Har Hertzel and Machene Yehuda
This morning we visited Har Hertzel, military cemetary. The visit was especially meaningful because it was the yartzheit of Michael Levine a”h, the young lone soldier that we learned about in a film earlier this week. We then traveled to Machene Yehuda to purchase some delicious shabbos treats and socialize with the rest of the busy pre-shabbos shabbos of Jerusalem. It was a blast!
Wishing you a shabbat shalom! We’re very excited to be spending this shabbos here in Mevaseret. There’s no place like home…
Zichron Menachem and the Last Jew
Today we visited Zichron Menachem, an organization that provides services and programming for children with cancer and their siblings. This place provides a magical environment where these kids are given a chance to relax, have fun and experience warmth, normalcy and happiness all year round. We had a wonderful time playing with the kids and making pre-shabbos treats and notes with them.
At night, we ran a program called The Last Jew, which reflects on the significance of recognizing one’s potential and importance in the greater Jewish community. We want our GIVErs to remember that they are the next link in the chain.
Reflecting on the IDF
This morning we heard from Rabbi Ethan Katz of NJ NCSY about his experience in the IDF. He shared personal stories and lessons that he gained from this critical and defining time during his life. After hearing from him, we watched a very powerful film called A Hero in Heaven, which weaves the tragic life story of Michael Levine a”h, a long soldier who died defending Israel. Despite all the harships he faced in the process of joining the army, he never gave up on his dream to serve his people and died protecting that which he most loved. Tomorrow is Michael’s yartzheit and we will have the merit of visiting his kever on Har Hertzel to pay him, and countless other soldiers, our respect.
Last Day of Electives, Elvin Israel and the Machlis Family
This was our last morning of electives, and what an emotional morning it was! For many of our NCSY GIVErs, it was hard to say goodbye to the friends they had made, the relationships they had developed and the organzations they had come to feel a part of. One organization, Alei Siach, even threw a goodbye party for our girls and printed them certificates recognizing their contributions. It was remarkable to watch our girls truly impact the lives of others over the course of just 4 days.
We then all met in the Mifletzet and awesome park with a giant monster shaped slide, where we had lunch, chaburahs, and a TON of fun sliding down the monsters tongue (see pictures to further understand what on earth I’m talking about!).
Our next stop was Elvin Israel, where we sang, danced and cheered together with adults who have varied levels of mental and phsycial dusabilities. The residents were glowing after our girls entered the room and lightened up their day.
From there we headed to the home of the Machlis family, a very very holy family who is known for their tremendous acts of chessed, specifically their open door policy on shabbos, where they host over 100 for each meal. Mrs. Machlis shared inspirational words of Torah, shared brachos with us, and told over powerful stories about the power of doing chessed for others and the infinate rewards that are in store for those who make chessed their essence. She then allowed us to participate in making challah with her, teaching about the importance of every ingredient and what it represents, We all took a moment to daven after she made the bracha on hafrashas challah, taking challah, and daven that in the merit of all of her beautiful chessed and the wonderful chessed that GIVE has performed this summer, we will all merit to have our prayers answered fully and quickly. We ended off our time at the Machlis home meeting the newest Machlis grandson who is celebrating his Bris Milah tomorrow. As is customary to say Shema Yisrael with a new born baby the night before his bris, we all joined together to say this timeless passuk for the baby, to fully welcome him into the Jewish people and ask for Hashem to protect him throughout his lifelong journey.
What an inspirational day!
Electives, KKL, and a Buddhist Jew
This morning started with electives and our girls continued to make a wonderful impact in each of their assigned organizations.
We then headed to work in the forests of Yerushalayim, weeding and clearning paths with the organziation KKL. Our efforts will hopefully prevent future forest fires. It was a blast! We then traveled back to Mevaseret for dinner, chaburahs and an awesome speech from Dov Ber Bradley, a young Jewish guy who shared his life journey and search for meaning with us. From Buddhism to Judaism… it was really inspiring.
Electives and Ir David
Welcome to elective week! From Sunday through Thursday of this week, our NCSY GIVErs will be working at their elective chessed of choice. Our girls are working in small groups at nursing homes, with children and adults with disabilities, in soup kitchens, packing food, with immigrants, doing art work and sharing in many other wonderful volunteer projects. The impact they are making on a more local, personal level is so impressive and the organizations and recipients are so grateful. Our goal is that when our NCSY GIVErs come back to Israel to visit, learn or settle, they will feel a more personal connection to at least one chessed organization.
After lunch we headed to Ir David, where we explored ancient history, walked the steps of the Beis HaMikdash and splashed through the Chizkiyahu water tunnels- singing all the way. We even got to watch a cool sound and lights show with 3D glasses!
Shabbos in Yerucham
Or should we say, YeruCHAM because it was so very hot there…
We welcomed in shabbos standing on a mountain top in the middle of the desert, overlooking emptiness. As the wind enveloped us and carried our tefillos up to Hashem, we felt the vast greatness of the world around us and our little, yet significant role in this world. The tefillah, singing and dancing was so beautiful. From there we returned back to our hotel, had dinner and ended off the evening with a spectacular tisch. The next day was filled with learning and more singing, and concluded with an uplifting “ebbing” (slow singing and stories as shabbos is leaving) held in the middle of the desert. We wrapped up our time in the desert with Hisbodedus, the art of talking to Hashem one on one, in your native tongue, through free-association. We encouraged the girls to think of Hashem as a friend, to sit alone and to get to know this friend a little bit better.
All in all, it was a great shabbos! We love the South! (…and the North. And well, everywhere in this Holy land!)
Koach Latet
Today we headed down south to Yerucham and spent the morning volunteering at an organization called Koach Latet. There we organized a gemach – a place where people donate their used belongings and can purchase clothes, dishes, shoes, etc for 1 shekel a piece. We spent time folding and organizing the clothes, making jewelry to be sold at the gemach, and painting the buildings that Koach Latet uses with beautiful, bright colors. Now we’re all getting ready for shabbos in the desert- should be very special!
Flea Market, Dr Luchins and Silent Library
Both busses then traveled to the Shuk HaPishpushim – aka the flea market! – and made some exciting and random purchases. We returned to Mevaseret and were visited by Dr. David Luchins, founding dean of Touro, his wife, Vivian Luchins, Chair of NCSY Summer Programs, and Isabelle Novack, Chair of Ben Zakkai. Dr. Luchins addressed the group and obviously kept the audience engaged with his wonderful sense of humor. We then all headed downstairs for a wild night activity of Silent Library and then had optional mishmar with Rabbi Felberman (over 25 girls in attendence!