240 teens from Toronto, Thornhill, Montreal, Kitchener, Hamilton, London, and Ottawa bonded at the NCSY 2018 Fall Regional Convention. The weekend of inspiration began with a reunion of 45 teens who went on last summer’s TJJ summer tour of Israel (TJJ buses 9 and 10). They toured the Haunted House and enjoyed the Niagara spray while huddling in pink raincoats in the Hornblower.
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Then the TJJers joined the rest of the two hundred-strong NCSY and Torah High crew, tearing up Clifton Hill enjoying the sights.
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The incredible Steve Gar, a counter terrorism expert, was the shabbaton’s keynote speaker, inspiring the teens with his stories and experiences defending the State of Israel.
He recounted a story of taking a bar mitzvah boy and his 95-year old grandfather shooting for the first time when, suddenly, he saw the grandfather crying. Steve apologized, thinking that he had done something. But the grandfather reassured him, explaining: “I am a survivor. In the camps, I never thought that 70 years later I would be a alive, being here in Israel with my grandson, learning how to defend ourselves!”
Steve spoke passionately about why he has chosen to devote his life defending the Jewish homeland: “We are one big Jewish family! The Jewish army defends not only those in Israel but Jews all over the world.”
That evening, the teens enjoyed a Shabbat oneg, breaking up into groups, where they sang, listened to d’ivrei Torah, and explored the question “Have you ever had to stand up for yourself for being Jewish?”
The next day, as the teens took part in Shabbat “ebbing” (that special time when Shabbat “ebbs” to a close), they gathered in a circle around Rabbi Black, where teens read first-person accounts of Jews, who lived at various times across history. Ending with the words “I am the next generation,” the teens declared their critical role in the chain of history; although the Jewish people have existed over millennia and suffered the blows of persecution time and again, the teens will not allow that chain to be broken. They are our next generation!
Motzei Shabbat and havdalah reverberated with the rockin’ sounds of DJ Howie, accompanied by hundreds of teens singing and dancing with glow sticks. It was a dance party NCSY style!
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The next day, following the breaking of the tragic news of the Pittsburgh massacre, which took the lives of 11 of our brothers and sisters, the teens were led in a kumsitz by Rabbi Mark Rose, on guitar. The teens, linked arm in arm, sang “acheinu,” feeling the tragedy of our people, while lending sustenance to each other. Rabbi Rose spoke about being one big Jewish family and the importance of coming together at these times.