National Conference of Synagogue Youth
Encyclopedia
NCSY is an Orthodox
Jewish youth group sponsored by the Orthodox Union
. Founded in 1954, it has members in the United States
, Canada
, Israel
, Chile
, and formerly also in Ukraine
. Its slogan is Inspiring the Jewish Future. NCSY is directly supervised by the Orthodox Union
's (OU) Youth Commission chaired by Martin Nachimson of California
.
Though outreach to public school youth was started by Chabad
in the 1930's, the Torah Leadership Seminar, created in 1954 by DCS of Yeshiva University
under Dr Abraham Stern, developed the Shabbaton
model (for more details see Baal teshuva
).
There was a core of NCSY from two early founded regions Midwest Region (founded 1951) and Southern Region (founded in 1952 by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Rosenberg and Mr. Abe Rabhan of B’nai B’rith Jacob synagogue in Savannah, Georgia).
In 1954, Harold and Enid Boxer donated the money to create a national organization from the already-existing Southern and Midwest Regions.
In 1959, NCSY hired Rabbi Pinchas Stolper as the first National Director.
In the 1960s there was an emphasis on NCSY Publications with many volumes written by Pinchas Stopler and then later the Aryeh Kaplan Series.They also put out the NCSY Guide to Blessings and the NCSY Bencher.
During the social upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s, the Orthodox youth of NCSY strove to temper social change through religious tradition. In this period, at least one NCSY chapter took public action on this point, passing a resolution rejecting marijuana and other drugs as a violation of Jewish law. At the 1971 NCSY international convention, delegates passed resolutions in this vein, calling for members to "forge a social revolution with Torah principles."
In the mid 1970s, NCSY started a boys camp at Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, MD. It was originally known as "NCSY Goes to Yeshiva," and later changed it name to "Camp NCSY Sports".
In 1970, the Israel Summer Institute for Jewish teens was founded. Rabbi Stolper assisted NCSY in expanding internationally into Canada, Israel, Australia, Chile, and Ukraine.
In 2007, NCSY launched a sexual abstinence campaign.
The organization has produced many Jewish children's entertainers who have remained in outreach work, including Uncle Moishy and the Mitzvah Men
and Zale Newman
.
According to the Orthodox sociologist Chaim Waxman, there has been an increase in Haredi influence on NCSY. Waxman based this on NCSY's own sociological self-study.
NCSY is divided into geographic regions throughout North America
. They are New England
, Upper New York, New York
-Long Island
, New Jersey
, Atlantic Seaboard, Central East, Southern, South Florida
, Greater Midwest, Southwest, West Coast
, Northwest, and Canada
. Additionally, NCSY runs programming branches in Israel
and now Chile
and Germany
. Each Region is divided into chapters. A chapter is typically a city, or a group of surrounding towns. In heavily populated Jewish areas like New Jersey
, counties may have several chapters.
Many chapters in NCSY appoint or elect a group of NCSYers to serve on a chapter board,who work with the advisors or city directors to assist with programming or outreach. Many regions do the same thing, and have a regional board, who do similar things for the region. The International Board consists of representatives from many different regions.
NCSY's programming is divided into two age groups, "junior" and "senior"; these generally encompass 5th–8th grades and 9th–12th grades, respectively. Some programs span both age groups, but most programming is unique for each.
, a weekend-long social and educational Shabbat
experience based on learning sessions, following in the model of Abraham Stern of Torah Leadership Seminar.
Currently, while on Shabbaton
s kids are treated to skits, learning sessions and ebbing, where participants sit in a circle around the "circle guy" where they sing songs and do "funny" routines. They are housed either in hotels, camps, or grouped with sponsor families who take them in for the weekend.
has criticized the NCSY for its aggressive approach, including its goal of changing kids regardless of the damage it causes to the family dynamic or the alienation of teens from their parents. It also sometimes tends to a charismatic quality.
A 54-page public report summarizing a much longer document of investigation by a special commission appointed by the OU after the Lanner affair, found the following.
Baruch Lanner was hired by NCSY's founder Pinchas Stolper http://google.com/search?q=cache:2SRVw6_VZBgJ:www.lilith.org/shop/download/v25i03_Fall_2000-02.pdf+baruch+lanner+hired+pinchas+stolper&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=11&gl=us in 1970 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01E1D61038F934A15751C1A9669C8B63, and remained his superior until 1994.http://jta.org/news/article/2001/04/29/6837/OUhopesitssteps Lanner was already threatened with suspension for sexual contact with two teenage girls in 1972. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01E1D61038F934A15751C1A9669C8B63
As a result of the Lanner scandal, NCSY created conduct standards, published a manual on behavior, and established an ombudsman
hotline.
