NCSY GIVE WEST: DAY #5-6

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!