Dear EURO 4G Parents,

We landed safely in JFK!

I’m sure by now you have already heard from your wonderful daughters! 

We will miss them so much!

Shayna Gewirtz

Euro 4G Director

Dear EURO 4G parents,

It is hard to believe that tomorrow our incredible EURO 4G group will be leaving on the airplane. We couldn’t have asked for a better first year. What a special special group of young women.

Here is the flight information, and we will tell your daughters to be in touch with live updates as we go:

Flight AA145 (American Airlines)
Taking off: TLV 8/3/23 12:20AM
Landing: JFK 8/3/23 5:30AM 

As always feel free to be in touch with any questions! 
Shayna Gewirtz

EURO 4G Director

 

 

Dear EURO 4G parents,

We landed in Spain! Thank God got through the airport and flight smoothly with our awesome pink shirts! The group energy is amazing, kicking off what’s going to be an incredible summer! For our incredible and jam packed first day we did water sports and swimming at Pantanal de San Juan, followed by a walking tour of the palaces of Madrid!!!!! Looking forward to a wonderful and adventurous first week with your brave world travelers!

Thanks for sending them!

Shayna Gewirtz

EURO 4G Director

  
Dear EURO 4G parents,

Hard to believe the third week of the program is in the rear view and here comes free weekend!

Sunday this week we started off strong in Tzfat! We walked through the holy city and heard her stories. We went to Sheva Chaya glass blowing to understand the analogy between blowing delicate glass and the soul that God blew into us. Next to Otzer Hastam where we learned the ancient art of safrus (writing Torah scrolls) and learned our name pesukim to start off the week knowing our purpose in this world! We ended the day singing together in the old Cistern in Tzfat also known as the sound cave! On Monday we started off with group reflections overlooking a view of the whole Kineret and Golan! Next we learned the secret skill of kosher Shofar crafting at the only Shofar educator in the world! We ended the day cooling off in the kineret at Aqua Kef! Then, on Tuesday we worked together as one big family to build our own rafts that had to make it across part of the kineret! And on to Tel Saki where we learned what real camaraderie looks like, as we heard about the 35 men who lost their lives defending Israel in the Yom Kippur war so we could stand in the Golan as Jews today. We ended the day together tubing down the holy Yarden river! On Wednesday we explored the miracle caves of Rosh Hanikra, and made our way to honor Jewish bravery at the old Acco prison. We ended the day rappelling off of Dalton cliffs overlooking a breathtaking view of the Golan. For our last day before free weekend, today we spent the morning at Kfar Kedem practicing life like our Forefathers and mothers in the Torah, riding donkeys, wearing the ancient garb and learning how to make traditional pita. And of course the last thing we did together before dropping off for Free Weekend was learn incredible chaburas at Tzipori where the Sanhedrin sat and the Talmud was finished. What a jam packed and holy holy first week in Israel!

We will be dropping your incredible daughters at the Tel Aviv Arlozorov Train station (also known as Tel aviv Savidor Central Railway Station) at 3:30 and at Har Herzl parking lot in Jerusalem at 4:30!

Here is a first hand reflection from our very own Ayelet!:

Week 3 in Israel! Sunday we went to Tzfat, which is easily one of my favorite cities… ever. It was beautiful and there was so much history to learn (plus the food is amazing). On Monday we went to Kol Shofar where we learned about the making of shofars- I never knew so much about the process before then, and the owner was super funny. After that we got to cool off at Aqua Kef back in Tiveria where we had been staying. Tuesday saw us walking through a cool military bunker at Tel Saki, and then relaxing on rafts on the Jordan River. On Wednesday we went to the most northwest point in all of Israel- Rosh Hanikrah. (We could see the Lebanese border a couple hundred feet away, which was just crazy.) The caves were beautiful, and I loved the sound of the waves splashing over the rocks. After we visited a prison-turned-museum in Acco, where we heard stories about Jewish heroes during the British rule. Then we got to rappel down gorgeous cliffs at sunset in Dalton and have pizza by the water back in Tiveria. Thursday we learned about Israel 2000 years ago at Kfar Kedem, rode donkeys, and made pita. It was such an awesome and fun week!

