By Rabbi Micah Greenland
International Director NCSY
Dear NCSY Parents,
Does your teen have an NCSY advisor they talk about? A JSU staff member who brings pizza to their club? A college student who sat with them at a Shabbaton? A summer program director who inspired them?
If you’re not sure, ask them.
If your teen has been active in NCSY programming, I can almost guarantee there is someone who has made a lasting impact on their life. Someone they look up to, have stayed in touch with, or turn to for advice and encouragement.
That’s not a coincidence.
At NCSY, meaningful relationships are at the heart of everything we do. Our goal isn’t simply to create great programs. It’s to connect every teen with mentors who inspire them to grow in Torah, strengthen their Jewish identity, and continue taking the next step long after a program ends.
I’ve seen this in my own experience and that of my family. I started as a pre-teen in NCSY in the 1980’s and maintain close relationships nearly 40 years later with some of my NCSY advisors. The same is true for many of my children about their own NCSY experiences, including one advisor who maintained a chavrusa with my son for several years following their NCSY Kollel summer together. What began as a few weeks on a summer program became a meaningful relationship that helped shape the person he would become.
I just returned from a summer spent visiting over a dozen different NCSY summer programs and am beyond proud that the same spirit of relationships that inspire and endure is alive and well today. At a time when artificial intelligence is transforming nearly every aspect of our lives, the heart of Jewish education remains profoundly human. That’s why we call it the “AI” of NCSY Summer: Authentic Inspiration. Nothing can replace the impact of a trusted mentor who believes in a teen, challenges them to grow, and walks alongside them on their Jewish journey.
