional Director 888.471.4514 // ncsyce@ncsy.org centraleast.ncsy.org

Cincinnati, OH Rabbi Pinchas Landis – RabbiLandis@gmail.com

CINCINNATI NCSY CONTINUES GROWTH As Cincy NCSY continues growing in its third year, the chapter saw record numbers attend National Yarchei Kallah (see page 20). The Weekly Scoop learning program is more popular than ever. Recent highlights include having star advisor Leora Balk lead a Weekly Scoop while home from Stern on winter break. Cincy NCSY is also excited to welcome Phil Kahn to its city staff.

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Buffalo Grove, IL Jenny Serle – serlej@ncsy.org

BUFFALO GROVE ON ICE The Buffalo Grove chapter hosted a citywide ice skating event. Chicagoland teenagers spent the last night of Chanukah hanging out with each other, enjoying Chanukah-themed food and snacks, and having a great time on the ice. The event pumped up everyone to see each other at the Sy and Anne Okner Winter Conclave. William Friedlander and Sam Impellicceiri of Upper Saint Clair High School participate in Pittsburgh NCSY’s Jewish Scholars Program. The Jewish Scholars Program is the first official NCSY program to be held in the South Hills suburb of Pittsburgh.

Cleveland, OH

MIDWEST

Rabbi Arieh Friedner – friednera@ncsy.org

JEWISH SCHOLARS PROGRAM INSPIRES CLEVELAND This year, Cleveland NCSY ushered in a new program to the community — the Jewish Scholars Program (JSP). Over the course of 12-weekly sessions, JSP had almost 1,000 teens, parents and mentors come together at the JCC to study important Torah concepts. The program provides answers to some of the pressing questions that Judaism faces such as, “Do Jews think they’re better than non-Jews?” and “Do Jews believe in Hell?” The Jewish Scholars Program has become one of the most impressive learning experiences in Cleveland.

Columbus, OH Rabbi Yaakov Frankiel – frankiely@ncsy.org

COLUMBUS USHERS IN NEW DIRECTOR Columbus NCSY excitedly welcomed Yaakov Frankiel, direct from Jerusalem, to oversee an ever-growing chapter and its programming. Yaakov is taking over for Rabbi Jesse Boiangiu, who led Columbus to Chapter of the Year in 2010 and inspired hundreds of teens and their families over the past four years.

Detroit, MI Rabbi Dovid Lichtig – lichtigd@ncsy.org

DETROIT HOSTS RECORD-BREAKING SHABBATON The Central East Fall Shabbaton attracted an astonishing 230 teenagers from across the region. Leading the pack was the Detroit contingent with a record-breaking 89 teens in attendance. All participants had a fantastic experience complete with awesome activities, inspirational sessions and the spirit that makes NCSY and Central East famous.

Pittsburgh, PA Rabbi Ari Goldberg – goldberga@ncsy.org

JEWISH SCHOLARS PROGRAM TAKES PITTSBURGH BY STORM More than 40 teens in Pittsburgh partnered with adult mentors to tackle engaging and relevant Jewish issues facing teens in today’s world. The program included a satellite edition in Upper Saint Clair. This is the first official NCSY program to reach this suburb of Pittsburgh.

PA S S O V E R 2013

Rabbi Micah Greenland, Regional Director 847.677.6279 // midwest@ncsy.org midwest.ncsy.org

MIDWEST NCSY ALUMNUS PUBLISHES BOOK Efroni Schlesinger, the former vice president of education for Midwest NCSY, has a new title to add to his resume: author. Efroni just published his first book, A Year of Divrei Torah.

Chicago, IL Mashi Polstein – Polsteinm@ncsy.org

JEWISH FAMILY EXPERIENCE CELEBRATES AT CHANUKAH WORKSHOP The Jewish Family Experience — a joint program of Midwest NCSY and the Chicago Torah Network supported by the Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago — celebrated Chanukah with a family workshop that all participants enjoyed. Rabbi Moshe Katz gave inspiring classes to parents while children learnt all about Chanukah through interactive games, music, puppets and more. Families created their own menorahs, learnt the names of Chanukah dishes in Hebrew, made traditional latkes (and ate them fresh out of the frying pan) and created festive Chanukah cards to send to friends and family. Yehuda Polstein – Polsteiny@ncsy.org

MIDWEST GOES ONLINE WITH LOL Midwest NCSY introduced a new initiative called LOL (Latte Online) that allows NCSYers to earn money towards the NCSY summer program of their choice through a virtual Latte & Learning. NCSYers fill out a quick form online and select an advisor, topic and time they’d like to learn. The event is then posted on the LOL Facebook page where other friends can see and join. For every hour learned online, NCSYers earn $10 toward an NCSY summer program of their choice. Eli Schwartz – schwartze@ncsy.org

JR. NCSY, CAMP NAGEELA AND HERITAGE CELEBRATE CHANUKAH Chicago NCSY joined forces with Camp Nageela Midwest and Heritage Hebrew School for a Chanukah party of epic proportions. Tweens from all over the North Chicago suburbs met at the Northbrook Community Synagogue on the first night of Chanukah for an incredible evening of inspiration and fun. After a special lighting ceremony and holiday dinner, everyone competed in wacky Chanukah game tournaments. It was the first NCSY event for many of those in attendance.

