Today we had a fantastic time at Six Flags Magic Mountain! After davening and chaburas, we headed to the park ready to go and had an amazing time on all of the crazy roller coasters and rides. We also had access to the water park. After a full day of riding high and walking around in the sun, we gathered our strength to continue on for an evening of even more fun! We spent dinner at Pizza World and headed over to Comedy Sportz for a hilarious show of improv comedy. When the show was over and we had had our laughs, we returned to AJU to pack up for the weekend and load the bus. We are excited to move on to the next leg of the trip in Fresno after Shabbos! Before heading to sleep, we prepared booths and signs for our carnival tomorrow at Camp Etta Israel for our fellow Jews with special needs. Stay tuned to hear all about it!

COLOR WAR WAS HERE! What an unbelievable day with Teams Torah/Red, Avodah/White, and Gemillas Chassadim/Blue! The competition was full of great athletic activites including competitive basketball, wacky water races in the pool, and the Great Apache Relay race. The teams shared words of Torah relating to their colors and themes. They also elected team members to be part of the grand Chidon HaTanach, putting their Torah knowledge and memory truly to the test! Each full team crafted and performed an original cheer. We had a lot of fun working hard together, sharing our work, and enjoying each other’s! An Instagram competition was held throughout Color War, as well. Each team created its own account and posted pictures and videos of its members preparing, performing, and cheering, as well as anything and everything related to the colors red, white, and blue! Most memorable to all were the final presentations as Color War neared it’s end. Beautifully choreographed dances, heartfelt alma mater theme songs, and powerful banners wowed the judges and the audience. We were completely blown away by how much work and dedication went into this Color War and, most importantly, the sense of unity amongst our entire program it fostered. Congratulations to Team Gemillas Chassadim/Blue on their victory for having won the most points by the end of the competition! The girls on all three teams did an incredible job today and for that we surprised them with a trip to the beach for mincha, dinner, and an all-around-the-campfire kumsitz. Before getting off the bus, we committed as an entire bus to a mission we like to call “Disconnect to Connect”. Each and every girl left her phone on the bus and spent the night fully connected to the NCSY GIVE WEST family surrounding her. The view at the beach was stunning and we had arrived perfectly on time to watch the sunset. Director Leah Moskovich spoke of the dialectical nature of fire, capable of tremendous destruction as we feel in the Three Weeks and, at the same time, something that can warm up and build up in the most amazing ways. In between songs, the GIVE WEST advisors and staff arose to share pieces of their own lives, their own stories and reflections. The divrei chizuk centered round the topic of Ahavat Yisrael, love for fellow Jews, and how concerned we must be to care for and respect one another. Each person left the beach with the name of another member of the program to whom she will express greater Ahavas Yisrael this week before the Nine Days and hopefully throughout her whole life!

We started the day off with Torah learning before heading to one of the most powerful chessed trips of the summer. As we drove to our chessed activity, we noticed a drastic change in scenery out the window. We had arrived at the infamous Skid Row of downtown LA. We saw hundreds of homeless people out on the street. We saw tents set up on the sidewalks as makeshift homes. Carlos, our fantastic and beloved bus driver, surprised us by sharing that he had actually grown up on Skid Row. He carefully accompanied us into the Union Rescue Mission and Midnight Mission buildings and reassured us what a special and important role we were about to play. These two organizations serve as both rehabilitation centers and soup kitchens for the homeless and needy of the area. We got the incredible opportunity to not only prepare and serve lunch to a collective 1,200 people, but to interact with them firsthand and truly brighten their day. The experience was definitely outside of our comfort zones at first, but really opened up our eyes and allowed us to give in a whole new way. After chessed, we ate lunch and headed to Rodeo Drive. Next we joined the Friendship Circle of LA to learn about their work for the special needs Jewish community. We saw a special video presentation, heard from director Rabbi Michy Rav-Noy and helped redecorate the hallway and classroom bulletin boards for the camp they run in August. We had a Chinese dinner at Chick ‘N Chow and met Ben Zakkai Foundation chair Isabelle and her husband David Novack. We welcomed them and thanked them for working hard to make sure Jewish teens have the funds to attend incredible summer programs like NCSY GIVE WEST! After mincha, we had a blast at the Cohenca residence in Beverley Hills where they so kindly hosted our group for the most awesome pool party! On the way back to AJU, something fishy happened. Our bus engine seemed to have died and we found ourselves pulled over on the side of the road unable to drive any further. Carlos was furious and seemed out of character, screaming at the directors and pushing everyone off of the bus immediately. We took off all of our things from the bus and began to walk the final mile back to our dorms . . . until we found out it was all just COLOR WAR BREAKOUT!!! We have already seen incredible ruach, teamwork, and talent tonight at the pump-up, “Sled Says” competition, and team time in our three teams: Red (Torah), White (Avodah), and Blue (Gemilas Chassadim). Tomorrow we cannot wait to continue with Color War and watch the girls shine!

