Kip Glickman
National Board Ambassador of Social Media
Detroit, MI
Day two of Yarchei Kallah was the first day of full programming on Yarchei Kallah. Even though I’ve been on YK before, this year had been such a different experience from previous years. What is different for me this year is that I am a national board member, so I had a different perspective than being a participant like last year. This year has been a lot more behind the scenes and I have been helping facilitate programming with the rest of national board, which in its own way makes the experience more meaningful. For example the challah bake materials were crucial for the success of the largest challah bake in NCSY history. We had 275 NCSYers kneading the dough and taking Hafrashas Challah at the same time! We will be able to enjoy it in time for Shabbos. I never appreciated all of the hard work that goes unnoticed to be able to create events at such a large scale. I feel that I am making a real difference in the experience NCSYers are having.
I have learned about leadership through several of my role models I have met through my involvement with NCSY. Rabbi Lichtig of Detroit NCSY is one of my biggest role models, and I have learned so much from him. I used to be Chapter Vice President of Detroit, and Regional President of Outreach. Being a member of NCSY National Board this year has been the next level in my leadership development. A different skill I have picked up while on this event, is that I am now learning how to coordinate the crucial little things that need to happen behind the scenes, and if they didn’t happen the event wouldn’t be successful. Every year never fails to teach me something new about myself or Torah.
No matter what there is always something new to learn every year at YK. This year we are learning about David Hamelech and Tehillim, and we are learning how to express ourselves through the medium that speaks to us the most. Rav Moshe Weinberger came to Yarchei Kallah on Thursday and we had a very interesting class, and he told us stories about his family in the Holocaust. He told us the story of his father who hid his Tefillin and wore it every day in the concentration camps. He shared his Tefillin with other Jews in the camp so they could keep this one mitzvah even though he risked death by keeping the Tefillin. The last words that his father heard from his grandfather before he was killed in the war was that he should wear Tefillin every day to survive the war. That is, to survive the war as a Jew. As a sign of our Hakarat Hatov, we were privileged to give Rav Weinberger a rare sefer previously owned by the Piazetzner Rebbe hy”d, whose teachings Rav Weinberger spreads and after whom his shul in Woodmere is named.
I am so grateful for all of the friends and role models I have gained throughout my whole NCSY experience. If y’all know me then you know I am all about the shout out! Shout out to Amy Mauskopf, Sari Borenstein, DKraz, My Homie Rabbi Dave Lichtig, Dovid (the lifestyle) Bashevkin, Debbie (Da Bae) Stone, Marc Fein, Samantha Feldman, Uncle Tzali Freedman, and the rest of Nabo (National Board). And my crew the squad Detroit Chapter NCSY.