The book is a collection of the weekly divrei Torah that Efroni sent out to Midwest NCSY members last year. The goal of the divrei Torah were to provide material “simple enough for those who had no prior knowledge of the parsha to understand while keeping it substantive enough to interest those who already had a deep understanding,” he explained. After receiving a positive response from his emails, Efroni decided to publish them in book form. All profits from A Year of Divrei Torah will be donated to NCSY’s scholarship fund. “During the past three years, NCSY has given so much to me and I wanted to give something back to it,” he said. A Year of Divrei Torah can be ordered directly from Efroni at efronischlesinger@yahoo.com.

TEANECK NCSY CELEBRATES A 94-YEAR-OLD’S BAR MITZVAH Over the past year, Teaneck NCSYers have developed a special relationship with senior residents at the Jewish Home at Rockleigh. Every month, 25 NCSYers spend a Shabbat in the nursing home, singing and dancing with the residents. During the December Shabbaton, NCSYers took part in something extraordinary: a bar mitzvah. Julius Kaplan, 94, never had a bar mitzvah and

to discuss the role of food in Judaism and Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense.

when he requested to have one, Rabbi Shimon Feld, chaplain of the nursing home, knew the bar mitzvah could only take place when NCSY came to visit. “You’ll never know what you do for these residents,” Rabbi Feld told the NCSYers. “They wait for you from month to month. No one could ever forget the bar mitzvah you made.”

Minneapolis, MN Rabbi Tzvi Kupfer – kupfert@ncsy.org Mrs. Bella Smith – smithb@ncsy.org

FRIENDS N’ FUN Every month, Minneapolis NCSY teens volunteer to shadow children with special needs at Shaarim’s monthly “Friends ‘N Fun” event. The “Friends ‘N Fun” program is designed for participants to build relationships with special needs children through various styles of programming and events. One of the most rewarding parts of the program for NCSYers is learning the importance of befriending and including all different types of people.

Northshore, IL Avigayil Strulowitz – strulowitza@ncsy.org

MEETINGS AT MIZRAHI GRILL HEAT UP Every Monday, public school teens from Midwest NCSY’s North Shore chapter meet at Mizrahi Grill in Highland Park, IL. The free Dinner & Learning program provides shwarma and fantastic camaraderie for Jewish teens on the North Shore. Teens get to catch up with each other, eat a great dinner and enjoy some food for thought as well. The teens jumpstart their week by participating in a discussion related to Judaism or Jewish growth. “Mondays at Mizrahi” inspires teens for the week ahead.

South Bend, IL Akiva Gutnicki – akivagutnicki@gmail.com

SOUTH BEND’S GROWTH HEADS NORTH

Skokie, IL

together to celebrate. Additional planning is being done to enable more citywide youth events.

Shosh Friedman – friedmans@ncsy.org Levi Zeffren – zeffrenl@ncsy.org

Kansas City, KS

DOZENS OF CHICAGO AREA TEENS LEARNING TORAH EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT Chicagoland NCSYers have been enjoying an incredibly successful Dinner & Learning program. Held at the Sandwich Club on Wednesday night, Dinner & Learning offers teens the opportunity to eat a delicious dinner while learning about interesting Jewish topics in an open, discussionbased environment. The teens are able to talk about topics that are applicable to them, internalize the information and apply it to their own lives. Recent topics included “What Chanukah is Really All About,” “How to Make Davening Feel Real,” and “Experiences in a Bomb Shelter in Be’er Sheva.”

Indianapolis, IN Sam Zitin – zitins@ncsy.org

INDIANAPOLIS YOUTH GROUPS UNITE TO CELEBRATE CHANUKAH Teens from all of Indianapolis’s Jewish youth groups gathered at the JCC Teen House to celebrate a citywide Chanukah party. The festivities began with havdalah and included latke-making, dreidel spinning, music, games and learning. Nearly 40 public school students from all denominations came

This year, NCSYers enjoyed an awesome local chapter Shabbaton. South Bend hosted 30 teenagers and had a great atmosphere. Adin Sloman, president of South Bend NCSY said, “ I loved the Shabbaton! The discussion groups were eye-opening and inspirational! It was an all-around great Shabbaton.”

Hillel Goldstein – goldsteinh@ncsy.org

St. Louis, MO

SHABBAT SHABANG IS A HIT IN KANSAS CITY

Rabbi Mike Rovinsky – RovinskyM@ncsy.org Rabbi Gershie Meisel – meiselg@ncsy.org

With the help of a new grant from NCSY, Kansas City NCSY has run two of six community-wide Shabbat Shabangs. The year kicked off with a fun Shabbat at Congregation BIAV (Beth Israel Abraham Voliner) including a delicious and spirited Shabbat dinner and oneg. The weekend was packed with events including a crowd of 50 teens taking over SkyZone and a melava malka. The second Shabbat Shabang took place at K.I. Synagogue with Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz. It was an inspirational Shabbat with speeches by guest speaker Rabbi Avi Weiss. NCSYers had the opportunity to hear Rabbi Weiss throughout the weekend and end Shabbat with a musical kumzits and inspirational stories. On Saturday night, NCSYers went to PowerPlay for intense whirleyball and dancing heads.

