Thursday, January 18, 2024
Three hundred Jewish teens choose to spend winter break learning with NCSY
While many of their peers spent winter break at exotic beaches and ski resorts, 300 Jewish teens from the U.S, Canada and Mexico attended a five-day retreat devoted to Torah study and religious growth run by NCSY, the international youth movement of the Orthodox Union (OU).
Aspire: NCSY's Yarchei Kallah is a premier annual Torah learning experience for public school students in 9th through 12th grades. This year's Yarchei Kallah in Stamford, Connecticut, included all the exhilarating components that NCSY weekends are renowned for — spirited singing, dancing and Shabbat onegs; captivating speakers and immersive Torah sessions; and opportunities to cultivate lifelong relationships with peers, advisors and educators.
"I chose to spend my break at Yarchei Kallah because it's amazing to see so many teens from all different parts of the world coming together to learn Torah and hang out with their friends," says Kaily Caicedo, a 12th grader at Westfield High School in New Jersey, who attended the retreat in 2022. "Yarchei Kallah enables me to connect with Jewish teens. I don't often get that chance since I attend public school and don't live in a very Jewish community. I get to talk to kids about Hashem and what Judaism means to us. It's so inspiring to connect with teens my age on such a deep level. Seeing how many teens are on my same page really helped me to connect with my Judaism as well."
NCSY Director of Innovation and Strategic Expansion Rabbi Jacob Bernstein says, "Yarchei Kallah is designed to deepen a teen's connection to Torah and Judaism, strengthen their Jewish pride, and cultivate new friends for life." Bernstein is also NCSY Summer Director of Next Step Israel Internships and co-directed this year's event with Associate Regional Director of Central East NCSY and author Rabbi Menachem Tenenbaum.
The retreat also serves as both a regional and international reunion where participants experience the power and fun of NCSY on a larger scale, and take their Jewish practice to the next level.
Naomi Davis is in 11th grade at Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) and participated in Yarchei Kallah for the first time in 2022.
"After attending last year, I knew that I had to come back this winter," she says. "There is no other way I would have liked to spend my break. I gained so much inspiration through learning, more pride in being Jewish, the feeling of unity and that I matter, and I gained so many new connections and relationships with old and new friends and advisors."
Teens largely learn about Yarchei Kallah via their Jewish Student Union (JSU), NCSY's network of public high school Jewish clubs, as well as their regional NCSY branches. About one third of this year's participants have attended a previous NCSY summer program, like TJJ (The Anne Samson Jerusalem Journey). Other attendees included NCSY alumni who are currently in college and 10 students who sit on NCSY's National Board (NABO).
Participants convened at the Stamford Hilton on December 27 for five days of Torah study and workshops centered on The Power of One and an exploration of the Shema prayer.
"The theme of unity was particularly significant in light of the events on October 7," says Rabbi Bernstein. "We emphasized the idea of being part of one nation and one people. We studied each paragraph in Shema, which centers on Hashem's oneness and our unique relationship with Him. Simultaneously, we also focused on the potential of one person to make a difference through one action, one mitzvah."
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