Summer 2015

Written by GIVEr: Gabs Laskow Yesterday was an awesome beginning to our electives week!! We started our day off at mevaseret packing our lunches and saying bye to our amazing friends. After an awesome and exaughsting night of yom ncsy we now slept on the 3 hour bus ride to our first hike. When we arrived, our hiking tour guide pulled out her little “friend” which was a terrifying orange snake, and a few people held it. We soon started our hike which was very nice. It wasn’t too long and there was nice shade. We helped each other get through the rough patches which I thought was beautiful. We stopped for water and our guide played a little game with us where she pulled out unclear pictures and we had to guess the image. We continued on our wandeful hike till we reached a steep and rocky hill. All of us did an amazing job and got through it pretty quickly as we reached a water pool. Personally I relaxed and sat on a rock with a friend -the one and only amazing Esti Zulberg. Almost everyone else went into the water and had a very exciting and fun time. We finished up and hiked back to the bus. When we arrived at the camping grounds we found a huge tent waiting for us with mattresses! It was much nicer than we expected, it was awesome!! Our night activity took place shortly afterward it was…. KAROKE!! There were strobe lights and we immediately started dancing. The dj told us to download the “application” to listen to the music we wanted. We all sang and screamed together for a while which was super fun! We showered and got in pajamas while listening to Rachel sing and play the guitar, she’s so good!!! We played a game called the code game which was super funny. After all this crazy excitement, I fell asleep?. This day was so much fun and it was a great bonding experience between everyone!

Written by GIVEr: Chani Israel

Yom NCSY

Where do I even begin to express how much fun I had at yom NCSY. From the moment we got off the bus, we showed everyone who we are with are ruach (“we r GIVErs”) so everyone would know that the party can start because NCSY GIVE has arrived. We then went to a BBQ where we had yummy Israeli food, and took pictures with our friends, capturing this amazing moment. Once I entered the arena where so many Jewish people came together. I knew this is where I wanted to be, with my NCSY family. All the NCSY programs coming together in unity, having so much compassion towards am yisrael was incredible to see. The NCSY national director introduced Yom NCSY. After the director spoke, our own Erin Stiebel spoke (“Erin Erin Stiebel!”). Additionally, Mrs. Fraenkel, one of the three mothers of the boys who were murdered last summer, spoke to us. She is a true inspiration to  Am Yisroel. Even though she lost her son, she still saw the good out of it. It was amazing to hear her describe how her nation and community came together during this difficult period and how she told us she would never live anywhere else but Israel even with all that she’s been through. When she came off the stage all I could say to her was “thank you, thank you so much.” Then we turned our heads towards the screen that played the videos of all the campers. Then the concert started with everyone singing and dancing. I’ve never sweat so much in my life.  I was dancing and singing with all my friends and making new friends with all the NCSYers. We had so much ruach! Thank you so much to David Cutler and to the whole NCSY staff (especially GIVE) for making this my Best.Summer.Ever

Written by GIVEr: Ilana Paskoff

We started off Tisha B’av with reading Aicha and the nighttime kinnos. Each advisor spoke about a kinna and brought beautiful insights and stories to each one to make them more meaningful. Then we went to a candle-lit room and spoke about the extermination of the Jews in the modern world and how the world is desensitized to the violence. Erin then told us to each write down on a piece of paper what our dreams and hopes are. What our talents are and the thinks we want to accomplish in life. Then all the advisors collected the papers. We weren’t so sure why they collected then. The next thing we know we see Erin put them in a bin and light the papers on fire. She was telling us to imagine how it must feel to lose everything you have in just a split second like many of our past ancestors did in tragedy. This was such a powerful program. I’ve never experienced anything like it.  We stayed up until late hours coming together and singing incredible zmiros outside. In the morning, we read and listened to more kinnos prepared by our advisors and then later on we went to the Kotel for mincha. It was such a meaningfull experience to be   davening with so many Jews to end this galus. After Tisha B’av ended, we broke our fast on yummy food in cinema city! Even though this was the most meaningful Tisha B’av I have ever experienced, I pray that this will be the last one we celebrate in mourning. We want Moshiach Now ☺️☺️!!

Weekend number three on GIVE was awesome!! On friday, we went to Ir Dovid. We got a tour of Ir Dovid and then got to explore the water tunnels!! It was such an adventure! As we walked through the tunnel we all sang songs in the dark and enjoyed the cold water on our feet! We then enjoyed a nice pizza lunch! Whats GIVE without pizza! For the last activity before shabbos, we went to Machane Yehudah (The Shuk). It was what all the girls have been waiting for! Everyone got time to walk around, buy candy and food, and even drink some refreshing Re:bar!