ST. LOUIS LAUNCHES THE SENATOR DANFORTH ISRAEL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Memphis, TN Marc Lennon – lennonm@ncsy.org

FIRST JSU OPENS IN MEMPHIS

The Senator John Danforth Israel Scholars Program is a brand-new program launched by St. Louis JSU (Jewish Student Union). The goal of the program is to connect Jewish students to their homeland and bring them to the forefront of Israel advocacy. JSU teens Lila Greenberg and David Iken pushed for the creation of a program that would educate teens about Israel. In response, Rabbi Mike Rovinsky, Director of St. Louis NCSY and JSU, and David Iken utilized an array of impressive material from organizations such as CAMERA, Stand With Us, AIPAC and The David Project to develop a curriculum. The 12-week program focuses on the history of Israel and its centrality to the identity of the Jewish people. As a bonus, upon completion of the program teens are offered a $350 stipend towards any NCSY summer program in Israel.

12-15 Whitestation High School students joined together for Memphis’s first JSU club. At the first club meeting, students made waffles and hung out

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NEW ENGLAND

PROVIDENCE, RI

NEW JERSEY

Rabbi Aron Lapin – projectshoresh@gmail.com Rabbi Shmuel Miller, Regional Director 617.332.6279 // nencsy@ncsy.org newengland.ncsy.org

GREATER BOSTON Jordy Meisler – jordz166@gmail.com

OVER 30 JSL TEENS BEGIN THEIR SECOND SEMESTER OF ENGAGING LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP The Jewish Student Leaders (JSL) initiative is aimed at public school teens that wish to become the next generation of Jewish leaders. In each 90-minute weekly JSL class, students learn about Jewish fundamentals, public speaking and current events — all aimed at developing them into more passionate, articulate and knowledgeable Jews. JSL coordinator Jordy Meisler says, “ I continue to be so impressed with the dedication these students have to be more involved in Jewish learning and leadership.” JSLers are working on their end of year project of presenting Jewish topics to their peers and community.

SPRINGFIELD, MA Rabbi Uri Grosberg – grosbergu@ncsy.org

NCSYER INSPIRES THE REAWAKENING OF A COMMUNITY After attending NCSY events for years and an NCSY summer program, Noam Edry, a high school student at the Hebrew High School of New England, decided it was time bring NCSY back to her community of Springfield, MA. For weeks, Noam networked with friends and arranged their first Latte & Learning program. Connecticut Outreach Director Rabbi Uri Grosberg led the program on moral dilemmas. More than 15 Jewish teens, many of them firsttimers to NCSY, were immersed in Torah learning and meaningful discussion.

KICKSTARTING A JSU CLUB LEADS TO INTEREST FROM OTHER SCHOOLS NCSY, along with Project Shoresh of Rhode Island, launched a JSU club at Classical High School. Led by Rabbi Aron Lapin, a learned and seasoned Torah educator, the club is continuously growing. Parents from other high schools have also become interested in having regular Jewish programming in their schools. Rabbi Lapin is also a mixed martial arts (MMA) trainer and broke wooden boards to show teens that they have the ability to achieve their goals and overcome personal obstacles.

STAMFORD, CT Isaiah Rothstein – yistamfordyouth@gmail.com

TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE: NCSY ADVISORS RALLY JEWISH TEENS From his “Little Izzies” weekly Divrei Torah, to his Shabbat Chocolate Extravaganza, new NCSY advisor and Young Israel youth director Isaiah Rothstein found creative ways to engage more than 50 Jewish teens in the community. Isaiah’s big smile and love of learning Torah, along with his beautiful guitar playing, have made him a true asset to both the Stamford community and New England NCSY. Isaiah has teamed up with seasoned NCSY advisor and Agudath Shalom youth director Josh Munk to offer content and fun-filled programs for Jewish teens across communities.

Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, Regional Director 201.862.0250 // office@njncsy.com newjersey.ncsy.org

Highland Park, NJ Ari and Shira Neuman – Yaneuman58@gmail.com

BIBLE AND BBQ: TEENS LEARN TO ASK THE BIG QUESTIONS After enjoying a scrumptious dinner, 30 public school and yeshiva day school teens came together to learn the big and internal questions from the cutting-edge Aleph Beta Academy videos. Teens questioned, thought about and connected with basic Jewish texts in a new and exciting format and context.

Monmouth County, NJ Ariel and Yardena Bannett – bannetta@ncsy.org

MONMOUTH COUNTY TEENS OFFER SOLIDARITY WITH VICTIMS OF ANTISEMITISM Monmouth County NCSY teens hand-delivered Rosh Hashanah packages to homes in a local development that had been targeted by antiSemitic vandals. Swastikas and phrases like “Kill the Jews” had been spray-painted all over the suburban neighborhood. Just a few days later, the neighborhood residents were greeted with something a bit sweeter: food packages with honey and an encouraging note wishing them a sweet new year from NCSY teens. The teens acted on one fundamental principle: the reason that darkness exists in this world is to afford us the opportunity to spread some light.

