(Courtesy of Bnei Akiva) A few months ago, the shlichim and madrichim of Bnei Akiva Teaneck and Bnei Akiva Houston came together with an idea to reunite campers from Camp Moshava on a Shabbaton for seventh and eighth graders in Teaneck. On Shabbat parshat Vayakhel, after many hours of discussion and planning, this idea came to fruition.

Twenty four seventh and eighth graders from Houston arrived at Rinat in Teaneck on Friday afternoon and joined an additional 26 kids from Teaneck and the surrounding areas for an amazing Shabbaton. The theme of the Shabbaton was “Guess Who!” and the children discussed the questions of who am I, what do I identify with, and what makes me, me.

The Sabbaton was filled with ruach and the atmosphere of Camp Moshava, of which most of the kids were campers over the summer. The same values of Torah and avodah, Zionism and self-discovery were continued straight from camp and infused in the Shabbaton, providing a sweet sense of nostalgia. This same camp spirit accompanies Bnei Akiva’s madrichim and chanichim throughout the year on their Shabbatonim, at snif every week, and at all of their programs.

The amazing madrichim of Teaneck and Houston are real leaders—high school students who come to educate the younger generation with passion for the values of Bnei Akiva—Torah and avodah. The madrichim facilitated activities, brought a lot of spirit and built a personal relationship with the chanichim. This is a privilege that not everyone gets to have—the ability to educate kids in middle school as a high school-aged kid. Shachar, the Bnei Akiva shaliach of Teaneck, said, “If you ask me, this needs to be a lesson in all schools that want their kids to be the next leaders of Am Yisrael.” Hashem Imachem.