Teaneck—The New Jersey division of the Orthodox Union’s flagship NCSY program has received a donation for its renowned social justice leadership training missions for teenagers in memory of Fred and Rose Distenfeld, z”l. The gift is sponsored by their children, Gershon and Aviva Distenfeld of Bergenfield, and will fund a large portion of each year’s annual budget for missions in partnership with high schools throughout the state.
New Jersey NCSY is proud to rename the chesed missions as the “Fred and Rose Distenfeld New Jersey NCSY Chesed Missions.”
Over the past 12 years, New Jersey NCSY has taken more than 60 groups of teenagers on leadership-training missions to cities in need across the country. The established leadership-training missions educate teens about the importance of social justice and the responsibility they have to positively impact the world around them. The teens are taught what it means to be an ohr lagoyim, using Torah values as a guide for a chesed-filled life. By engaging in meaningful volunteer service, participants learn about the Jewish value of responsibility and helping fellow human beings in their times of need. Both parents and teens have recognized the values gained from these chesed missions. Parents constantly remark, even months after the trips, about how these trips have impacted their children’s Jewish identity and sense of priorities in life.
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