By: Atira Zeitchik

Nearly 100 high school students from the North East region participated in Bnei Akiva Simchaton in Riverdale and New Rochelle. Thank you to all the counselors who came and helped enhance chag for their campers and the communities! Here’s a review of the Shevet Dorot Simchaton from Anina Jasper-Brody who was on Moshava IO Machal this past summer: 

Earlier this week, over sixty tenth graders and tzevet gathered in New Rochelle for a Shevet Dorot Simchaton. When we arrived at the houses of our hosts, excitement filled the air as we reunited with friends that we have not seen in a while. Later that night, we went to the Young Israel of New Rochelle for davening, dinner and an awesome tisch led by a Moshava IO Machal counselor, Charlie Kramer. After shacharit the next morning, we had an activity titled “Living Your Values” that taught us how to assess our actions based on our values. Simchat Torah night was filled with passion, fun, ruach and best of all our friends. There was singing, dancing and an atmosphere of pure joy. The next day, while the boys had the opportunity to receive aliyot, the girls got to hear a quick shiur from Shabbi Kestenbaum, a Machal counselor. As the chag was coming to an end, we split into chaburot to learn with our counselors and it was meaningful to talk about relatable high school dilemmas with them. We gathered in a circle one last time for slow shira as an inspirational way to end the simchaton.