Wishing you all an early wonderful Shabbos! Thank you each for trusting us with your precious gems!

Shayna Gewirtz
EURO 4G Director

Dear EURO 4G Parents,

Wild how we have already reached the middle point of the summer!
Free weekend is around the corner, so here is the important information to know:

Pick up locations:

Thursday at 3:30 pm at Arlozorov Station in Tel Aviv

OR

Thursday at 4:30 pm at Har Herzl Parking lot in Jerusalem 

Drop off locations:

Sunday at 9:30 am at Har Herzl Parking lot in Jerusalem 

OR

Sunday at 10:30 am at Arlozorov Station in Tel Aviv

Please respond if you will be using our Tel Aviv drop off location.

AND 

Make sure address, phone number and name of host is correct as well as if your child can take public transport or needs to be picked up by the host.
If it is not correct please email kahnre@ou.org (EURO 4G’s assistant director Rena) with the updated information. 

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Shayna Gewirtz
Euro 4G Director

Dear EURO 4G Parents,

On Sunday, we crossed a country and continent from Gibraltar in Europe to Morocco in Africa ON FOOT. While on the ferry between Europe and Africa, we got the once in a lifetime chance to say the Bracha for when you see two oceans meetin the straits of Gibraltar, where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet. Then we walked through the old Moroccan medina and saw the ancient Shul of Rabbi Moshe Nahon. After that we headed to horseback riding on Amira beach! Monday, we boated along a waterfall and hiked the beautiful Moroccan terrain. On Tuesday, we mustered up the courage to walk across a rope bridge between two mountains to multiple zip lines flying through the Moroccan air. Next, we brought Torah back to the Al Azama Shul by having our incredible advisor chaburas there, and finished the day walking through the indoor Shuk and a Henna party with traditional artists. Wednesday, we started the morning with a swim and then made our way to Jamma el Fma, one of the busiest

outdoor markets in the world. We ate lunch IN a river in the Ourika Valley, equipped with tables and chairs in the water. We stopped to daven mincha at the tomb of Rabbi Solomon Ben Hencha. To finish off our time in Africa, we went GLAMPING in the truly stunning Agafay desert, where we swam, ate, and watched a fire juggling show. We woke up Thursday and went straight to ATVing and camel riding wearing the traditional kaftan and scarf. We closed our time in Europe and Africa in Casablanca with a closing banquet at Circe de leunion and then to the airport to Israel!! We landed in Israel this morning where we

stopped at the Haas Promenade to view of all of the Old City, and then on to daven at the Kotel (for eight of us for the first time!) We ate a delicious lunch in the Rova and went on our way up north to Tiveria for Shabbos!

Here is a reflection of the week written by one of our amazing Euro 4Gers, Yamaya Newman!

We had an awesome time on Week 2 of Euro 4G!!! On Sunday, we packed our bags and said goodbye to the amazing Gibraltar where we spent our first shabbos together. After waking up bright and early, we went on a scenic ferry to get to Morocco and enjoyed the ocean  views and even a quick shluff. We  got to say the bracha for when 2 oceans meet each other, which was an added treat because who doesn’t love saying brachas. When we got to Tanjier, we followed our tour guide Mohammed and explored the old Medina.  After this was done, we soaked it all in at the Moroccan beach, where we went horseback riding on the shore! Then, after learning Torah of course, we went back to our comfy hotel and slept. Next day…Monday!! We had a blast on Monday in the Ouzourd falls going on boats, swimming in the refreshing water, and even challenging ourselves to navigate directions in the African desert. Let’s zip to Tuesday, where we walked across Terres D’emanar on a beautiful bridge. We ziplined across the mountains and canyon in awe. After this adventurous journey, we enjoyed a delicious Moroccan dinner and got authentic Moroccan hennas! Oh, and we got our laundry back BH. On Wednesday, we got our Deerhams ready to bargain for the best prices possible in the Moroccan shuks! Later that day, we had the privileged of visiting Rabbi Shlomo Ben Lachnas Z”l kever, which was very meaningful. We lit candles in honour of this very special Tzaddik and his actions throughout his life. We got to daven mincha in this holy place. After taking a swim in a refreshing lake, we drove into the Moroccan desert and had an amazing night filled with dance party’s, fire shows, swimming, and the highlight-our very own Moroccan singer. After a quick fire, we headed off to our fully air conditioned tents and enjoyed a great night sleep to prepare for Thursday (most glamorous glamping possible). On Thursday morning we had the best time riding on ATVs and camels! We even got dressed up in traditional Middle Eastern clothing for this occasion. After this, we headed to the airport and got ready to go to our home. Israel. Our flight landed safely this morning, and after meeting our new tour guide Tziona we headed to the kotel. We had a very meaningful time there davening to Hashem, so close to where the Beit HaMikdash once was! After this we had some free time to walk around the Jewish Quarter, exploring the shops and of course appreciating the absolutely delicious food. Now, we’re heading off to Teveria for a meaningful shabbos full of learning and fun. We can’t wait for our adventure to continue!