We had an awesome and jam-packed day in “America’s Finest City”, the beautiful San Diego! Our first stop was the United States Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. We walked along the curvy pathway and saw where real Olympic athletes practice. We even met one of the coaches! From archery to soccer, from tennis to track and field and everything in between, we toured and cheered for Team USA all of the way! The grounds were so pretty and the weather so perfect, we had a picnic lunch out in front of the training center. Next we headed over to Seaport Village, a waterfront shopping and eating area downtown, running along the San Diego Bay. The girls had a blast visiting the little boutiques, drinking coffees and taking pictures out on the docks. We then drove to East Mission Bay and sped off of the bus to enjoy yet more stunning weather and take in the fine beauty of nature surrounding us. Some girls went running and tree climbing, while others sat near the sand enjoying the salty breeze, headphones in and minds at ease. Finally, we drove to Congregation Adat Yeshurun  for mincha, dinner, basketball, and the last session of our first round of chaburas before the girls rotate to a new advisor. Farewell, San Diego – we loved every moment spent in your easy, breezy, sunny, gorgeous city!

Ready for a recap of Friday and Shabbos? On Friday we headed out bright and early for our second chessed trip – volunteering at the LA Food Bank. After watching a video where we heard directly from the many starving people of LA, we were moved and motivated like never before to help out. We checked for expiration dates, sorted, and boxed all types of food and beverages, having a blast all the while. Before we left, the manager of the food bank informed us that we had packaged 11,741 pounds of food and fed 9,736 people!!! The girls left with a new appreciation for what they have and an amazing sense of accomplishment for doing such a great chessed! We stopped at Robertson Avenue for some yummy Toppings frozen yogurt and then headed to the Museum of Tolerance for a special tour. The interactive exhibit reminded us of our own experience with intolerance throughout history as a Jewish people, specifically in the Holocaust, as well as intolerance all around the world. When we arrived back at AJU, we got ready for our first Shabbos together. We welcomed the Shabbos in with an inspiring story and candle lighting, followed by Kabbalat Shabbat outside overlooking the stunning Las Angeles horizon. The experience became even more special when a few of our GIVE WESTers invited girls from a BBYO trip staying at AJU to join us for the davening. Such achdus! This is what we’re all about on GIVE WEST. We had a delicious Shabbos dinner enhanced by singing and a fantastic dvar Torah by Faigy Israel. Next came an incredible Q & A session with Rabbi David Katz, who was our special guest for Shabbos along with his wife, followed by an absolutely unbelievable, lively advisor-led tisch of singing, dancing, and yummy snacks. What a night to start off our first Shabbos! The next morning we had davening, Parsha Workshop, Kiddush, and a shiur by Rabbi Katz. At lunch we heard moving words of Torah and inspiration from Victoria Cohen. Following dessert, we moved all of the tables away to make room for a big circle and an awesome game of Fruit Salad. Next came menucha time for the girls to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather and AJU campus, Mincha, and a practical and uplifting shiur by Rabbi Katz about the laws and pertaining to the Three Weeks and the proper outlook with which we approach them. Finally, we returned to where our first holy Shabbos on NCSY GIVE WEST 2015 all began . . . outside overlooking the mountains as the sun set and Shabbos ebbed away. We heard a great dvar Torah from Michelle Weingarten and sang out hearts out until it was time for musical havdalah led by our favorite GIVE WEST couple, Talia and Yaakov Borenstein. The hour was late when Shabbos ended, but the party never stops on GIVE WEST! We rushed onto the bus and to spend some time out on the town at the popular Third Street Promenade. We ate yummy pizza for Melaveh Malka, stopped by Coffee Bean, and even squished in a some shopping before heading back. Goodnight from GIVE WEST- we can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store!

