Upstate NY NCSY is a tight-knit region of NCSY's national youth group where Jewish teens are encouraged to grow into leaders. We strive to create a positive, non-coercive environment that empowers teens to make informed and educated choices that further their commitment to passionate Judaism.
We believe in teaching though example, and our hand-picked advisors and staff model a diverse, passionate, open-minded and enthusiastic approach to Jewish life. NCSY enables each teen to fulfill his or her personal potential as a Jew, as a leader and as a valued community member.
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Video Corner
(Courtesy of Molly S.)
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Regional Administration
Regional Director
Marc Fein
feinm@ncsy.org
Assoc. Regional Director
Miriam Merzel
miriambmerzel@gmail.com
Educational Director
Rabbi Moshe Crystal
crystal@yeshivanet.com
Educational Coordinator
Dov Pianko
dbpianko@gmail.com
Chapters Coordinator
Dalia Caplan
dalia.caplan@gmail.com
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Regional Board
President
Hannah Restle
Mt. Kisco
VP Outreach
Adina Fadis
Catskills
VP Publications
Naomi Soman
Buffalo
VP Education
Jacob Rosenbaum
Rochester
VP Juniors
Allie Kugler
Albany
Treasurer
Ben Balderman
Buffalo
Historian
Ben Baruch
Rochester
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Chapter Advisers
Albany
Malkah Harris
mdharris17@gmail.com
Binghamton
Nate Herzfeld and Noah Stein
nherzfe1@binghamton.edu
Buffalo
Mrs. Rivke Berkowitz
rivkeb@roadrunner.com
The Catskills
Elishva Kapnick
elisheva.kapnick@gmail.com
Mt.
Kisco
Estee Gross
esteegross@gmail.com
Rochester
Ari and Li-or Holtzman
ari.holtzman@gmail.com
Schenectady
Rabbi Moshe Mirsky
Syracuse
Eli and Yocheved Guterman
yocheved2@aol.com
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Jewish Student Unions
JSU Coordinator
Natan Brownstein
Albany
Albany High School
President: Allie Kugler
Buffalo
Williamsville North HS
President: Josh Fitt
Mt. Kisco
Horace Greeley
President: Meryl Rosenberg
President: Jordyn Kaufman
Rochester
Brighton High School
President: Ben Baruch
Schenectady
Guilderland High School
President: Molly Sonenberg
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Calling All Alumni!
Reconnect with the Har Sinai family.
Submit your memories and Mazel Tovs to Miriam@Upstatencsy.org.
 in our new alumni group. this newsletter.
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Registration for Winter Convention Open!
Date: February 11-13
Location: Albany, NY
Theme: Serve Chilled - Judaism and Happiness
Register Today!
Gather with teens from across Upstate NY for a fun filled and spiritual Shabbat to learn about the Jewish view on attaining true happiness. Or, as the teens would describe it, "it will be the best most awesome Shabbat of your lives and make BFFs that will last a lifetime."
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JSU Expands Across Upstate and Featured in Jewish Week
This year has seen an increase in the number of JSU (Jewish Student Union) clubs across Upstate NY, ranging from Buffalo, to our newest chapter, Mt. Kisco. Mt. Kisco NCSYer Meryl Rosenberg, a junior at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, worked hard to open a branch of the Jewish Student Union in her Westchester County school last month. The clubs provide a safe and open forum for public school students to discuss Jewish ideas, and allows them to grow as individuals and leaders. Read the full article about Meryl's JSU in the Jewish Week. |
 | | Elen-Sarah Dolgopolskaia and Elana Chazen at Buffalo Ice Skating |
Buffalo Ice Skating Extravaganza!
By Polina Dolgopolskaia, Buffalo, 10th Grade
On Saturday, January 15, 2011 NCSYers from all over the Buffalo area got together atthe Northtown Center skating rinks for a fun filled evening of ice skating. The event was for both junior and senior NCSY. For some people it was one of their first time's skating, for others it was just a chance to show off their skills. But for everyone it was a chance to hang out with friends and have an amazing time skating.