We can’t believe that it’s already been 10 days and counting! Thank you so much for sending your brave world travelers with us this summer.  Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos!

Shayna Gewirtz
Euro 4G Director

Dear EURO 4G parents,

We cannot believe our first wonderful week of the program is already behind us! What a jam packed week. We met Monday at JFK in AMERICA, and landed in MADRID, SPAIN Tuesday morning! Our first day was filled with swimming and water sports on Pantano De San Jaun, followed by a tour of the bustling city of Madrid and its world famous palaces! On Wednesday, we made our way to TOLEDO, and after getting our disposable cameras (a picture a day so we can capture these priceless moments together) walked through the picturesque old city. First stop was a Spanish musician showing us the traditional tunes of Toledo and then to the ancient Sefardic Jewish museum and ancient shul. We made our way through the old Jewish quarter with exclusive access to hidden Mikvahs under private homes! After, we had our first advisor led chaburas, and on to CORDOBA! Thursday we toured Córdoba’s Jewish quarter where the Rambam grew up! We brought Jewish life back to the Rambam’s shul for the first time in 500 years by singing there together. Then, we travelled further down Spain to GRANADA on 17 Tammuz to tour Alhambra palace, the place where Ferdinand and Isabella signed the decree for the Spanish Inquisition. We reflected together on how they tried but thankfully failed to keep Jews like your incredible daughters from coming back to Spain after all these years. And finally, today we crossed the boarder to our next country GIBRALTAR! We are having lunch in an authentic European cafe, tour of the rock of Gibraltar monkeys included! And off to get ready for our first incredible Shabbos together!

Thank you for entrusting us with your most precious gems. This group is so special and each of your daughters makes that true.

Read below a reflection from our very own EURO 4Ger, Deena Lesnoy!

Week one of Euro 4G was an absolute blast! Here’s the run down; Day one, we met our summer family at the airport and we got our super cute ‘best summer ever’ shirts. Then we hopped on the plane to our first stop in Spain! After a 6 hour plane ride we landed in the beautiful capital city of Madrid! We met our amazing tour guides: Eli, Eric, and Amikam. We started off our awesome adventure with water sports!! We went kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, boating, and swimming (with HUGE fish)! Then we went on a walking tour of the beautiful Madrid where we saw a massive, stunning palace. We said Tehillim for the people who died Al Kiddush Hashem during the Spanish Inquisition and appreciated the incredible fact that we are still here today. Then, we headed off to our first hotel in Madrid. We ate dinner while having a bonding night activity. Wake up the next day was bright and early at 7:00am and we headed out to our next stop in Toledo. Surprise! We got disposable cameras to make awesome memories with! We met another amazing tour guide, Alexandro, who knows everything about Toledo… we even got to learn some Spanish from him. We saw gorgeous panoramic views of the city, walked through stunning Toledo and literally went into people’s homes to go down to their basements! Why? To see actual mikvah’s from Spain’s Golden Age, before we were exiled. Wow!! We saw a live performance on the Santur, which is an ancient instrument. Next, we visited the Sephardic shul, which is of 3 shuls that are left in all of Spain. Then, we took a lunch break and had our first Chaburah! (Which was amazing!) We reloaded the busses and drove to our next beautiful hotel in modern Cordoba. Then we had OUR FIRST NIGHT ACTIVITY! Speed dating! And before we knew it, it was time for bed. The next day was a fast day but that didn’t stop us from having a packed, epic day of touring. We drove to ancient Cordoba, which is the Rambam’s hometown! We saw a statue of the Rambam and visited his shul. There, we sang Acheinu together which was such an incredible experience! It gave me the chills!! We were onto our next stop, Grenada. We saw not one, not two, not three or four, but FIVE palaces!! We stood in the very room where the edict was signed to kick the Jews out of Spain. And as we stood there, one of the largest groups of Jews to visit since we were exiled, we showed them that they couldn’t keep us out. We headed back to our hotel for an amazing pizza break-fast dinner. We ended off the night creating our first (and best) cheer of the summer! Tomorrow we are off to Gibraltar, crossing the border by foot!! BEST SUMMER EVER!

