The Moriah eighth grade shabbaton kicked off last Thursday night with two special back-to-back events. First, students participated in a special parent-child Challah Bake, led by Middle School Principal Tzipporah Boim. Next up was family mishmar where students and parents learned with Rabbi Eitan Lipstein and Morah Sydney Daitch, while enjoying a delicious Dougie’s dinner sponsored by Sonya and Jonathan Speiser and family. On Friday, students helped uplift seniors at The Jewish Home at Rockleigh, where they helped the residents compete in an Olympic games competition, as well as at The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, where students and seniors danced together in anticipation of Shabbat. Upon their return, students competed in a special B.V.G. (boys vs. girls competition) to determine which team would win a special erev Shabbat tish with their rebbeim/morot on an upcoming Friday in school. The students tied and had to decide the winner through the games planned for the Shabbat meals.
Shabbat began with an uplifting kabbalat Shabbat together with the Ahavath Torah community, as the students danced fervently and brought in Shabbat with song. The ruach continued at the seudat Shabbat as students sat with teachers and their families, sang and heard Divrei Torah from their fellow students and teachers. Students competed in ‘Priorities,’ a game in which students decide individually, as well as collectively with their tables, what values they deem most important as evolving Jews and young adults.
Shabbat morning began with tefillah, led by the students, and continued with seudat sheini which was once again filled with ruach and Divrei Torah. Students competed in a special edition of Time’s Up, featuring cards related to their time at Moriah, as well as figures in Tanach. This ultimately decided the winner of Friday’s competition—the girls claimed victory! Following lunch, eighth grade boys spent quality time together at the home of their friend Jonah Siegler, where they were joined by their rebbeim and learned together with Rabbi Eisenberger. The girls came together at the home of Ally Schechter and spent quality time with their morot and teachers. Students then headed to Mincha, followed by seudat shlishit, featuring words of inspiration by Rabbi Kahane, as well as special song favorites.
Following Maariv, students Ryan Friedman and Josh Knoll led their peers in a musical Havdala which segued into an energetic melave malka, led by Rabbi Eisenberger’s son, Eli. Students received Havdala candles, generously donated by Anne and Sam Schwartz and many were declared winners in the grand raffle featuring electronics donated by Stephanie and David Goldstein and the student activities and Jewish life department.
Overall, it was an uplifting, memorable and inspiring Shabbat that students will not soon forget. A special thank you to Morah Sydney Daitch and Rabbi Eitan Lipstein for their hard-work in programming this event, as well as to parents Melanie Sosland and Jordanna Nadritch for their efforts in making all of the arrangements at Ahavath Torah.