ATLANTIC SEABOARD & NEW YORK NCSY SET CHANUKAH GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR MOST SIMULTANEOUS MENORAHS LIT Atlantic Seaboard and New York NCSY set a Guinness World Record on Chanukah when they united for the world’s largest menorah lighting event in history. Held at the Stamford Hilton in CT, 1,000 menorahs were simultaneously lit on the first night of Chanukah. The idea was developed by NY NCSY after reflecting that hundreds of the event’s participants suffered greatly from Hurricane Sandy. Rabbi Jonah Lerner, Regional Director of Atlantic Seaboard, explained, “There are no words to describe how meaningful and inspiring it was to watch more than 600 high school teens light Chanukah candles together — many of them for their first time.” Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone, Regional Director of NY NCSY, added: “As the events of the last several weeks left so many in a state of both physical and spiritual darkness, Chanukah provides an opportunity to ‘turn the lights back on’ for all of the teens and families affected by the storm.”

PA S S O V E R 2013

MIAMI NCSY HAS DIGITAL DETOX FOR NCSYERS

schools in Brooklyn and Queens, for these teens, Tuesday nights will never be the same. Sponsored by Ohr Yitzchok yeshiva, the program has seen much success in its short existence. The boys made friendships and chavrusas that will surely last.

YESHIVA NCSY FOR GIRLS VISITS LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS What should I do on my day off from school? New York JSU members know what to do: go with Nechama Kamelhar to Yeshiva NCSY for Girls for food, fun and Torah. Yeshiva NCSY for Girls is a program designed to diminish the wall between public and yeshiva high school students. In its third year of existence, JSU members have gone to Magen David, Yeshiva University High School for Girls and Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls. There, the public school teens see what yeshiva is all about. The most common reaction to the day is: “Wow, the teachers are so nice… Everyone is so warm.”

Long Island, NY Rabbi Yossi Schwartz – schwartzy@ncsy.org Jon Ackerman – ackermanj@ncsy.org

JSU CLUBS HOST ISRAELI TEENS Greater Miami NCSY director Rabbi Joseph Goldglantz led a group of teens on a 32-hour camping experience on December 23. Participants departed from Aventura at 6:00 am and drove to the west coast of Florida where they canoed their way to two islands that NCSY rented. After getting settled, the teens had an inspirational afternoon

Twin Rivers, Hightstown, East Windsor, NJ Menachem Chinn – rabbichinn@gmail.com

A TWIST OF THE DREIDEL In Twin Rivers, NCSY teens did a lot of learning in many different ways. What do you get when you mix together kosher tacos, Sephardic doughnuts, spinning dreidels, gelt and sprinkle it all with passionate learning? A group of teens who understand that although we don’t always see it, Hashem is in charge and we need to show appreciation for everything.

West Orange, NJ Dov Carpe – dov@ncsy.org

WEST ORANGE NCSY BRINGS TEEN ISSUES TO THE FOREFRONT In response to teen interest, West Orange NCSY introduced a new weekly program entitled, “Discussions with Dunkin’.” Every Wednesday from 7:30-8:30 pm, public school and yeshiva day school students from all over the area gather together at City Director Dov Carpe’s house to eat donuts, drink hot chocolate and discuss difficult questions like “How do I know if God really exists?” and “How do I know that the Oral and Written Torah are true?” The success and feedback have been astounding and the future of West Orange NCSY gets brighter and brighter every day.

service on the sandy beach with a breathtaking backdrop of an orange and purple sunset. With no internet, cellphone service or running water, this experience was the ultimate digital detox. “This trip made me realize that there’s a world outside my iPhone 5,” said Morris Benson, a 10th grader from Hollywood Hills High School.

In the aftermath of Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense, a group of six Israeli high school teens visited NY with Stuart Katz of TAL Tours and spoke at the various JSU (Jewish Student Union) clubs throughout NY. They discussed their experiences during the operation — what it was like running to a bomb shelter — and their anticipation of joining the Israeli Defense Forces as soon as they graduated high school. The JSU club members were very impressed by the mature, yet normal, teens that had experienced so much.

Manhattan, NY Efron Sturmwind – efron@ncsy.org

EPIC SHABBAT MANHATTAN PROVES SUCCESSFUL

NEW YORK Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone, Regional Director 516.569.6279 // nyinfo@ncsy.org newyork.ncsy.org

YARCHEI KALLAH ATTRACTS RECORD NUMBER OF NY ATTENDEES Each year, NY NCSY strives to recruit as many teens as possible to Yarchei Kallah, a national program that provides public school teens an opportunity to learn Torah and Jewish values during their winter break. Selling this program to many teens is difficult as it competes with family vacations and exciting winter break plans. However, this year NY NCSY set a personal record — more than 40 public school teens attended the five-day learning event, the largest regional delegation to date. Teens from the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and New Rochelle came together for their first yeshiva-style program and walked away with an extremely inspirational and memorable experience.

Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, NY

Manhattan’s inaugural Epic Shabbat was a smashing success. NY NCSY, in coordination with five Upper West Side synagogues, hosted a large teen dinner, which attracted a record number of Upper West Side public high school teenagers. Efron Sturmwind, Manhattan director, noted, “When it comes to teen programming, Manhattan is a whole world unto itself and the only way to be successful is to have many organizations and shuls working together.” Following the teen dinner, NY NCSY held a variety of programs in different congregations and host homes throughout the Upper West Side. The teen participants, community members and rabbis all got a chance to get to know each other and experience NCSY.

