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Dear NCSY GIVE Parents,
What a week!
After a totally uplifting shabbos in Tzfat, we had the merit to spend the rest of the week there, soaking up even more holiness than ever imagined.
We started our week with an awesome social media blast, making posters that show our support of our soldiers and then posting the picture of all of us with our signs all over social media. We want the world to know how much we appreciate Tzahal and how grateful we are for the sacrifices they make to protect us and our land. We then had the opportunity to actually pack packages for soldiers, filled with all sorts of goodies and personal notes of thanks from our GIVErs. A truck picked up our packages from our hotel in Tzfat and travelled straight to the front line in Gaza. The next day, we had the chance to go on a boat cruise on the Kinneret and invited a wonderful family from Southern Israel to join us for a fun night out. They were incredibly grateful for the opportunity to escape their challenging reality even for a short while and sang and danced along with out GIVErs as we thanked Hashem for all that He does to protect us. Later in the week, we heard from Neil Lazarus, a renowned speaker about the Middle East, who gave us incredible insight into the bigger picture of what is going on in the Middle East, specifically Israel. His humor and knowledge combined made for a super interesting and enjoyable hour.
But that's not all of the chessed we did this week! We also planted and harvested organic vegetables, made a carnival for children from Neve Michael, a home for children coming from broken homes, held a carnival for families uprooted from their homes in the South and sent to the North for refuge, dedicated two hours of no Lashon Hara in merit of the soldiers, and participated in the Shmirah Project, where we "adopted" a soldier to keep in our prayers each day. We're definitely made a mark on Israel.
We also had a chance to let loose this week and have a blast by going banana boating and swimming in the Kinneret, going donkey riding in ancient garb, making pita, biking with one of the most beautiful views of all time, shopping in the Naot factory, and of course COLOR WAR!!! Color war was an incredible day where we had the chance to watch so many of our GIVErs shine in ways we never had experienced before. The teams were divided into the 4 Holy Cities (Tzfat, Tiveria, Chevron and Yerushalayim) and the colors, or patterns?, were neon, striped, polka dot and pastel. It was hilarious! A BIG mazel tov to team Tzfat for taking the win, and a yasher koach to the team captains Sara Hartman from Chicago, IL and Adina Kisilinsky from Pittsburgh, PA! All of the teams were incredible and we're very proud and insanely impressed by our GIVErs endless talent!
We're now settled in at Kibbutz Lavi, which is by far one the of the most beautiful kibbutzim in Israel, and are excited for our third shabbos together! We're joined this week by David and Vivian Luchins of Touro and NCSY Summer respectively, Rabbi and Mrs. Baruch Felberman- our GIVE Rabbi and Rebetzin, and Rabbi Ethan Katz of NJ NCSY.
Should be another incredible shabbos with our GIVE family!
Wishing you and yours a beautiful shabbos, and may the light of shabbos light up and our week for a week of safety for our soldiers and land, health, happiness and peace for all.
Good shabbos!
Erin and the NCSY GIVE Family |
