The Heart and Soul of NCSY

As I reflect on our incredible NCSY StaffCon, I have never been more hopeful about the future of NCSY than I am today. From Sunday to Tuesday, hundreds of full-time staff gathered at the Doubletree Hilton in Somerset, NJ and discussed our hopes, goals and challenges for the upcoming year.?

It’s been a challenging year. Throughout the conference, an underlying question emerged in every conversation- how can we do better this year than we did last year? How can we better support our brothers and sisters in Israel, provide greater assistance to teens in public schools facing antisemitism, and serve as more effective spiritual guides for Yeshiva high school students who are feeling adrift? At StaffCon we faced these questions head on. We engaged in meaningful discussions about strategies for the year ahead and inspired one another to develop innovative solutions. However, to foster effective change, we first had to acknowledge the challenges we face.?

The very first Aliya in this week's Parsha highlights the value of starting with the negative to get to the positive. Parshas Ki Savo records what we say when we bring Bikkurim, our first fruits, to Yerushalayim. The Mikra Bikkurim is a declaration of our gratitude to Hashem that tells the story of Yetzias Metzrayim, focusing first on the negative.?

This same passage is recited at the Pesach Seder. The Mishna on Pesachim 116a lists the “Ma Nishtana” questions. A child wonders on Seder night, “why is this night different from all other nights?” The Mishna instructs a parent to teach their child the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim, starting with “Arami oved Avi,” the beginning of the Mikra Bikkurim. The text focuses on the humble beginning of Yaakov and his challenging discord with his father-in-law Lavan, emphasizing that the Jewish people haven’t always had it easy. The Mishna is explicitly suggesting that when teaching our children the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim, we are “maschil b’genus umesayem b’shevach.” We begin with the Jewish people’s disgrace and conclude with our glory.?

Imagine this: it's harvest season in Yerushalayim and there’s excitement in the air. You’ve traveled all this way to bring your first crops to the Beis Hamikdash, eager to serve Hashem with the fruit of your labor. It’s finally your turn to deliver your bikkurim to the Kohen. You’re at an all time spiritual high, yet suddenly it’s time to recite the devastating history of the Jewish people. At a time of celebration, why do we focus on something so negative? Rabeinu Bechayei asks this question, and he says that it's only possible to fully appreciate the positive if you can also reflect on the challenges that came before.?

The obstacles that NCSY has faced this past year reflect the challenges the world is facing. Fundraising has been difficult at a time when people want their dollars on the front lines of the war effort. Our teens are facing antisemitism in public schools, parents don’t want to send their teens on Israel summer trips, the list goes on. Rather than whitewash some of those challenges, it’s critically important to heed the message of Rabeinu Bechayei. From the challenges come the successes. We’ve had record breaking growth of JSU clubs this year and an unprecedented number of NCSYers were impacted by our programing. We’ve had the opportunity to inspire teens who are searching for something that they haven’t been searching for before. We’re implementing new fundraising and development strategies to continue to learn and grow as an organization. We have clearly defined our goals for the coming years, and we are better prepared than ever before to take on challenges that come our way.?

As we gear up for the Yamim Noraim, Chodesh Elul is a time to reflect on the challenges and successes of the past year. Over the conference, we had the absolute privilege of hearing from Rabbi Daniel Kalish, Menahel of Mesivtas Waterbury. Rabbi Kalish is my personal paradigm of a dedicated mechanech who embodies the idea of authentic self-reflection as a prerequisite to being a genuine ba’al chessed. He encouraged every NCSY staff member to be similarly reflective: “If we see ourselves as a precious soul, we have the ability to see somebody else as such.”?

StaffCon 2024 reinforced what we already knew: that we have an army of incredibly dedicated staff who are committed to the hearts and souls of every NCSYer. They are the lifeblood of this organization and the energy at the conference was palpable. May we continue to reflect and grow as individuals and as an organization. I am optimistic as we prepare for an incredible 5785 haba aleinu l’tova. B’ezras Hashem, we should accomplish so much together in the year to come.?