Touro Student’s First Advisor Experience

On Thursday evening, I boarded a bus to Niagara Falls along with fellow Touro College students and braced myself for what was sure to be the longest weekend of my life. It was only a few days earlier that I found out that I would be serving as a collegiate advisor on my first-ever NCSY Shabbaton. While I was definitely excited, at the same time, I began to wonder why I agreed to take the position. I had two tests on Monday that I was not yet prepared for, I would be sitting on a bus for over fifteen hours, and I was about to go three nights without sleep.

Within a few hours, however, all of theses negative thoughts had vanished. At Shachris on Friday morning, a fifteen year old boy, Nolan Ryan Fine, put on tefilin for the first time in his life. (Yes, he is named after Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan and he has a brother, McGwire Fine, named after former baseball player Mark McGwire). Watching a kid who grew up in a family that was so disconnected from their religion return back to his roots was not only an inspiration for the other kids in the room, but for all of the advisors as well. At that moment, my trip to Niagara Falls became worth it.

However, this was not the only inspiring moment. At Kabbalas Shabbos, one could see the joy on the faces of the NCSYers, some of whom were experiencing their first Shabbos. On Shabbos afternoon, there was a party for a girl who was keeping Shabbos for the sixteenth consecutive week. And at Havdalah there was a standing ovation for Nolan Ryan as he was called to the front of the room to the thrill of everyone in attendance. I have chills of excitement just thinking about the pride that he was experiencing.

The stories of the Shabbaton are sure to have a lasting impression on everyone who was there. The friendships that were made between advisors and the kids who came from all different cities along the East Coast will hopefully last for a very long time. There is also a good chance that because of their tremendous experience in Niagara Falls, many kids will open their minds to the possibility of Torah observance.



Looking back, the Shabbaton experience was phenomenal and it is something that I believe everyone should experience at least once in their lives. Very often, we daven and carry out other mitzvos simply because it is part of a routine, and do not show the proper emotion or concentration. After experiencing a Shabbaton, all of this changes. After seeing the joy on the faces of public school kids as they celebrate Shabbos, one walks away a different person. It is amazing how the weekend actually turned out to be one of the best Shabbosos that I have ever experienced.