Finally, the holy shabbos began! Shabbos this week was very special because we were in Mevaseret! It felt as if we had a shabbos at home! Shabbos was so nice and relaxing. Now that we have been on GIVE for already almost 3 weeks we are super comfortable and close with one another! We sang, ate, played fun activities, learnt, and just chilled! That’s the best kind of shabbos there is!

Looking Forward to another meaningful and fun week!!

Written by GIVEr: Samantha Friedman

Written by GIVEr: Caroline Masia

Hey guys! It’s Caroline Masia from sunny South Florida! I can’t believe that I am here with GIVE NCSY this summer! So far this summer has been amazing and super fun! Everyday and night, we do something that is special. One of the activities we did last night really touched me. We went to a very special play. Before we went to the playhouse, we went to a fabulous restaurant. After we ate dinner, we had ice cream for dessert. It was probably the best ice cream I ever had in my life! After dinner, the entire group went to a play called Na LaGa’at. Basically this playhouse is for people that are deaf, blind, or mute. These people are able to act on stage- which is pretty incredible.

Now let me tell you something about myself, I am profoundly deaf myself in both ears. Now you are probably wondering, how can this girl be writing this? Well I have the wonderful technology called cochlear implants. A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. I got my first implant when I was 16 months old and my second one at 7 years old. At an younger age, I had to go through a lot of therapy. I connected very deeply with this play because I can relate to them on a personal level,because of my situation, . After the play, we were able to go up on stage and meet the actors. I told them that I was deaf and they smiled, even though they couldn’t see or hear me, that smile touched my heart. We had that instant connection right away. It was an incredible experience that I’ll never forget. It meant a lot to me because when I get home from GIVE, I know that I want to be able to give back to people that are deaf and give back to the community. I can’t wait to see what more is to come!

P.S. A huge shoutout to my amazing parents and the best region ever, SOUTHERN REGION NCSY, for helping me get to this amazing program! ?

Today was a very special day on GIVE. We all went together to the holy city of Chevron. We started off with a walking tour with the famous Simcha Hochbaum. When on the tour, we really felt as if we were walking in the footsteps of our forefathers. We ended off the tour at Ma’arat Hamachpelah. It was beautiful. We went inside and visited all of our Avot and Emahot’s kevarim. As we all approached them we opened up our siddurim to say tehilim. Chevron is such a special place to be. You feel as if you are living in Torah. After, we made our way to a park called “Oz Gaon”. It was a parked made in the memory of our three boys — Gilad, Eyal, and Naftali. There slogan is “Somchin Metoch Ha’ka’av” “From pain we flourish”. In times of darkness and pain, we as Jews never lose ourselves. We do just the opposite. We get up, build, and grow. This is what one of the founders of the park taught us. We ate lunch in the park and then had the opportunity to do volunteer work there. We all got a hoe and gloves and went down into the park. We helped to remove all the rocks and weeds from the ground. In addition, we had to create a stone path down the park. Although it was hard and very hot, we had a blast! It was fun, challenging, and SO meaningful! We were building up Eretz Yisroel! Later that day we went to a place called, Tzomet Institute. They create gadgets and different objects that can be used on Shabbos! It was so cool!

Next, we headed towards Kever Rachel. It was such an inspiring way to end off our day! At Kever Rachel we davened Mincha. All the girls were pouring their hearts out and really connected. For some it was their first time there, and for others it was their 10th! Either way it was 100% meaningful to all!

To fully conclude our day, two staff members from NCSY came to run a public speaking program. Girls had to get up and speak about something that is important to them. They were all video taped, so the pressure was on! It was a challenge, but the girls rocked it! They all got up there and spoke with passion and confidence!

Thank you GIVE for another fabulous day! See you tomorrow!

 Written by GIVEr: Shaindle Goodwin

Personally, today was one of the best days on GIVE! Today’s agenda was to go to a hospital and act like clowns. The irony of the whole ordeal is that I’m afraid of clowns! Imagine one who is afraid of clowns becoming one! So, we began our day with medical clowning, which all of us can agree was hilarious! I never realized the silliness and thought behind being a clown! They try so much to bring laughter to an individual, whatever the cost! After learning an appreciation for clowning, it was finally our turn to experience being one. As our red noses and tutus left the bus, we went to a children’s ward in the hospital. There, there was a boy, he didn’t speak English, but that didn’t matter. With a fellow GIVEr, I made funny noises and skits that left this boy laughing! It was the most incredible feeling in the world!- To be able to cheer someone up with laughter when they are going through a hard time. And at that moment I knew that this was why I came on GIVE! It was uncomfortable at the beginning, but by the end I loved being a clown, just like the boy loved me as one! After the hospital we went to a play that the deaf and blind created about their dreams in life. It was amazing to watch, and the biggest amazement was that it took two years to practice! As a fellow actress, I’m inspired by their persistence to keep on practicing every day and living their lives! I thank Hashem that I am able to have this incredible and humbling experience!