NCSY GIVE WEST: DAY #10

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!