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Dear NCSY Camp Sports parents,
Last week’s rain finally stopped as we went into Shabbos and we once again had an amazing Shabbos here in Baltimore. On Shabbos and Friday night we are joined together during the meal for some “shtick” with another camp here on campus, Or Haner, which is a camp for about 50 boys from Central and South America I think this was a great experience for both camps. On Friday night we had an amazing Chassidish tish with Rabbi Shuki Nissan who works for the NCSY Sports kollel program. He brought his shtreimel and energy for Shabbos and it was our best oneg in the past five years. Rabbi Wexler spoke at Shalosh Seudos and reminded each NCSYer that he can achieve his potential if he sets his mind to it. On Motzei Shabbos we all went bowling and had a great time.
Sunday we played league games and had a wonderfully messy time at a crazy Olympics run by Rabbi Zucker. The pictures on our website speak more than words. The activities ranged from drinking soda from a baby bottle to wrapping a tall person in toilet paper. The NCSYers had a fun time and will remember this night in camp for a while
Monday we played one league game since Tisha B’Av started at night. After the game we finished the free throw contest to raise money for Chai Lifeline and had trips to WalMart and Rita’s ices to prepare for the fast.
Tisha Bav was incredibly meaningful and impactful. At night after Eicha we watched video presentation how Jews have survived centuries of oppression to outlast other nations. The video set the tone for all the NCSYers and staff. Following the video many NCSYers stayed up late at night either at a shiur or a kumzits, as both were offered. On Tisha B’Av day we presented ten kinos and their meaning. Many members of the staff translated one of the kinos and expounded on a message we could learn from the kinnah. As the fast came to an end we watched videos of speakers that brought home the messages of the day.
Wednesday we went to Ski Roundtop’s summer adventure park. The campers could choose to play paintball, a ropes course or the summer fun park that had zip lines bumper boats or H2OGO balls that rolled down the mountain with NCSYers inside. Everyone had a great time and came together to share in a barbecue and some Frisbee and football throwing
Thursday finally got us back to our regular schedule. The morning learning program finished their unit about Sukkos with a “build a sukkah” contest. With limited supplies of cardboard and other supplies each group had to build a sukkah to scale that demonstrated what they learned during their learning groups. Now that the Nine days ended we had our annual “moustache contest”, with one division for camper and a second for advisors. Everyone had a great time and it led into another great mishmar with amazing Camp NCSY Sports culminating with giving away a tablet as a prize.
Today we had some great learning, and we will play sports and head out to Walmart. We look forward to our last shabbos together and I am sure it will be amazing. I will let you know how Shabbos went in next week’s email
Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Rabbi Jon Green
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