Orthodox
Orthodox may refer to:In music:* Orthodox , album by the Czech death metal band KrabathorIn science:* File manager#Orthodox file managers in computing* Orthodox seed, seed which may be preserved via drying or freezing...
Jewish youth group sponsored by the Orthodox Union
Orthodox Union
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
. Founded in 1954, it has members in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and formerly also in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Its slogan is Inspiring the Jewish Future. NCSY is directly supervised by the Orthodox Union
Orthodox Union
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
's (OU) Youth Commission chaired by Martin Nachimson of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
History
NCSY is the organizational successor to the National Union of Orthodox Jewish Youth, established in 1942 as an Orthodox youth movement similar to a synagogue men's club or sisterhood. Over time, its emphasis moved to outreach and teaching religious behaviors to adolescents.Though outreach to public school youth was started by Chabad
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
in the 1930's, the Torah Leadership Seminar, created in 1954 by DCS of Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
under Dr Abraham Stern, developed the Shabbaton
Shabbaton
The Hebrew term Shabbaton, , may be translated into English to mean sabbatical year. In Israel, when one takes a sabbatical year, one takes the year off in search of other pursuits. It is a rest from work, a hiatus, typically 2 months plus...
model (for more details see Baal teshuva
Baal teshuva
Baal teshuva or ba'al teshuvah , sometimes abbreviated to BT, is a term referring to a Jew who turns to embrace Orthodox Judaism. Baal teshuva literally means, "repentant", i.e., one who has repented or "returned" to God...
).
There was a core of NCSY from two early founded regions Midwest Region (founded 1951) and Southern Region (founded in 1952 by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Rosenberg and Mr. Abe Rabhan of B’nai B’rith Jacob synagogue in Savannah, Georgia).
In 1954, Harold and Enid Boxer donated the money to create a national organization from the already-existing Southern and Midwest Regions.
In 1959, NCSY hired Rabbi Pinchas Stolper as the first National Director.
In the 1960s there was an emphasis on NCSY Publications with many volumes written by Pinchas Stopler and then later the Aryeh Kaplan Series.They also put out the NCSY Guide to Blessings and the NCSY Bencher.
During the social upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s, the Orthodox youth of NCSY strove to temper social change through religious tradition. In this period, at least one NCSY chapter took public action on this point, passing a resolution rejecting marijuana and other drugs as a violation of Jewish law. At the 1971 NCSY international convention, delegates passed resolutions in this vein, calling for members to "forge a social revolution with Torah principles."
In the mid 1970s, NCSY started a boys camp at Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, MD. It was originally known as "NCSY Goes to Yeshiva," and later changed it name to "Camp NCSY Sports".
In 1970, the Israel Summer Institute for Jewish teens was founded. Rabbi Stolper assisted NCSY in expanding internationally into Canada, Israel, Australia, Chile, and Ukraine.
In 2007, NCSY launched a sexual abstinence campaign.
The organization has produced many Jewish children's entertainers who have remained in outreach work, including Uncle Moishy and the Mitzvah Men
Uncle Moishy and the Mitzvah Men
Uncle Moishy and the Mitzvah Men is a Jewish American children's edutainment group based in New York City, featured in audio and video releases, as well as appearing live in concert. Their tapes, CDs and videos are sold in most Jewish music and Judaica stores....
and Zale Newman
Zale Newman
Zale Newman is a Jewish community activist and former public official in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Early life and career:Newman is a graduate of Yeshiva University, later did graduate work at McGill University in Montreal, and holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing and...
.
According to the Orthodox sociologist Chaim Waxman, there has been an increase in Haredi influence on NCSY. Waxman based this on NCSY's own sociological self-study.
Organization
The organization possesses an International Director within the Orthodox Union, and is subdivided into national, regional and local chapters.NCSY is divided into geographic regions throughout North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. They are New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, Upper New York, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Atlantic Seaboard, Central East, Southern, South Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Greater Midwest, Southwest, West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, Northwest, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Additionally, NCSY runs programming branches in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and now Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Each Region is divided into chapters. A chapter is typically a city, or a group of surrounding towns. In heavily populated Jewish areas like New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, counties may have several chapters.
Many chapters in NCSY appoint or elect a group of NCSYers to serve on a chapter board,who work with the advisors or city directors to assist with programming or outreach. Many regions do the same thing, and have a regional board, who do similar things for the region. The International Board consists of representatives from many different regions.
NCSY's programming is divided into two age groups, "junior" and "senior"; these generally encompass 5th–8th grades and 9th–12th grades, respectively. Some programs span both age groups, but most programming is unique for each.
