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January 9, 2004
NCSYers in Los Angeles
Everyone was there to learn more about being Jewish.
ILONA TEPLITSKY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
Los Angeles played host to more than 400 Jewish youth from across
Canada and the United States last month. Among the participants
at the National Congress of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) winter regional
in that city Dec. 25-28 were 54 Vancouver youth.
"I would have a nightmare thinking of me not being at NCSY
regional Shabbaton," said local participant Zack Silber.
Regional is an event to which all of NCSY looks forward, months
in advance. The kids were extremely excited to hit the road to this
year's regional during their winter vacation. When they arrived
in Los Angeles, they were taken to the Hilton Hotel, not too far
from the airport, where they stayed the next three nights.
It was amazing to meet people from different backgrounds, from all
over Canada and the United States who all had one very important
thing in common – being Jewish. There were more than 400 youth
of all different ages and there was a mix of kids who came from
Orthodox homes as well as from public schools and non-religious
homes. However, that didn't matter, because everyone was there to
learn about their roots and the meaning of being Jewish.
The NCSY board put on amazing skits, multi-media presentations and
oral presentations to help participants learn how to treat and respect
each other and how to be proud of being Jewish. There was always
something to do, never a dull moment. We danced and sang to Hebrew
songs, went to Game Works, went ice-skating and roller-skating at
a nearby arena and went shopping in the Jewish neighborhood on Pico
Boulevard.
During the regional, we were always learning something new about
Judaism and we were never afraid to ask someone about something
that we wanted to learn about or didn't understand. Everyone was
always willing to help us learn about Judaism and its connection
to our everyday lives. We prayed several times a day, asking G-d
to guide us and help us through each day, and we said blessings
before and after each meal. Each event we participated in enlightened
us on our Jewish background, rather than scaring us away.
It sometimes takes a trip all the way to Los Angeles to meet hundreds
of youth who are dying to make new Jewish friends and learn about
their religion. Some of the friends we met live only minutes away
from our own homes, yet we had never met before. It was very hard
to bid farewell when the time came, as we may not see many of these
people for another four months or maybe even never again. However,
the memories of this amazing regional will always be cherished by
every one of us.
Every Jewish child should experience the opportunities given to
us by groups such as NCSY. These sorts of things are what make youth
realize and learn about our roots and who we are. Everything you
want to learn about Judaism is possible, and such groups make it
easier and more fun to do so.
Ilona Teplitskya is a member of National Congress of Synagogue
Youth, Vancouver.
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