Bruriah’s annual G.O. schoolwide shabbaton is always a highlight of the year and students anxiously await this program with tremendous anticipation. With all of the COVID challenges this year, the excitement to get to Camp Romimu for the shabbaton was palpable amongst students and faculty.

As the buses pulled in, the camp was filled with song and dance from students of all grades, and this joy to be together increased throughout the weekend. To start off the incredible shabbaton program, the students joined together for a schoolwide Toameha, complete with zemirot, kugel and learning of hilchot Shabbat, reflective of the shabbaton’s theme—the gift of Shabbat. With the sun shining and the energy high, the students settled into their bunks and prepared for a beautiful and unforgettable shabbaton.

Throughout Shabbat, there were countless activities and programs, all revolving around the central theme. Some included a speech about the uniqueness of the Shabbat experience by Rabbi Shmuel Skaist; grade-specific onegs; student divrei Torah; student and teacher panels and skits. Each provided its own inspiration and takeaways, fostering new relationships and strengthening old ones.

After a beautiful afternoon, the school gathered again for the concluding Shabbat program, a speech from the dynamic Chevi Garfinkel, followed by a spectacular kumzitz. The energy in the room was absolutely incredible, girls of all grades joining together in song. The evening was filled to the brim with inspiration and good feelings, enhanced by an unforgettable Shabbat together.

Tali Finkelstein is a junior at Bruriah from Bergen County.