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!

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