By Gnesha Schapiro and Devorah Stark, 7th grade at Bais Rebbe of Los Angeles
The Rebbe’s Diamond daveners girls Shabbaton? Well I have no words but….AWESOME. From the start of getting into the vans until the end with eating at Nagila Pizza, the entire Shabbaton was filled with fun, inspiring farbrengens, lessons and stories.
The whole atmosphere felt like it was filled with holiness. I mean the car ride there was shorter than I expected, with an added bonus of a game. Everyone in the car played it and we found so many yellow cars! Now don’t get me started on the Chabad House. The place was beautiful and it was so kind of them to let us in with open arms.
A big thank you to Rabbi and Mrs. Zushe Cunin and Rabbi and Mrs. Eli Baitleman for the overwhelming Hachnosas Orchim you showed us! After we came to Pacific Palisades, we went on a hike and at the top of the mountain we davened Mincha. I cannot describe the feeling – the air outside fresh and clean and inside everyone davening together!
Now getting ready was kind of hectic but it all worked out in the end! After we all helped prepare for Shabbos, set the table and bentched licht, we sat in a circle for a workshop learning all about the power of my neshama – and how lighting Shabbos candles each week remind us of it! Then we sang Kabalas Shabbos all together. Next was the meal – which was GREAT! For me, it was one of the highlight of my weekend – everyone was mixed together with so much energy, girls sharing Divrei Torah, just sitting together and singing songs and zemiros made me feel very connected to the Rebbe!
On Shabbos morning we had breakfast and delicious cake made by our amazing counselors Chaya Lerner, Rivka Sandberg, and Leiba Glabman. Thank you so much for your help! (And a special thank you to Rochel and Chana Cunin for your much-needed assistance!) Cocoa club was a series of activities/workshops which brought out the power of tefillah…..leading us straight to davening! We joined the community shul and really made a Kiddush Lubavitch.
“They are davening with such Derech Eretz,” said Rabbi Zushe Cunin in his Shabbos speech. “We are so impressed how young girls could stay so focused and well behaved!” Even though we weren’t in the KYY building, we still behaved like the Rebbe’s Diamond Daveners. Shabbos lunch we shared with the community – it was so nice to hear the people from the community speak and share with us. Even some KYY girls spoke!
After the meal we learned a sicha connecting to Matan Torah…shalosh seudos followed with a presentation of 3 incredible skits!! Singing seder niggunim was very uplifting. Toward the end of Shabbos we all burst out in niggunim, dancing and jumping and demanding Moshiach!
Well when Shabbos was over we played a series of “team work” games and a super fun game of capture the glow stick! Then we watched a video of the Rebbe and had a bonfire. There we roasted marshmallows while singing by the blazing flames. The bonfire ended with the announcement of the winner of the Chof Beis Shvat raffle, the end of a 7 week program where we earned boarding passes through davening, being on time and participating in Shul event. The winner? DRUMROLL…..ROCHEL WOLOWIK! Then we all went back to LA to Nigila Pizza.
That about sums up our amazing Shabbaton, which was so amazing due to the efforts of our great counselors and Madricha Srula Chaiton (and JJ and Mordechai). Can’t wait for the next one.
woohoo bcm!!! la!!! goKYY! KIU!~!
agreed !!!
“and the PPL behind it”
are Mendel Duchman and his Dauther Srula !!
kol hakovod to THEM!!
is onto their next project
Mitzva Tanks for Yud Alef Nissan
help them make it a reality——
http://www.kolyakovyehuda.com
what the LA community does for anash children—–
kol Hakovod to them and the ppl behind it .
rochel w. and chaya schukler take the house down!!
love, ur bunkmate from detroit
I miss you so much
🙂
CHAYA SPALTER!!!!
LOOKING GOOD 🙂
the best skewl
ur the best!!!!!!!
adele oster
I spy…
yours truly