ncsy
JOLT Israel
JEWISH OVERSEAS LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN ISRAEL
Days 3 and 4- Absolutely Awesome!!!!

Dear NCSY JOLT Israel Family,

I hope this email finds you well. 

Shabbos was amazing!! Friday night began with our own Kabbalos Shabbos  followed by a beautiful message welcoming Shabbos from our very own advisor, Lauren Aduculesi. After dancing and singing we went down to eat the Shabbos Seudah together. The food was awesome! Duck, Lamb and yes schnitzel and regular food for my not yet cultured eaters :-)  After dinner we went back to our multipurpose room where we heard some amazing words of Torah from Rabbi Nosson Rich. Rabbi Rich shared simple yet meaningful ways to increase the amount of Chesed that we perform in our daily lives and how to set goals for ourselves. After Rabbi Rich spoke we had our first (of three) icebreakers. The kids loved it! It was a ton of fun and they started to get to know one another a bit better. Obviously no Friday night is complete with out Choulent and Kugel!   

Shabbos day began with Davening and I offered an optional Biur Tefilla Chabura during leining for the girls. After Davening we had Kiddush followed by some free time and another beautiful idea from Rabbi Rich. Lunch was an amazing spread of delicious gastronomical delights and upon finishing we went straight up to Mincha. We had 4 hours of Menucha and I told the kids that I felt it was imperative for them to sleep. Many did, some didn't....Seudah Shlishit was followed by ebbing outside overlooking the sunset over Beit Lechem. I spoke to the kids about new beginnings and the opportunity that this summer presents for each one of us to embrace the person we want to be. We each have the opportunity to fix the mistakes of the past in a safe and nurturing environment and evolve into our best selves.

We finished Shabbos with Maariv and a special JOLT Israel havdala. After a few minutes to change we loaded the buses for some special Motzei Shabbos Tefilos at Kever Rochel.  We returned back for a Melava Malka and night activity called mystery envelope. The kids loved it albeit I think we were all grossed out a bit.    

This morning was an early rise because we had one of the first appointments for a special tour of the Kenesset. After our Kenesset tour we went to the park adjacent to the Kenesset where we broke up into our Chaburas and learned for about 40 minutes. After Chaburahs were over we had the Zechus to do some hands on Chesed at Pantry Packers. When finished we helped to provide food for 570 poor families. How amazing is that??!!

The Chesed built up an appetite and we had fresh hamburgers and fries delivers to us at Gan Sacher. It was awesome to watch the kids continue to grow and bond with each other. Sitting together in groups in the shade or playing soccer it was nice to see these relationships really taking root.  

Our day ended with a graffiti tour of Nachlaot and the shuk. I have never done it before and I was very pleasantly surprised. It was an interesting sociological tool that allowed us to gain a deeper insight into the complex and diverse demographic tapestry of Israel and Jerusalem in particular. 

Tonight we are staying in Kibbutz Tzuba a beautiful and quaint Kibbutz on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Following a delicious dinner with multiple salads, 5 different entrees and many side-dishes the kids had a bit of free time only to return for Maariv and our last ice breaker. The rest of the evening was chilling out and spending time together. It was so nice to see relationships blossoming and kids still meeting and connecting to one another. 

Tomorrow we have a very exciting day. We are going to spend time in Gush Etzion as well as Hevron. I am so excited to give our kids an opportunity to daven at the graves of our holy mothers and fathers in our ancestral homeland. It is going to be a beautiful day and I am looking forward to sharing it together with you. Obviously we will be taking bullet proof buses with extra security guards as per protocol.

One final word...Most of the kids are integrating seamlessly and the new social structure is something that they are able to navigate quite effectively. For others it is still taking a little bit of time. That is totally normal. Trust the process and trust me. Everything is going exactly the way it should.  Don't get involved in the drama, just let me and my fantastic and very talented staff do our jobs and help your children navigate any social hurdles. We understand the context and we see them in real time. We are totally invested in their emotional, physical and spiritual well being. 

If you have questions or concerns feel free to reach out to me and we will troubleshoot together.

Wishing you a blessed day from the beautiful and holy hills of Jerusalem

-Rabbi Weinberg 

 

Visit JOLT Israel
 

© 2024 NCSY. All Rights Reserved.

   
Facebook Instagram instagram