Say goodbye to Arizona and a big hello to sunny California! We made it! After six hours riding on the bus and a WalMart stop in Indio, we arrived at last at AJU campus in LA which will be our home base for the next 10 days. We dropped our bags and headed outside for the second day of chabura learning. Decked out in blue and white and, of course, our NCSY GIVE WEST baseball caps, next we loaded the bus for Dodger Stadium for an awesome Dodgers vs Phillies baseball game. We cheered and chilled until the final inning and were pleased when the Dodger’s won! After a long day of traveling and an exciting night out, all of our girls are ready to hit the sack, but we can’t wait to see what else LA has for us in store.

Day #3 was very exciting as it marked the very first chessed trip of the summer! We are all about “GIVE”ing here and it was amazing to finally put all of that passion into action. Our group split in half to help out two different organizations that service the needy. One group of girls shined bright in chessed at the Tumbleweed Donation Center. They sorted, sized, bagged, and cleaned clothing, school supplies, toiletries, and shoes for the needy youth of Arizona. The other group volunteered at Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS), a homeless shelter for families, especially those with very young children. The girls got an inside tour of the site, met some of the children who live there, and spent time sorting and folding clothing donations. Additionally, our girls helped flip an apartment in preparation for an incoming homeless family. Spraying, scrubbing, lifting, and maneuvering . . . our girls transformed the space and left it sparkling to welcome in its new residents. Following our chessed, we headed straight for Big Surf Arizona water park. We had a blast on the tubes, in the wave pool, sliding down huge slides, eating ice cream, and chilling out in the sun together. A day of water fun was definitely appreciated in this crazy Phoenix heat! When we got back to the hotel, we had dinner and our first session of chaburas. The sound of Torah learning heard throughout the hotel was so beautiful! Finally, the GIVE WESTers’ spirit, speed, smarts, and spunk were put to the test as we ended the day with an unbelievable game of Panoply!

We are zonked and still all smiles after an AMAZING second day on GIVE WEST! After davening and breakfast, we headed out for our first West Coast adventure. Upon boarding the bus, we finally met Carlos Rios, our bus driver who will be with us for the entire summer.

First stop: Grand Canyon! The ride was long, but we kept the fun rolling with “Story Time”, snacks, and GIVE WEST cheering. While riding, we also introduced a new daily learning initiative in the spirit of the Three Weeks. Each day, a staff member will lead us in reading a passage from the book Chofetz Chaim: A Lesson A Day about guarding our tongues and demonstrating Ahavat Yisrael. When we arrived at the Grand Canyon, we were greeted by five amazing guides who took us on a hike around the Southern Rim of the canyon. We learned all about the site as we explored: length, depth, rock formation, wildlife, and more. How crazy to be staring in person at one of the Seven Wonders of the World?! The views were like a postcard and we captured lots of breathtaking photos. Before leaving, we gathered together one last time around the stunning canyon and recited the bracha “oseh maaseh bereishit”, recognizing the G-dliness in the nature around us. On the way back to the hotel, we made a quick shopping stop at WalMart and davened mincha outside as the sun set before us. What a day! We closed off the night with dinner, a spark of Torah from director Leah Moskovich, and a hilarious and competitive night activity of “Minute to Win It” led by programming coordinator Sarah Lederer with help from our amazing advisors.

What a day! We can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings on GIVE WEST 2015.