SOUTHERN Todd Cohn, Executive Director 1-866-887-5788 // Southern@ncsy.org southern.ncsy.org

SOUTHERN NCSY FALL REGIONAL IN TAMPA, FL

Nechama Kamelhar – Kamelharn@ncsy.org Rabbi Moishe Zucker – zuckerm@ncsy.org

YESHIVA NCSY FOR BOYS A HIT Delicious food and Torah learning topped off with a free skiing trip, it was no wonder why the first semester of Yeshiva NCSY was a hit. With more than 20 “regulars” from both public and yeshiva high

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Over 150 teens from across the Southern U.S. joined together at the Tampa Hilton Airport Westshore on November 9-11 for Southern NCSY‘s Fall Regional Convention. The Shabbaton included teens from South Florida, Jacksonville, Savannah, Myrtle Beach, Huntsville

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and Southern NCSYs newest chapter, Tampa. Highlights of this incredible Shabbaton included special guests from Israel: Rabbi Menachem Nissel, Rabbi Meir Balofsky and Rav Yonatan Urden. They brought the “Why Israel?” theme to life, focusing on the unique ties that the Jewish people have with the land. The Shabbaton finished with ice skating on Saturday night and a trip to Rebounderz in Orlando on Sunday afternoon.

LEADERSHIP SHABBATON INSPIRES GENERATIONS The Bal Harbour Jewish Community rolled out the red carpet for Southern NCSY’s regional board members as they hosted the third annual Leadership Training Shabbaton. Teens were made to feel like royalty at an “intimate” Shabbat dinner hosted by more than 100 local NCSY donors, partners and friends. The evening was replete with traditional NCSY singing and ruach, as well as divrei Torah from the teens. NCSYers also delivered the sermon in Young Israel on Shabbat morning and led the community in a classic seuda shelishit and NCSY ebbing. The weekend concluded with havdalah in the penthouse suite of one of Bal Harbour’s most prestigious condominiums.

Atlanta, GA Rabbi Chaim Neiditch – rcn@ncsy.org

JUMP HOLIDAY CARNIVAL FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN NCSY’s Yeshiva Atlanta JUMP team organized a holiday carnival for 120 underprivileged children in the greater Atlanta community. The teens ran entertainment stations including face painting, coloring, musical chairs, storytelling, doughnut eating contests, make-up and manicures, and more! The JUMP NCSYers raised thousands of dollars, including corporate sponsorships from Walmart, Target, Kroger and Starbucks. They also collected over 1,000 items of clothing, food, and toys from the Atlanta Jewish community to distribute to children living in poverty.

Boca Raton, FL Rabbi Eli Zians – zianse@ncsy.org

TAKING SHABBAT TO THE NEXT LEVEL Friday nights will no longer be the same for the many students that attend NCSY’s monthly Boca oneg. High school students from all backgrounds gather together at the home of Rabbi Eli Zians for some words of inspiration, singing and the phenomenal atmosphere that permeates the air. For many, this event is the highlight of their week!

Hollywood, FL Bari Girnun – girnunb@ncsy.org

FLORIDA NCSY TEENS LEARN ABOUT CHESED The Teen Leadership, Learning and Chesed (Teen LLC) takes 20 select teens in Florida and teaches them about the Torah’s approach to chesed. The teens spend two hours every other week at Yum Berry yogurt store learning Jewish sources on charity and then meet with a representative from a charity. The program was the brainchild of Bari Girnun, the director of Broward NCSY. “I was looking for a way to engage motivated students and find them an outlet for their creativity and passion to change the world,” she said. Participating charities include Yachad, the Wedding Gmach and Chai Lifeline.

convention. Teens sit around a candlelit room with chulent, refreshments and guitars, sharing stories and inspiration. The pre-Shabbaton oneg has been warmly welcomed by teens and has given new meaning to the conventions and Shabbatons.

Miami Beach, FL Rachel Shakib – Rachelshakib@gmail.com

RASG HEBREW ACADEMY JUMP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FUNDRAISER RASG Hebrew Academy JUMP team put together a basketball tournament fundraiser during Chanukah to raise money for their upcoming Israel Awareness Day. Thirteen teams competed for a grand-prize of great tickets to a Miami Heat game. The fundraiser was a success and brought in over $3,500.

South Miami, FL Jason Segelbaum – segelbaumj@ncsy.org

NEW NAME – NEW CITY

Rabbi Shaya Hauptman – rabbihauptman@ncsy.org

This past Fall, Kendall NCSY changed it’s name to South Miami NCSY and welcomed new city director Jason Segelbaum. The year kicked off with a wonderful Shabbaton before Sukkot. During the Shabbaton, zmirot (songs) filled the rooms at Young Israel of Kendall, learning sessions inspired everyone, and a great time was had by all. Additionally, the teens of South Miami NCSY helped build and decorate Young Israel of Kendall’s sukkah.

