OUDepartment of Public Relations

January 7, 2002

Shabbat of a Lifetime 
NCSY Annual Yarchei Kallah Dedicates Learning to Victims of Terror

Most high school students spend their eagerly awaited winter break vacationing with their families in warm, sunny locations, catching the season's newest movie releases, or just relaxing at home, spending time with friends. This was not the case for the nearly 200 teenagers hailing from public high schools around the nation, who chose to spend their winter vacation in a hotel in East Windsor, NJ, learning Torah and rediscovering their Jewish identity at the Orthodox Union's annual National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) Yarchei Kallah.

The 200 students, representing each of the 12 NCSY regions, were treated to a weekend that included a combination of classes, lectures, small group sessions, activities and free time for socializing. Most of those who attended the program arrived with a desire to learn Torah, better understand the reasons behind Judaism's ritual practices and to get a better grasp of where Judaism stands on issues such as tolerance and multiculturalism. Even for the students who live in areas with vibrant Jewish communities, the Yarchei Kallah weekend provided many of the teens with their first taste of the true beauty and spirituality of Shabbat and the observances of the religion.

This year, at the opening program a video was presented remembering the victims of the attacks on America and it was explained that all of the Torah learning would be dedicated to the victims of terrorism in Israel and to those who perished in the tragedies of September 11th. NCSY Educational Director Rabbi Daniel Schonbuch explained, "The mission of NCSY is to emphasize the importance of living a Torah-mediated life in a secular world. With everything that our country has been through this past year, we wanted to make it clear that while Torah learning and prayer are fundamental to our religion, it is crucial to employ them within the context of our larger surroundings."

NCSY National Director Rabbi Dovid Kaminetsky recounted, "After the Friday night prayer service I was told that one girl had been crying, so I went over to ask her if she was okay. She replied, 'I'm more than okay; I'm overwhelmed with joy. This is the first time I've ever experienced Shabbat and I just feel so happy.' Another girl told me that after last year's Yarchei Kallah she asked her family if she could make a Shabbat dinner on the first Friday night back. Her parents not only agreed to let her do it, they asked if they could join her. She explained that since then, her family now eats every Friday night dinner together. These are very special teenagers who are looking to take one small step at a time, in the pursuit of furthering their Jewish education."

As a special presentation, 14 NCSYers read stories sent by Kids for Kids (a foundation that provides financial and emotional services to children who have survived terrorist attacks in Israel), authored by Israeli children, detailing their experiences during the past year's attacks. 

Since it was founded in 1954, NCSY has pioneered the Jewish outreach movement and today is the world's largest Jewish youth program. With chapters in 39 states, 215 communities across the nation and three Canadian provinces, NCSY reaches thousands of boys and girls annually by offering 750 major educational events and programs and ten summer camps - in the U.S., Israel and the Ukraine.

The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of America and beyond, is a world leader in youth work, advocacy for persons with disabilities, synagogue services, adult education and political action.  Its kosher supervision label, the OU, is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 250,000 products in 68 countries around the globe.

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