Summer 2015 Archives - Page 2 of 3

Granada – El Alhambra and Gypsie Caves

Dear familia y amigos,

Today we woke up and had the pleasure of enjoying two different breakfasts before our long day at El Alhambra. The sights at the palace were amazing to see. The architectural detail and beautiful gardens were something I had never seen before. We then got to go shopping and experience what real Spanish culture is really like. After that we were sent back to our hotel rooms for mandatory “shluffy” time, which was also very well needed. To end the day we explored the old city of Granada and saw the caves where the gypsies live. We had a delicious dinner and had so much fun playing our hilarious night activity. All our best, can’t wait for the journey to continue.

Love,

Aaron y Max

Oh the Places We Go!

Dear Mom and Abba,

Hi from the bus! Today was a very busy traveling day for Euro Ice! We woke up early to catch the ferry to Denia, and from there took a six hours bus ride to Grenada. We had our second Chabura session on the ferry, which I really enjoyed. I personally enjoyed the ferry ride because it gave us the chance to get to know each other and simply spend time together, as opposed to getting to know each other in a short period of time. We played games, colored pictures, and caught up on some of our much needed sleep. With our first week of Euro Ice almost complete, I think we are all getting closer to beginning to create amazing memories and friendships from this amazing opportunity. Can’t wait to have more fun tomorrow when we go to the Alhambra palace.

Love, Miri

Inspirational Shabbos in Mallorca!

Dear Mom and Dad,

The first week is over! I can’t believe how fast it went by. Shabbat in Majorca was unbelievable. We stayed at a beautiful hotel, a mere block from the tiny Shul on the island. The Jewish community in Majorca is quite small (about 1,000 Jews). They were SIKED about hosting 40 teenagers for the weekend (I know, to anyone else that would be a nightmare). We walked together to the Shul on Friday night for davening and many Majorcan residents made sure to be there in order to welcome us and to see the Shul filled with Jewish life and prayer, it usually is not. It was incredible to be there, so many different people from different backgrounds and places in the world, all davening and singing zmirot. They were so excited and happy to have us there. The shul’s chef (who used to be the personal chef for the queen of Spain!!) worked all day to cook a delicious Friday night meal for us.

Shabbat day was even better. We headed back to the Shul for shacharit, it was so great to be there and to have a Shul as our home base on the island. The shul’s chef delivered again! He cooked us a great lunch (btw the watermelon in Majorca is the BOMB) and we topped it off with zmirot and some ice breakers. After we finished, we walked back to the hotel and had our first chaburot, which are designated learning groups, each one lead by one of the awesome advisors. In my Chaburah, we talked about what Shabbat means to each of us and why it is important, especially in the modern day. We then had a few hours to hang out with each other/sleep, and I got to know so many people!!

Later in the afternoon, we had the option to go on a 45 minute walking tour of Majorca, lead by our live-in tour guide, Tomaj. The island is truly gorgeous with so much awesome history. We returned to the Shul for mincha and maariv, followed by dinner. After dinner, we set the chairs up in one giant circle and had ebbing, which was nothing but incredible. We sang together, hugged, and maybe even cried. Rabbi Lashak spoke to us about the topic of suffering, using a personal anecdote that really hit the heart. He told us how suffering Is different for everyone and how we all endure suffering, but that there are people who suffer in a way that we should be thankful to never know. He told us that it is the job of each and every one of us, to help relieve the suffering of each person on the program, each person close to us, and on a broader scale, the greater suffering in the world.

Quite a powerful Shabbat, huh? I can’t wait for next Shabbat.

Much love,

Daniella

Sunny Day in Mallorca!

Dear Mommy and Daddy,

On Friday morning we woke up after a good sleep on the ferry from Barcelona to Mallorca. When we arrived at the hotel we were greeted by the president of the Jewish shul. It felt great to be so welcomed in such a remote area. After we dropped our bags at the hotel we headed to the shul for shacharit and breakfast. We then went to one of the most stunning beaches where we played soccer, swam in the ocean, and relaxed. Next we went (window) shopping in town and ate our lunches. We continued on with some more sightseeing, taking in the beautiful views that Mallorca has to offer. After the bus returned to the hotel, we prepared for and inspirational Shabbos and took pre-Shabbos pictures.

As always all the best,

Shmuel

Montjuic, “Camp Nu” FC Barcelona Stadium, Barcelona Aquarium,

Hey Mom and Dad!

It’s day three here in Barcelona and I am having so much fun! Today we woke up an hour later than usual (thank goodness) and started off the day by ‘hiking’ the Montjuic. We took really pretty pictures of the view. After that we went to the old Barcelona Olympic stadium (aka Camp Nu), which was a really cool sight. Next, we went to the soccer stadium, or according to Europeans the ‘football’ stadium, where we got to see all of their trophies and and old jerseys. We had to walk up a whole heap of stairs, but the view of the entire field was worth it. Next (yup still going strong), we went to the aquarium. Wifey bought us all tickets to ride the carousel outside which was fun and then we checked out the fish and penguins. Now we are back at the hotel waiting for dinner and later we will ride a super fun, four hour ferry ride to the beautiful island of Majorca. Can’t wait!

