Ephraim Rosenberg
Upstate New York Region
NCSY is a great place to be yourself while getting to know others through a Jewish outlet. I really got to know a lot of people over this week at Yarchei Kallah, but Friday was one of the best because I was really looking forward to shabbos.
The day started out great with a spiritual shacharis with all of NCSY. My senior educator was Rabbi Israel Lashak, he always knows what teens want to study and makes his sessions fun and meaningful. After my session with Rabbi Lashak we spent the morning doing some fun activities from painting, football, zumba and more. Then the most important part of the day, bringing in the Holy Sabbath. We heard an amazing intro to Shabbos speech from Rabbi Menachem Nissel, and a rap performed by our very own NCSYers. Our Kabbalos Shabbos was inspiring, complete with singing and dancing. It is really powerful being in a place with hundreds of people that have the same ideals as you and want the same things as you.
The next thing was a very funny but wise lecture with Rabbi Yaakov Lehman, he talked about searching inside yourself with other Jews. We had a delicious dinner, and then we finished with an oneg with our Regions, and the ruach that we had that night was unforgettable.
Hannah Assour
Atlantic Seaboard Region
I wish I could adequately put into words how amazing an NCSY shabbos is. From the beginning of Kabbalos Shabbos, all the way to the end during Havdallah, there’s no break from smiles, laughter, amazing food, learning and inspiration. Shabbos began with an amazing, warm, entrance with the help of beautiful candle lighting and kabbalos shabbos. After an amazing shabbos meal (we don’t gain weight on shabbos, right?), we were able to hear some amazing words of wisdom from rabbi Yaakov Lehman, leaving me wanting to change my life for the better. My favorite part of the night was regional onegs. With the AMAZING ruach, we sang songs with all our hearts and got to hear great dvar torahs from our friends.
Shabbos day was nothing short of amazing. We had our last shiur with our super insightful senior educators and had kiddish with our new friends that will last a life time. During menuchah we had the opportunity to speak to wise rabbis, representatives from seminaries and yeshivas in Israel, play games and learn torah! Shabbos came to an end with one of the most amazing ebbings of my life that will no doubt stick with me forever. The ruach in the room was unbelievably powerful and everyone was pouring their souls out. It was followed by an equally powerful havdallah and goodbye to shabbos. It ended, as it always does, on a high note with singing and dancing.
Yarchei Kallah definitely peaked on shabbos, with connections to friends old and new, torah learning, singing, ruach, and an immeasurable amount of inspiration. #YK2015 has given me so much knowledge and a desire to learn and grow more. I am left sad but ready to go home and bring this inspiration with me to become a better, stronger jew. Thank you NCSY!