SPIRITUAL APPETIZER

Palm Beach, FL

In an attempt to ensure that public school teens benefit the most from the short Shabbaton weekends, NCSY Jax implemented a Shabbaton primer. The goal is to introduce the warmth and ruach of Shabbat before the weekend begins, almost as a spiritual appetizer. The idea, created by NCSY Jax advisor Joey Hamaoui, brings teens together the Thursday night before every

Didy Waks – didy.waks@gmail.com

Jacksonville, FL

30 TEENS ENJOY INTIMATE SHABBAT DINNER: ITALIAN STYLE The highly-successful Shabbat Around the World Teen Shabbat Experience held one of its largest dinners on December 21 with 30 teens in attendance! Italy was the theme and delicious was

NCSY’s Yeshiva Atlanta JUMP team organized a holiday carnival for 120 underprivileged children in the greater Atlanta community. The JUMP NCSYers raised thousands of dollars, including corporate sponsorships from Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Starbucks. Above, Levi Siegelman, a senior at Yeshiva Atlanta, with two participants after performing a short juggling show.

PA S S O V E R 2013

York is a huge annual event with hundreds of people in attendance from the Savannah community, including U.S. Representative Jack Kingston (R-GA) and Chatham County Chairman Pete Liakakis.

Tampa, FL Elana Arroyo – rroyoe@ncsy.org

NEW NCSY CHAPTER OPENS Southern NCSY is growing! Tampa, Florida, joined the region as Southern NCSY’s newest addition and Tampa teens are thrilled to have their own chapter. The kickoff event was “Chanukah on Ice,” an iceskating extravaganza with food and fun.

Savannah NCSY Chapter President Josh Goldstein and VP Sophie Longwater were invited to speak at Bnai Brith Jacob’s gala event.

the food. The beautifully decorated room elicited an Italian vibe, and the warmth that was ushered in along with Shabbat and the dozens of teens was tangible. Every guest received a beautiful menu of the Italian cuisine prepared by Devorah Waks. A program guide and song book was produced specifically for the dinner featuring traditional Jewish songs and a brief history of Italian Jewry. These monthly Shabbat dinners have become very popular amongst high school teens in the local public schools. Many of them have commented that they feel rejuvenated and “refreshed in their Judaism” after they attend.

Savannah, GA Rabbi Eli Lob – lobe@ncsy.org

SAVANNAH NCSY RECEIVES MAJOR COMMUNAL RECOGNITION In recognition of Savannah NCSY’s explosive growth over the past few years, Rabbi Eli Lob, along with chapter president Josh Goldstein and vice president Sophie Longwater, were invited to speak at Bnai Brith Jacob’s gala event, Shalom New York. They presented the highlights of NCSY’s growth and gave attendees an opportunity to become partners with such an impactful organization. Shalom New

Albany, NY FRESH START FOR ALBANY NCSY Albany NCSY had a fresh start this year with new advisors and an excited community. Chapter Shabbatons take place every 2-3 weeks and are packed with events for Albany NCSYers including NCSY Shabbat lunches, bonfires and s’more making. In the spirit of Chanukah, the 2012 Maccabee games took place after a Chanukah concert following Shabbat. During the Maccabee games, NCSYers formed teams competing in different competitions such as menorah making, singing Chanukah songs, playing battle of the dreidel and more. Albany NCSY also hosted Winter Convention 2013.

Binghamton, NY

SOUTHWEST

NEW BURST OF ENERGY FOR BINGHAMTON

Rabbi Yisroel Lashak, Regional Director 972.934.9143 ncsysw@ncsy.org southwest.ncsy.org

SOUTHWEST REGION EXPLODES Southwest NCSY continues to reach, teach and inspire teens throughout Texas. Southwest NCSY recently held a Regional Shabbaton in Houston with more than 35 teens attending a Shabbat of learning, fun and friendship. Other recent events include: Dallas NCSY’s Shabbat Shabang, a visit to the Allen Americans Hockey Stadium in Allen, Texas, a Galleria Broomball event, and teens making menorahs for the disabled residents of Chai House, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas’ home for adults with specials needs. In November, NCSY held its annual awards ceremony at the Dallas Improv Comedy Club featuring comedian Gilad Foss. More than 300 people attended that event. The dust never settles and the learning never stops in Southwest NCSY.

UPSTATE NEW YORK

There was a burst of energy and excitement from the amazing new advisors of Binghamton NCSY. The hardworking and dedicated members of the board couldn’t wait to get the year started. Each board meeting was like its own mini-event where everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The year started with the traditional opening BBQ and continued with dancing the day away on Simchat Torah. The Chanukah event became an instant classic with a night of cooking delicious latkes and eating chocolate gelt. Binghamton is surging towards another Chapter of the Year award!

Buffalo, NY GREAT YEAR FOR BUFFALO Buffalo NCSY had a great year. Kickoff was an awesome sports day event followed by candy Sukkah building and the yearly Lasertron/ Cybersport outing. Jr. NCSY had an amazing time at the Junior Movie Night and the Buffalo chapter board volunteered at the local Jewish senior citizen residence. The Williamsville North JSU had its first meeting of the year before winter break, where teens from the school got together, learnt about Chanukah and played dreidel.

Marc Fein, Regional Director 718.216.6445 // feinm@ncsy.org upstate.ncsy.org

PRESIDENT OF LAS VEGAS SANDS CORP. SPEAKS TO LAS VEGAS JSU TEENS

Michael A. Leven, President and C.O.O. of The Las Vegas Sands Corporation, addressed 45 Jewish Student Union (JSU) students at the striking Paiza Club in the Venetian Hotel for the second meeting of Las Vegas NCSY’s Business Ethics for Teens (BET). He shared stories of his personal success and transitional moments. Through the buzz and excitement of BET, the number of Las Vegas NCSY’s participants grew 300 percent.

