Shalva Karan is a sophomore at Nicolet High School in Glendale, WI. She was one of the nearly 200 teens who attended Spring Regional Shabbaton, and she says she had a “gut feeling” that she should go – and she wasn’t disappointed.
“There were moments when I could literally feel my soul being lit up with emunah, faith, and simcha, joy,” Shalva (r.) says. “It wasn’t just a weekend – it was a neshama, soul, recharge.”
Spring Regional Shabbaton, held at Camp Chi is Wisconsin over Memorial Day Weekend, featured Israel-themed sports, baking, and craft activities on Friday; spirited pre-Shabbos ruach; uplifting davening and meals on Friday night and Shabbat morning; advisor-led learning sessions; and, of course, a meaningful Havdalah. Because it was the final Shabbaton of the year, it also featured a Sunday banquet and award ceremony honoring outgoing seniors.
But the real story isn’t what the teens did – it’s what they came away with.
Like Shalva, Jacob Thomas (r.), a junior at Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Chicago, IL, came to Shabbaton because he wanted to “be inspired.”
His highlight was “talking to all the other amazing people there,” including teens, advisors, and staff.
“It’s inspiring to be with so many teens who just want to connect with Hashem,” he says.
For Zoya Frayman (l.), a sophomore at Maple Grove High School in Minneapolis, MN, this Shabbaton was a whole new experience.
Although Zoya had participated in the regional Project Impact trip to New York in January, this was her first regional Shabbaton, and she concedes she was nervous.
But she says people were “super welcoming and inviting. I felt very safe asking any questions and talking to people from all over the Midwest.”
This sense of Jewish community is not something Zoya takes for granted.
“Coming from a public school, it’s a completely different feeling of security being around other Jewish teens,” she says. “I loved keeping Shabbos and discussing various Jewish topics that I might not do at home.”
Like Zoya, Chavivah Miller (2nd from r.), a senior at Yeshivat Kadimah Jewish High School in St. Louis and chapter president, says being around so many Jewish teens is what makes Shabbaton special.
“For me, the highlight of every Shabbaton is seeing my friends who live in different cities and spending as much time with them as I can,” Chavivah says. “I’m eternally grateful for those friendships made through NCSY.”
For Meira Levison (l.), a junior also from Yeshivat Kadimah Jewish High School, the Shabbaton was “inspiring and connection filled.” So much so that she found it difficult to say goodbye.
“[Shabbaton] was full of love, kindness and, at the end, sadness,” Meira says. “But not the ‘normal’ kind of sadness… It’s the kind of sadness full of hope and connection and knowledge that you’re a part of something so much bigger than yourself.”
Shalva Karan agrees.
“Once you go on a Shabbaton like this, you’ll never want to go back to life without it,” she says. “The ruach, the growth, the chevra – it’s something every Jewish teen needs to experience.”