CLTC 5 So Far
Posted on 07/14/2011 @ 01:28 PM
CLTC 5 2011 is off to a great start. Here is a video of what they like the most.
Hello From One of The Teen Coordinators
Posted on 07/14/2011 @ 08:40 AM
To quickly introduce myself, my name is Max Shafron and I am a rising freshman at Tulane University and I live in Atlanta, Georgia.
Happy first full day! As the day comes to a close and as the teens tiredly venture back to their respective dorm rooms, I can only sit here and reflect on my already incredible experience at Impact: DC 2011, starting on day one. Participants woke up this morning excited to begin working at their various community service sites with various non-profit organizations in metropolitan Washington DC area. My group worked with a non-profit organization called "A Wider Circle," which collects donations of gently used furniture, electronics, appliances, and toys, gathering and sorting the various items into groups, allowing them to be redistributed to people suffering from poverty, free of charge. My k'vutza (site group) and I had a wonderful first day of service learning about how the organization functions, grouping and testing the items to make sure they are in great enough shape to be donated, and visiting with shoppers.
Later in the day, each k'vutza came together for an incredible and highly inspiration program called "Street Torah." Groups went to McPherson Square to engage in conversation with homeless people living around Washington DC. Initially, my mind could not settle on the fact that we were about to engage ourselves in physical conversation with people that live in poverty and on the streets of our nation's capitol. But once the "Impacters"and I began conversing with them, our experiences vastly changed. I learned about both the physical and mental struggles that one homeless man has endured in his life, and I can honestly say that I absorbed his advice, charisma, and positive attitude and it allowed me to establish a new view towards homelessness and poverty.
After this activity, our main group reconvened in the George Washington University Hillel to participate in a program led by our teen coordinators and staff regarding Judaic pluralism and Shabbat life on Impact DC. Our community established general rules that we will abide by on Shabbat to create a community that respects all levels of Shabbat observation.
As the physical week comes to an end, our program is just beginning. I can't wait to experience everything else over the next two weeks!
Max Shafron, Atlanta, Georgia
ILSI Update #4
Posted on 07/13/2011 @ 06:09 PM
Dear ILSI Parents and Families:
I hope that everything is going well for each of you at home. ILSI continues to see, do and experience so much in Israel. Here's the latest news from ILSI:
Today we headed straight to Tel Aviv, where everyone saw first-hand where Israel was founded as the Jewish State. This included touring Neve Tzedek (Tel Aviv's first neighborhood) and Independence Hall (the exact site of the signing of Israel's Declaration of Independence). They also enjoyed some shopping and downtime on Nachalat Binyamin, a large outdoor artist and crafts market that occurs twice a week in the heart of Tel Aviv.
In the late afternoon we went to Rabin Square and The Palmach Museum. Rabin Square is the location where Yitzhak Rabin, twice Prime Minister of Israel, Defense Minister, Commander in Chief during the Six Day War, was assassinated on November 4th 1995. The Palmach was the strike force of the Haganah, the pre-state underground defense organization which was eventually incorporated into the Israel Defense Forces after 1948. Though it existed for only seven years, the values which the Palmach promoted - mutual responsibility, assistance, sacrifice and contribution to the greater good - are legendary in the annals of local history and society. It was a very busy day of exploring the history of Israel and discussions around the Israel as a Jewish nation.
After such a long day, our evening was spent taking in some of the culture and arts that Tel Aviv and Israel has to offer. We experienced dinner on the streets of Yaffo (Jaffa) for an authentic Israeli meal of shakshuka at a well-known Israeli eatery aptly named "Dr. Shakshuka." After that, we headed back to campus to get some sleep and get ready for another big day tomorrow.
As a reminder, you can view the pictures from our trip here. There are over 900 pictures posted and more will be uploaded as the days go by.
Shalom from Israel! Todd Todd Kay Program Director, ILSI 2011
Message from Kami Salman (NSR) - CLTC 4
Posted on 07/13/2011 @ 04:40 PM
Shalom! I’m Kami Salman from Nassau-Suffolk Region. The past 9 days have been life changing. Honestly, CLTC has allowed me to become a nicer person by accepting all types of people and standing up for anti-bullying and most importantly inclusion…nobody should ever feel as if they don’t matter or that they are left behind. Another trait that CLTC has allowed me to adapt are the traits for becoming a better leader by setting an example of who I am and most importantly representing bbyo. There were all these unique rotations on public speaking, learning how to market your events as well as thinking on the spot by using out of the box ways to create ideas, for example lets say you are really stuck…you can have two people think of a word and then base a program off of those two words. Another main aspect of learning leadership is by following the seven highly habits of effective teens. We started with being proactive and learning how to take responsibility for your life and then we end with sharpening the saw and educating yourself that is okay to take me time and renew yourself regularly. This habit increases our capacity to live all the other habits of effectiveness. CLTC allows you to change not only for the better of your chapter but even more as a person. Instead of drawing to conclusions you need to begin with the end in mind and control your own destiny or someone else this allows you to define your goals in life. I am so thankful for having this amazing opportunity to go on CLTC. I will never regret learning how to work with people in difficult situations and most of all using all the positive traits that cltc enforces!
Message from Ryan Block (NRE-Baltimore) - CLTC 4
Posted on 07/13/2011 @ 04:40 PM
CLTC…The Experience of a Lifetime CLT C is the perfect opportunity for many things. Because of CLTC, I have gotten more in-touch with my jewish identity, learned many life lessons, met many other jewish teens from around the country, and how to get more involved with BBYO. At CLTC I have came up with many program ideas. I am trying to plan a council program about the 1972 Munich Olympics. The program idea was originally from a program I did with my mock-chapter. I also met someone at CLTC from a different chapter that is close to my chapter. At CLTC we talked to both of our S’gans, and now we are doing a co-chapter program. In CLTC, I have became more in-touch with my jewish identity. I went to minyan almost every morning. It has helped me to become a little bit more religious. At a Shabbat program, we learned the prayers from different tunes from around the world. In life, there are many different people from many different backgrounds. CLTC has helped meet and respond to different types of people in different types of situations. CLT C is the perfect opportunity for many things. Because of CLTC, I have gotten more in-touch with my jewish identity, learned many life lessons, met many other jewish teens from around the country, and how to get more involved with BBYO. Fraternally submitted with undying love for BBYO, CLTC, and Patuxent AZA. I remain Aleph Ryan Block
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