Friends helped friends and had a marvelous time; there were also a lot of memorable and funny moments. Everyone enjoyed a light push on their shoulder to speed them up. When somebody fell there was always somebody to help them get up and to laugh about it with them. It was a one of a kind experience being whooshed across the ice by other NCSYers. All in all everyone had fun, and had a great time on the ice!!!
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Binghamton Movie Night By: Elisa Alweis, Binghamton, 9th Grade On Saturday night, January 15th, Binghamton chapter held a movie night at the home of Adele Lerner. It was a blast! We had a great turnout, delicious snacks and a wonderful time was had by all. We watched The Pacifier, preceded, by popular request, by the Maccabeats' "Candlelight." Thank you to the advisors Noah Stein and Danny Alweis for all their help. The movie night was the end to a meaningful Shabbos that included dinner at the home of the Adamit family and a delicious luncheon at shul. We were very excited to welcome a few new members of Junior NCSY to the weekend's events. We hope that the energy that the Shabbos and movie night created will carry over to upcoming NCSY events. |
Latte 'n' Learn and Junior NCSY Surging in the ROC
By Jake Rosenbaum, Rochester, 12th Grade
This is not your grandmother's Sha'arei Tzion NCSY. This year, two programs that had been somewhat dormant recently have made a huge resurgence. The first of these programs is Latte 'n' Learn, an event where local NCSYers get together to listen to a speaker (presumably at Starbucks), whilst drinking caffeinated beverages (presumably lattes). The other program is Rochester's Junior NCSY, the younger branch of the NCSY that we have all come to know, love, and dream about.
Latte 'n' Learn has been one of our most consistent programs this year. Rochester NCSY has addressed diverse topics such as Jewish divorce law, laws pertaining to the buying back of hostages, as well as doing the Parsha of the week. Starting last year, our chapter began running this event again, and it has now become a monthly staple on the Rochester NCSY calendar. With a dedicated following, Latte 'n'Learn looks to be here to stay.
Despite the renewed success of Latte 'n' Learn, Rochester's biggest achievement this year could quite possibly be the reemergence of our Juniors. Junior NCSY had sadly fallen by the wayside over the last few years, as the chapter's lack of an advisor to replace the beloved Josh Zysman (who moved to Chicago) hurt our ability to run events. However, with a dedicated Vice President of Juniors in our chapter, Maddy Rosenbaum (hey! that's my sister!), and a new and enthusiastic advisor in Shmuli Isaacs, Junior NCSY has become another cornerstone of the Chapter, as it has recently reached the achievement of running events for 15 weeks straight. Every week, kids in 3rd to 7th grade gather at Congregation Beth Sholom for activities that typically include a review of the Parsha of the week, games of dodgeball and elimination, and that critical element of any get together of kids - snack time!
With a vibrant Latte 'n' Learn program and a growing base of Juniors, Rochester's prospects just keep growing and growing. The chapter is now paving the way for more learned NCSYers with Latte 'n' Learn, as well as building a solid base of kids for the future with Junior NCSY. I cannot wait to see what comes next.
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 | | Sam Ash (far left) Chilling at Convention |
Analyze an Advisor
Advisor: Sam Ash
Interviewed by: Ben Baruch - Rochester (12th Grade)
BB: What is your favorite thing to do on Shabbat afternoon? SA: My favorite thing to do on a Shabbat afternoon is review the parsha with a cold soda.
BB: What is your favorite food?
SA: My favorite food is pizza (not too original, I know)!
BB: What Yeshiva did you attend after high school and what did you enjoy most about it?
SA: I attended Yeshivat Shaalvim in Israel, and I enjoyed the opportunity to study Torah in a beautiful atmosphere with teachers who were sensitive to my needs and like minded friends.
BB: Who was your idol growing up as a kid? SA: My idol growing up was Avi K!!
BB: Why do YOU love NCSY?
SA: I love NCSY because of you guys (the NCSYers)!
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Tefillah Tips
What is Serving God?
