On December 14-15, NJNCSY, in conjunction with NYNCSY, will host its first-ever 4G shabbaton. 4G, a play on words for “for girls,” is a division of New Jersey NCSY created to empower young women and inspire them religiously and secularly as they look ahead to the future.
High school girls from the Bergen County area will join counterparts from around the region for a shabbat filled with ruach, inspiration and friendship. The shabbaton is taking place at Congregation Keter Torah in Teaneck.
High school can be a challenging time for young women, many of whom are thinking about the future and the life-shaping decisions they will need to make. This juncture can require certain levels of introspection and guidance. 4G aims to assist teenage girls with these considerations by providing insight and encouragement for the future.
NJNCSY Regional Director Rabbi Eitan Katz expressed his appreciation at hosting the all-girls program in the region. “There are so many young women in our local communities who want to come together and inspire one another,” he said. Rabbi Katz said he seeks to offer high school girls a chance to hear from female Torah role models who have successfully navigated a career path alongside a Torah-observant lifestyle.
High school girls today struggle with issues about career choices and family values. 4G was created in part to provide a forum for girls to discuss these types of issues. Rabbi Katz wants high school girls to feel empowered, believing that they can pursue a high-powered career and have a family as well. “It doesn’t have to be either/or,” said Rabbi Katz. “Not only can you have it all, Orthodox Judaism promotes having it all.”
An excellent role model in the Jewish community who embodies this philosophy is Judge Ruchie Freier. Freier grew up in Boro Park, Brooklyn, as part of the Bobover chasidic community. The first chasidic woman to serve in public office in U.S. history, Freier encountered obstacles along the way, yet never compromised her religious standards. Freier proudly identifies Sara Schenirer, the founder of the Bais Yaakov movement, as her personal role model. Schenirer taught women to pursue their dreams but always maintain their religious values.
Freier’s message combines ambition and religion, two fundamentals that Rabbi Katz and the NCSY community hope to impart on these young women. The goal is to inspire them to be doctors, lawyers or anything else they feel passionate about, while at the same time preserving their religious ideals, Rabbi Katz articulated.
Freier will be sharing her story with the girls and anyone from the community who wishes to attend on Shabbos afternoon at Congregation Rinat Yisrael, 389 West Englewood Avenue, at 4 pm.
Shabbat lunch is sponsored by Lander College for Women. The shabbaton will culminate with an exciting kumzits led by Eitan Katz (the famed singer, no relation to Rabbi Katz of NCSY). For more information or to register, please email [email protected] or call 856-952-8901.
By Andrea Nissel