Wishing you a beautiful Shabbos from Gibraltar!

Shayna Gewirtz

EURO 4G Director

Last Shabbos parent email

Crazy to say we finished our last week. Wow. Your incredible daughters accomplished so much this week. We started off Sunday packing Shabbos food for the needy in Sderot. Then we made our way to the Negev for sandboarding! On Monday the theme was out of this world. We started off at the Salad trail which is living proof of the prophecies that Israel’s land would only flourish when the Jewish people are here. Then we learnt about Ilan Ramon a famous Israeli astronaut at the Ramon Crater, and finished the day with guided stargazing and Hitbodidut! Tuesday theme was leading with Humility! We started the day making traditional Moroccan tile art, and reconnecting to our days in Morocco, and honoring the first community to make aliyah. Then we went way back in time to relate to Moshe, Dovid and so many more Jewish leaders with Shepherding! Next we went to Kever rachel and ended the day with a mishmar on standing up against Anti semitism. Wednesday’s theme was living history! We started the day learning about our forefathers and mothers at Mearat hamachpela. Then we learned traditional Jewish bread making at Pat bimelach. Last we to a biblical Jeep tour, following the route of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov on the oldest paths in Israel. We started Tisha Bav together that night with a meaningful program on the power of connection. Thursday we spent the morning of Tisha Bav learning the kinnot from our incredible advisors and ended the fast with a Kumzits at the kotel where thousands came together to pray that this should be the last year mourning on Tisha Bav. Friday, we splashed through Ir David tunnels and spent the afternoon exploring the streets of Ben yehuda and Machane yehuda shuk! Can’t wait for Shabbos in the old city with such a special EURO 4G family.

Enjoy a reflection from our very own Orli!:

Week 3 on Euro 4G was amazing! We started off our first full week in Israel on a great note, with a beautiful walking tour of Tsfat filled with meaningful history. Then we visited the Sheva Chaya Glass Blowing studio in the artists quarter of Tsfat, where Sheva Chaya showed us firsthand the art of glass blowing to make beautiful sculptures and various pieces. After we went shopping and had a great lunch, we visited the Cistern, where we learned about our name pasukim, saw a 3D presentation on how Torah scrolls are made, and then had the opportunity to write just like a sofer in feather and ink on scroll paper. After mincha and chaburas overlooking Tsfat, we returned to the hotel in Tiberas for an awesome night activity. Before we knew it, it was already Monday, and we were learning all about shofars and how they are made before splashing into the waters of the kineret, having so much kef- fun- at aqua kef! On Tuesday we continued to have even more fun in the water, squeezing in our swimming time before the start of the 9 days. We worked together, building our achdus in raft building teams and paddling through the kineret in the rafts we made together. Before going back to having a blast in the water, this time with rafting down the Jordan River, we went to Mt. Ben Tal and explored IDF bunkers there. After such a fun and tiring day, every girl had a chance to showcase their talents in a “human auction” night activity. On Wednesday we braved the cliffs of Mitzpe Ramon with repelling, learned so much about our past at Acco prison, and saw some jaw-dropping views at Rosh Hanikra. Another fun-filled day had flown by, and before we knew it the sun had set and we were eating a delicious pizza dinner on the boardwalk and ending our amazing day with ice cream for dessert! We were excited for another amazing day but sad to separate for our free weekend when on Thursday, we made the most of our last few hours of the week together by living just like Avraham Avinu, riding on donkeys and baking pita in Kfar Kedem. Finally, we said our goodbyes and separated for our free weekends with our family’s and friends, pumped for a restful shabbos before another fun filled week together! Have a good shabbos!