Love,

Elana:)

Bike Tour of Barcelona, Las Ramblas, Flamenco Show

Hey All,

As we approached our second day of Euro ICE, I had no idea what to expect. I knew it would be a packed day, as all the activities we were supposed to do yesterday have been included in today and tomorrow’s schedules, so I figured today would be a crazy day.

Walking through the city of Barcelona, it was impossible not to notice the amazing statues and buildings of Barcelona dating back to who knows when. The group arrived at the start of our bike tour of Barcelona, and the 2 hour journey began. It was the perfect start to the first real day of our trip. We biked through the beautiful city and next to the beach of Barcelona, stopping occasionally to learn the history of a particular area. What I expected to be a crowded and slow bike tour ended up being the best bike tour I’ve ever experienced!

As the day came close to an end, we were able to witness firsthand the amazing Spanish culture through a truly incredible traditional Flamenco dance and song. Next, we walked through the world famous street Las Ramblas, exploring shops and eating in a delicious kosher meat restaurant.

Today has been a great success, and I can’t wait to see the rest of Barcelona and spend the weekend in the incredible island of Mallorca!

All the best.

Ethan

Airport and Flight to Spain!!

Hi Everyone!!

Even though Euro Ice has just started, it has already been incredible. As people made their way to the airport yesterday, we all met for the first time- which was such a fun experience! Coming from Memphis, TN which has such a small Jewish community, it has been really amazing to meet people from all different communities and backgrounds. I have also never been out of the country, so I am so excited to be sharing this experience with everyone else on the trip. I cannot wait to get closer with them over the next couple of weeks. After going through security and running through airports, we made it to Europe safely and had a nice amount of time to relax in our hotel rooms before we met again for dinner and orientation. Tomorrow we will be going bike riding through Barcelona and visiting one of the most famous streets, Las Rambalas. I cannot wait for tomorrow and all of our plans over the trip!

Best wishes from Spain!

— Rena

Meet your Euro Ice Logistics Coordinator: Elliot Tanzman!!

What’s up y’all!!! (I’ve been thinking the same thing you have….. Therefore) I want to start off by apologizing for the terrible posts that have been put in the group by the staff…. The bios have been aight, but the post…eehhhhhh.

Now about me….. You’ll see this is a reoccurring theme. I’m Elliot Tanzman, known around the world as Tanz. I say around the world bc I have been blessed to do a nice amount of traveling in my 25 (almost 26) years of life. I grew in Hillcrest NY and went to Rambam in the 5ts. Where I played on 5 sports teams (hockey, softball, tennis, soccer &……….. BOWLING, high score of 269). I spent 2 years in Shraga, followed by 3 years in YU. Majored in business management, and for better or worse met ISH….FYI that’s Yisrael Katz.

I work year round for NCSY recruiting all of the kids and staff for summer programs!!! This will be my 5th summer with Rabbi & Wifey…. Yes we call her Wifey…. You got a problem with that????

If there is one thing you need to know about the trip it’s that YOU DO NOT SIT IN MY SEAT!!!! It is mine, NOT YOURS, and NO ONE will sit there until I meet up with you guys in Barcelona.

JFK Terminal 7 – If I know you, can’t wait to see you again. If I don’t, can’t wait to meet you!!

Meet your Euro Ice Assistant Director: Yisrael Katz!!

Sup? My name is Clark Kent but my friends call me Yisrael Katz. I live in the beautiful valley in California where I work as the NCSY valley director. In my spare time I like to rock out to the backstreet boys with my wife and baby. I’m super pumped for Euro Ice for the Best. Summer. Ever.!!!!!

Meet you Euro Ice Director: Rabbi Israel Lashak!!

Rabbi Israel Lashak was born in Mexico City, Mexico. He attended high school in Baltimore Ner Yisroel Yeshiva where he also received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Talmudic Law. He has an additional Masters degree in administrative science from Johns Hopkins University. In 1992, Rabbi Lashak received his rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Yochanan Zwieg in Miami, Florida. Rabbi Lashak began his career with NCSY over 20 years ago and became the Regional Director of the Southwest region in 1996. Along the way, Rabbi Lashak has had an immense impact on Klal Yisroel. From founding a school to running Birthright Israel trips, Rabbi Lashak has left no stone unturned in his quest to inspire all Jews of the Dallas community. Of course, his greatest impact has been on the Jewish teens of Dallas, and those from around the country, who have come to thousands of Latte & Learning programs and Shabbatonim or traveled to Europe and Israel on NCSY Summer Programs. He is also a co-founder of NCSY in Latin America and has spent countless hours teaching Spanish-speaking students of all ages, all over North and South America. Rabbi Lashak is also known as a passionate and dynamic public speaker who has thrilled audiences of all sizes and all ages in English, Spanish and Hebrew in twenty-seven different countries.