By Danny Alweis
Prayer is an essential component of Judaism. However, as alluded to by Rabbi Shimshon Refael Hirsch, many Jews think that the Jewish concept of serving God is limited to prayer and rituals only. This is far from the truth. Rabbi Hirsch writes on the verse in Psalm 100 "Ivdu et Hashem besimcha, bou lefanav birnana" (Serve God with gladness, come before him with joy):
"Prayer and the offering of sacrifices are called "Divine Service" only because through them we prepare and consecrate ourselves anew each time for that which is the actual service of the Lord."
What is "the actual service of the Lord"? Rav Hirsch goes on to explain that to truly serve Hashem means to always use our energies and resources to act as Hashem has commanded us.
In other words, we have the opportunity to serve Hashem throughout our day, in any situation which may arise- we can deal kindly with our classmates at school, we can respect our parents, we exercise to keep our bodies healthy, and eventually we go to sleep to give us energy to serve Hashem the next day.
But, if we can serve Hashem in our daily activities, what's the point of setting aside times to serve Him through prayer? The answer is, praying to Hashem allows us to regain the proper focus and perspective: that we have the potential to serve God in everything we do. I think it's a great idea to keep this in mind when we pray, and especially when we are finished praying. That way, the spiritual recharge and closeness to Hashem that we can feel during prayer can also be part of our existence the entire day.
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 | | Jacob Rosenbaum (left) with Ben Baruch and Greg Dubin on TJJ |
Eye on Israel
Jake Rosenbaum (Rochester)
Interviewed by: Naomi Soman (Buffalo)
NS: What was your favorite memory of Israel? JR: My favorite memory of Israel definitely has to be getting into what just may have been the world's most violent shaving cream fight on Yom Ha'Atzma'ut in Tiveriah. I was in seventh grade and they had to get a crew of firemen to get all the shaving cream off me and out of my eyes (sans hose, thankfully). So I guess you could call that... a close shave.
NS: What does Israel mean to me?
JR: To me, Israel is a place where I never have to feel afraid to be who I really am - a proud Jew. In the big wide world back home, sometimes I feel a bit shy when talking about my religion and values. This is definitely not the case in Israel, where I have never felt shy about wearing my Kippah, davening in public, or doing anything overtly "Jewish" there.
NS: How does Israel connect you to the Jewish people?
JR: In Israel, there is a definite sense of "one-ness" amongst the Jewish people. Despite any ideological or religious differences the community faces, there is a definite feeling that we are all apart of something greater than ourselves, and that we have a higher calling in life.
NS: Describe some of your experiences in Israel. JR: Every time I have been to Israel, I have never been disappointed! Whether it was parasailing or camel riding on TJJ (which I cannot recommend more highly, by the way), going to the Kotel over Pesach, I was always occupied and felt a sense of meaning about the place. Of course, there is also the food. Burgers bar is now my home away from home.
NS: Did you go on hikes?
JR: Did I go on any hikes?! I went on enough hikes on TJJ that any time I am outdoors, I am compelled to wear a hat and have at least four liters of water on me at all times, on penalty of a fate worse than death (staying ont he tour bus). From the peaks of the Golan to the midnight hikes in the Negev, the Tiyulim in Israel have helped me appreciate nature all the more; it even inspired me to grow a beard so that I could look the part of the rugged outdoorsman (which I am, of course).
NS: What is your favorite city?
JR: My favorite city was definitely Teveriah (Tiberias). Any city that sells a 6 shekel Schwarma ($1.50) in a pita earns my undying love and respect. Also, the boardwalk and boating scene there is great, the TJJers went on a party boat and got to meet a true to life Israeli Rasta-man, as well as participate in a relaxing bongo drums sesh.
NS: What is your favorite Israeli food?
JR: In this Israeli food beatdown of Burgers Bar burgers vs. Schwarma, I would have to say that burgers gets the narrow victory over Schwarma (if only for the alliteration). The amount of sauces you can put on a Burgers Bar burger is almost downright unlawful. If there is one thing I would say that you should experience on your earthly journey, a homemade spicy homemade burger with sweet chili sauce makes it to the tippy-top of the list.
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