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Mt. Kisco, NY UPSTATE’S NEWEST CHAPTER FUELED BY CHAPTER PRESIDENT Although Mt. Kisco is the newest member of the Upstate NY family, it feels as if the chapter has been a part of Upstate New York for a long time. Fueled by powerhouse chapter president Jordyn Kaufman and a supportive community, Mt. Kisco teens partake in Latte & Learning, chapter visitations, community chesed projects and more. Mt. Kisco has contributed to the region by announcing page numbers in English, getting song sheets for Shabbatons, and initiating a National Board weekly d’var Torah to be sent out to all of NCSY.

Rochester, NY

NCSY teens discuss the importance of hard work in leadership roles with Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA). Pictured are Shiran Arusi, Claudia Esther Ortiz, Congresswoman Susan Davis, Hannah Sragovicz and Adina Cohen.

ROCHESTER NCSY HELPS OUT THE COMMUNITY Rochester NCSY has been filled with events all year. From Sukkah building and collecting food for the local food bank to JSU meetings and Latte & Learning, Rochester is extremely successful in hosting activities that will benefit NCSYers as well as the local community. On Shabbat Chanukah, Rochester NCSY had 27 teens in attendance. The Friday night tish was filled with festive singing and interactive games. On Shabbat day, a Lunch & Learn took place and NCSYers learnt how to incorporate a proper value system into their lives. The weekend ended with a trip to an indoor beach volleyball court.

WEST COAST Rabbi Effie Goldberg, Executive Director Solly Hess, Regional Director 310.229.9000 // westcoast@ncsy.org westcoast.ncsy.org

East Bay, Northern CA Akiva Naiman – naimana@ncsy.org

EAST BAY HOSTS ISRAEL ADVOCACY TRAINING This year, NCSY and StandWithUs partnered to launch an amazing three-week Israel advocacytraining program. More then 50 teens from NCSY, BBYO and JSU benefited from pamphlets, lectures and role-playing. Feedback was extremely positive, with teens saying they could now confidently argue the case for Israel and feel better prepared to defend Israel on college campuses. Participants who attended all three sessions received a certificate of completion. NCSY also arranged for StandWithUs to speak to 8th graders in the local Jewish middle school, as well as run a session for the teachers.

Los Angeles, CA Yosef Miller – millertime@ncsy.org

A CHANUKAH MIRACLE LACES public high school always had a handful of Jewish teens. After spending time trying to explain the history behind the driedel, the teens started to play a very intense game of dreidel. After about 10 minutes, a few of the football players came in thinking they smelled pizza, seeing the setting of about a dozen students in a circle they ask, “Hey, what’s going on in here?!” To which the Jewish students reply, “Nothing, we’re just playing dreidel.” Now they understood the history of the dreidel!

PA S S O V E R 2013

Oregon and SW Washington Meira Spivak – spivakm@ncsy.org

PORTLAND JUMP TEAM SEES MAJOR SUCCESS In its first year, Portland’s JUMP team has already achieved tremendous success. The JUMP team earned $360 in seed money at the kickoff conference on the East Coast and $1,000 in prize money from the Jewish Federation’s Golden Phone Award. The money raised was put towards a proIsrael bus advertising campaign in response to the anti-Israel ads run in Portland. The JUMP ads ran on 25 buses for one month and demonstrated the important contributions Israel has made to the modern world.

Phoenix, AZ Shmuli Josephson – shmuli@ncsy.org

PHOENIX NCSY MAIMONIDES INITIATIVE IMPACTS JEWISH TEENS Phoenix NCSY continues to impact the lives of Jewish teenagers across the state. Hundreds of students participate in activities inside and outside of school. Activities include holiday parties, charity events and the Maimonides Project. The Maimonides Project allows teens from different schools to get together on their own time and discuss different topics critical to understanding the hidden treasures of Judaism.

San Diego, CA Adam Simon – simona@ncsy.org

SAN DIEGO NCSY LEADERS MEET WITH CONGRESSWOMAN SUSAN DAVIS TO DISCUSS LEADERSHIP As part of San Diego NCSY’s Teen Leadership Initiative, a group of female NCSY leaders met with Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA) to discuss being a female Jewish leader in the community, the importance of hard work and education in leadership roles, and strategies for community engagement. San Diego NCSY would like to thank Congresswoman Susan Davis’s office for making this amazing opportunity possible.

San Francisco, CA Mike Donovan – donovanm@ncsy.org

A new Latte & Learning was started in Marin County. Just north of San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin County has a large Jewish population and NCSY is excited to teach Torah to the many teens that live there. The new group was started by Sam Orbach, a veteran of NCSY’s BILT summer program, and has a nice mix of Jewish community school and public high school students.

Seattle, WA Ari & Jessica Hoffman – hoffmanj@ncsy.org

MUNICH SURVIVOR SPEAKS AT TORAH HIGH Munich Olympics survivor Dan Alon spoke to over 200 students and parents at Seattle’s Torah High. Alon, a fencer on the 1972 Israeli Olympic team, told his riveting story of his escape and gave his perspective on the events.

