In the cold winds and snow of Albany, New York, there is one very noticeable bright spot. It is Allie Kugler and her contagious smile. Whether participating in an NCSY Torah-learning session, engaged at a Regional Board meeting, or welcoming someone new to NCSY for the first time, that infectious, contagious grin is on her face. Seeing that bright beam, you would never guess the trials behind it, her incredible, ongoing journey, and how NCSY helped this teenager cope with a life-altering accident.
Rewind to the Spring of 2009. Allie was a normal and healthy teenager. She had just finished her first semester at Albany High School, the local public school, with a 95 average. She was a gifted student and a gifted athlete. She mastered Tae Kwon Do, receiving a second degree black belt, ran track in her first year of high school, and was an avid dancer.
Then, one day, everything changed. Allie received a major blow to her head, which resulted in a concussion and a traumatic brain injury. Allie was devastated, and the summer after the accident was extremely difficult. “I was moody and really down. Light hurt my head, moving hurt, and I was tired a lot. I spent the entire summer in my room, in the dark, watching movies. It was awful.” The doctors were noncommittal about her improvement and return to school and activities, adding to her frustration.
Allie also faced a new set of challenges. She was in perpetual pain, since the injury caused her to have constant headaches. Her memory also suffered. “My short-term memory was damaged. It’s a bit better now, but I still have trouble remembering things, and when it first [happened it was even worse].” The way her brain processed information changed as well. Allie could no longer learn at her familiar. Stephanie, Allie’s mother, recalls, “Allie used to run track, come home, eat a snack, go to the dance studio, come home, study for 20 minutes, and ace her test the next day. She was a quick learner, and it came to her easily. Now, we sit for hours studying the material.” The injury damaged the way information moved through her brain, making her learning process much slower and more laborious. The memory loss issues did not help. Still in tremendous pain and her memory loss hurting her learning skills, Allie could only return to school part-time that September. Her after-school extracurricular activities were now replaced with doctor’s appointments.
Allie had attended Upstate New York Jr. NCSY events, but stopped going once she reached high school. However, the injury left her with a huge void. Lacking the social life that school usually provided and on a quest for meaning after an accident changed her life, Allie was lost. When Esther Tsvaygenbaum, the Albany NCSY chapter president at the time (now studying in Machon Ma’ayan in Israel) reached out to her to join NCSY, Allie decided to give it another try. “Something just clicked. I really loved it. I really loved the way it made me feel connected to people and to my Judaism.” Allie found an outlet where she could relate to other teens, embrace her heritage, and be invigorated from the energy and spirituality of NCSY. She also found opportunities to encourage herself to grow: Allie volunteered to speak publicly at the regional Leadership Training Seminar, even though it was outside of her comfort zone. The singing and the Torah learning were things that Allie could still do, take pleasure in, and derive strength from. And she did.
Soon, Allie was as heavily involved in NCSY as she was able, getting caught up in events and eventually running for Upstate New York Regional Board, where she is now Vice President of Juniors. “NCSY has really been a blessing for Allie, with all the things she’s going through,” says Stephanie. Allie’s friends on NCSY board make sure she is taken care of, and that they are kept updated on her progress. “They all just care about one another so much, and the Regional Board has been so supportive of her, making note to call or send things when she’s out of town for treatments.” Her mother also related how some Regional Board members went so far as to call Stephanie herself to find out Allie’s status. “This is something you’d really only find in NCSY, this level of involvement.”
In Upstate New York NCSY, Allie is famous for her upbeat personality, her sunny smile, and her constant desire to grow. “Throughout all her personal struggles Allie has come to each and every NCSY event with a charismatic smile that can light up the room. Her actual inability to frown has been a joke in Har Sinai, but it also gives deeper insight into the type of person Allie is,” adds Hannah Restle, current regional president and senior at John Jay High School in Mt Kisco, New York. “Allie’s commitment to NCSY has truly been an inspiration to me and to the whole Upstate New York region.” A real leader, Allie is popular, but sensitive to those who might be new. “She strives to make every convention comfortable for all the participants and can be counted on to extend herself to those on the fringes of the circle,” says Marc Fein, Regional Director of Upstate New York, NCSY. “She is popular and treats everyone with respect and kindness.” During NCSY Torah-learning sessions on convention, she is enthusiastic, and her eager desire to learn despite her challenges shines through.
In fact, Allie’s dedication to NCSY has carried over beyond the traditional school-year programming. Hopeful that her health will permit, she has applied to go on TJJ Ambassadors, an NCSY summer program that tours the length and breadth of Israel. According to Marc, “Allie will create a cool, comfortable atmosphere on the trip and create an environment where everyone will contribute. She possesses an emotional depth and maturity that will enhance the tenor of the trip dramatically.”
Allie strives forward with the confidence to face her challenges, her NCSY friends and region solidly at her side. Stephanie’s words ring true, “I always say to Allie, ‘This is hard. This is a challenge. But you’ll hopefully see one day that you will be able to take these life lessons learned from this injury and use them in a positive way for yourself and to help others.”
Dalia Caplan is a Program Associate for JSU and Chapter Coordinator for Upstate New York NCSY.