Wishing you all a wonderful Shabbos Nachamu, and as always thank you for sending your precious daughters to have the summer of a lifetime!

Shayna Gewirtz

EURO 4G Director

 

Dear EURO 4G Parents,

I hope you are all enjoying having your girls home with you again, but to be honest, we really miss being with them all over the world, and of course in Israel. Hopefully all flights have landed safely and everyone has reached their respective destinations with ease (aside from those lucky ladies who get to extend their stay in Israel- jealous!).

We feel so privileged to have been able to spend the summer with each of your daughters! We were so lucky with the motivated, sincere and extraordinary group of girls we had on NCSY EURO 4G this summer.

When reflecting on the summer, not only did your girls learn a lot about themselves and the huge world out there, I can also proudly say that each and every one of your children grew remarkably in their Jewish bravery, their Jewish identity. Whether it was the diverse Jewish history we travelled through, the educational programs, conversations with various staff members or an inspirational speech, each camper verbalized some sort of tangible growth they have attained this summer. A huge part of this spark being ignited is thanks to our incredible team of advisors, without whom this summer could not have been possible:

Sharona Kataev… NY

Meira Kanovsky… MD

Michal Benloulou… NJ

Talia Belsky… NY

Tikva Zolty… Toronto – our AMAZING social media director who kept you connected throughout the summer!

Last but not least, our incredible assistant director:

Rena Kahn(FL), who led our girls day in and day out with humor, fun, Judaism, and meaning.

These advisors work on a volunteer basis, meaning that they are on the program simply because they want to be a part of your daughters’ growth. Aka they’re the real deal. The relationships that have evolved over this summer between the NCSY EURO 4Gers and advisors will not only last a lifetime, but have also impacted the approach your child has to their Judaism. Whether it was volunteering at a food packing institution, walking across a rope bridge between two mountains or dancing and singing in ancient Spanish and Moroccan shuls, each NCSY EURO 4Ger is going home this summer braver and more ready to write their Jewish story and develop their relationship with Hashem and am yisrael, than they were when they arrived 5 weeks ago. Some of their growth is visible and tangible, whereas much of it is embedded deep within their hearts. Either way, we are so proud of each of them for their willingness to open up, gain confidence and let this summer impact them. We hope that you will be able to see the growth in your child and appreciate all of the life changing experiences she has had this summer.

We now make a small request of you, the parents. Please continue to encourage your child to learn more, to keep asking questions and to keep going out of their comfort zones to grow!

Your children, our children, are the future of the Jewish people. We will be here, alongside you every step of the way, to ensure that these beautiful children, can develop into some of the greatest women the Jewish people have ever seen.

Thank you again for allowing us to meet your very special daughters. We hope for you that you as a family continue to grow and learn together, and that you recognize that you are now part of a much bigger family as well, the NCSY EURO 4G family!

As always, please don’t hesitate to be in touch. I would love to hear feedback from you and thank those parents who have already emailed me. It is so rewarding for us when we hear that you can notice the maturation and growth of your daughter.

Looking forward to hearing from all of you soon. Thank you again for a tremendous summer and may we all merit to meet again soon in Jerusalem!

Shayna and the NCSY EURO 4G family

PS: We encourage you to revisit our summer experience with your daughter by visiting our NCSY Euro 4G website, at euro4G.ncsy.org. I’m sure she’ll have many wonderful memories to recount and share!