The Valley, CA Derek Gormin – gormind@ncsy.org Sarah Leah Gormin – sarahleahgormin@gmail.com

LADIES NIGHT EMPOWERS TEENS Ladies Night, Valley NCSY’s newest program, aims to empower and educate young women for the future. Female NCSY members come together with experts to discuss issues affecting them. The program is run in collaboration with Shaarey Zedek Congregation. One guest speaker spoke about her seminary experience in Israel and facilitated a discussion about the effects of Jewish learning on a person’s life.

JSU LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE CHANGES THE WORLD Based on the exponential growth and success of JSU on the West Coast, Valley NCSY launched a new leadership initiative for their most motivated students — JSU Elite. JSU Elite is a cadre of select students that were recognized by the JSU community as individuals who exhibit both excellent leadership qualities and have the desire to change the world. JSU Elite is the ultimate experience of leadership, Jewish identity and social change. As a team, students deal with issues and assess what can be done to make tangible changes in the world. Programs address Jewish identity and assimilation, self-esteem, soldier support and moral and environmental issues.

NCSY NORCAL WEST STARTS NEW LATTE & LEARNING IN MARIN 45

Rabbi Moshe Benovitz

From Doogie Howser, M.D. to Alex P. Keaton, from the E*Trade Baby to Manny from “Modern Family” — Hollywood has long mined comedic gold from the depiction of youth mature beyond their years. Real-life babies don’t analyze golf swings, let alone manage complex portfolios. Teenagers don’t often treat diseases or legislate for their communities. But these distortions from our standard perception of age-appropriate roles and assignments might be more than good humor. Childhood is now lasting longer than ever, with some alarming implications. Adolescence has been slowly extended, only to be followed by post-adolescence and young adulthood. Ultimately, many will move into a hard-to-define 20-something limbo, marked by weak community affiliation, delayed onset of commitments, lack of clear direction and, most disturbingly, dangerously low levels of responsibility and accountability.

public school club or helps run a Shabbaton, that teenager is redefining youth. Our children need to be entrusted with greater responsibility. They need to be educated towards understanding society’s shortcomings with an eye toward developing meaningful change. True, it is unlikely that the lab work of a 16-year-old will provide a medical breakthrough that has proven elusive to the world’s greatest scientific minds. Nevertheless, why shouldn’t our children be trained to search anyway? And more significantly, what of the many other areas where solutions and advancements are more realistically in their hands?

For example, schools that run anti-bullying campaigns can opt to empower students to devise methods to eradicate the problem, as opposed to imposing solutions on them. We should be relying on the students to help define the scope and nature of bullying. As they begin to articulate the extent of the challenge, they will naturally become invested in solving it. The teacher/parent role would be to give the teens the tools to be able to solve the CHILDREN NEED TO BE problems themselves. In a completely different area, organizations looking to modernize and EDUCATED TOWARDS upgrade their PR and communications apparatus UNDERSTANDING would be wise to solicit the creative input and SOCIETY’S know-how of the younger generation.

Our Forebears, the Avos and Imahos, modeled something else entirely. Rashi famously deduces that Rivka was a mere three-years-old at the time of her marriage to Yitzchak. While it is somewhat jarring to imagine the toddleraged Rivka in decidedly adult-like scenarios, it is even more curious when we consider that this conclusion was not entirely necessary. In reaching his conclusion, Rashi makes a series SHORTCOMINGS WITH AN Parents and educators have often observed that of plausible assumptions, yet at least a couple EYE TOWARD DEVELOPING this generation of students and youth lack drive of them are not strictly necessary. Any of the and enthusiasm, and are especially unmotivated. alternatives would allow for a more conventional MEANINGFUL CHANGE. At some point it may behoove us to ask: For what interpretation of Rivka’s life. (See Rabbi Elchanan exactly are we expecting them to be motivated? It Samet’s essay in his Insights into the Weekly Parsha, can’t be limited to obedience and being good kids. Vol. 3 for a more detailed textual analysis.) Why would any None of this requires us to deny our children their youth. of our great Torah commentators seem to choose this most They can, and should, enjoy their innocence and need not unlikely reading? be burdened by all the pressures and challenges of a fully Perhaps the goal in proposing a young age for Rivka is to mature life. In their formative years they will always need challenge us to rethink our definition of youth. While some parental guidance and adult supervision. But it is unfair to commentators, Rashi included, clearly and unambiguously view our roles solely as supervising them to ensure they contend that she was actually three-years-old, that does stay out of trouble. Instead, we can guide them towards not preclude our drawing a powerful general lesson contributing profoundly to society today. And we can regarding the true nature of “age-appropriate” behavior. supervise their independent efforts to build and shape a better world. One of NCSY’s great accomplishments has been its ability to not only affect teens, but to empower them to affect others. This is, and rightfully should be, one of the most RABBI MOSHE BENOVITZ, AN NCSY ALUMNUS, IS THE DEAN OF central and vital objectives in youth work — to tap into the NCSY SUMMER PROGRAMS AND latent potential so many of our children squander. Even if THE DIRECTOR OF NCSY KOLLEL. they may ultimately develop into community leaders and HE IS ALSO A REBBE AT REISHIT highly successful adults, why should we concede the lost YERUSHALAYIM IN ISRAEL. opportunities of the overly coddled child? When a young NCSYer takes on a leadership role in a

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