Southern NCSY held its annual Spring Regional convention Friday, May 31- Sunday, June 2. More than 150 participants spent Shabbat together at the Marco Polo Resort in Aventura for a weekend focused on personal growth and achievement.
NCSY is the international youth movement of the Orthodox Union.
NCSY Shabbatons inspire and educate teens in an atmosphere conducive to a strong Jewish identity. They provide opportunities for public school students and Jewish day school students to interact together in a traditional Shabbat environment. Spring Regional is the culmination of NCSY’s year when the entire region comes together.
For many of these teens, this is their first Shabbat experience.
Teens hailing from Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana and Georgia engaged in group discussions, skits, and one-on-one learning on what it means to challenge ourselves to grow, to overcome adversity and to develop a sense of gratitude for those around us. Additionally, teens participated in a Saturday night game of Panalopy and a Hall of Fame Awards banquet.
Todd Cohn, Regional Director of Southern NCSY, said, “at Regional, we strive to impart Jewish identity, cultivate leadership, and connect teens to the broader community of Jewish leadership and scholarship.”
Wrapping up this year’s Spring Regional convention, Rena Stern and Jackie Farber were recognized for their outstanding leadership in NCSY. Rena, from Hollywood, Florida, explained, “NCSY taught me how to be a proud Jew in my public school, how to love my Jewish identity and how to always grow in my Judaism.”
Jackie, from Huntsville, Alabama, describes Spring Regional as a place where “friendship, heritage, and Jewish ideas seamlessly come together to form a beautiful community.”
To get involved with NCSY, contact Todd Cohn at [email protected] or visit southern.ncsy.org.