Programming
NCSY's original model was to create the regional ShabbatonShabbaton
The Hebrew term Shabbaton, , may be translated into English to mean sabbatical year. In Israel, when one takes a sabbatical year, one takes the year off in search of other pursuits. It is a rest from work, a hiatus, typically 2 months plus...
, a weekend-long social and educational Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
experience based on learning sessions, following in the model of Abraham Stern of Torah Leadership Seminar.
Currently, while on Shabbaton
Shabbaton
The Hebrew term Shabbaton, , may be translated into English to mean sabbatical year. In Israel, when one takes a sabbatical year, one takes the year off in search of other pursuits. It is a rest from work, a hiatus, typically 2 months plus...
s kids are treated to skits, learning sessions and ebbing, where participants sit in a circle around the "circle guy" where they sing songs and do "funny" routines. They are housed either in hotels, camps, or grouped with sponsor families who take them in for the weekend.
Criticism
Gary Rosenblatt of The Jewish WeekThe Jewish Week
The Jewish Week is an independent weekly newspaper serving the Jewish community of the metropolitan New York City area. The Jewish Week covers news relating to the Jewish community in NYC and has world-wide distribution.-Editorial staff:...
has criticized the NCSY for its aggressive approach, including its goal of changing kids regardless of the damage it causes to the family dynamic or the alienation of teens from their parents. It also sometimes tends to a charismatic quality.
This situation creates an implicit paradigm in which kids see the NCSY and religion in opposition to their parents... even in cases of abuse, vulnerable children might choose to follow a charismatic religious leader and keep their parents in the dark about their lives -- even if their lives were plagued by abuse. (Kress)
A 54-page public report summarizing a much longer document of investigation by a special commission appointed by the OU after the Lanner affair, found the following.
The report cited “profound errors of judgment” in the way OU leaders dealt with Lanner and also noted a larger problem of “poor management practices” in the OU, including a lack of accountability by professionals to volunteer leadership, lack of involvement by lay leaders in matters of governance, lack of financial controls and a “total absence of any policies regarding basic ethical issues” in both the OU and NCSY.
Affiliates
- NCSY's international director concurrently heads the Jewish Student UnionJewish Student UnionThe Jewish Student Union, or JSU is an organization aimed at educating youth in public schools about the Jewish culture, heritage, and religion...
(JSU) which operates in many public schools. - NCSY works with Agudath Israel of AmericaAgudath Israel of AmericaAgudath Israel of America , is a Haredi Jewish communal organization in the United States loosely affiliated with the international World Agudath Israel.-Functions:...
in running Camp Nageela Midwest. - NCSY Summer KollelKollelA kollel is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim and learning sedarim ; unlike a yeshiva, the student body of a kollel are all married men...
Program is hosted by Ohr YerushalayimOhr YerushalayimYeshivat Ohr Yerushalayim is a yeshiva which caters to English-speaking students spending a year in Israel after high school... - NCSY has always maintained a relationship with Touro CollegeTouro CollegeTouro College is a sponsored independent institution of higher and professional education, in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by Dr. Bernard Lander, the College was established primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American community...
and Yeshiva UniversityYeshiva UniversityYeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
, which offers NCSY participants scholarships and recruits both students and personnel from NCSY.
Baruch Lanner
Baruch Lanner is a former director of NCSY convicted for sexual misconduct with minors whom he had contact with through the organization. The investigation began on July 12, 2000, he was indicted in March of that same year and surrendered to authorities and entered a plea of "not-guilty" on April 20, 2000. Lanner was convicted on one account of fondling a student on June 27 of 2002.Baruch Lanner was hired by NCSY's founder Pinchas Stolper http://google.com/search?q=cache:2SRVw6_VZBgJ:www.lilith.org/shop/download/v25i03_Fall_2000-02.pdf+baruch+lanner+hired+pinchas+stolper&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=11&gl=us in 1970 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01E1D61038F934A15751C1A9669C8B63, and remained his superior until 1994.http://jta.org/news/article/2001/04/29/6837/OUhopesitssteps Lanner was already threatened with suspension for sexual contact with two teenage girls in 1972. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01E1D61038F934A15751C1A9669C8B63
As a result of the Lanner scandal, NCSY created conduct standards, published a manual on behavior, and established an ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
hotline.
See also
- Orthodox UnionOrthodox UnionThe Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
, the sponsoring organization of NCSY - KEDMAKEDMAKEDMA is a campus student organization for Orthodox Judaism on many secular college and university campuses and in many Hillels in the United States....
, an Orthodox college outreach group - Aish HaTorahAish HaTorahAish HaTorah is a Jewish Orthodox organization and yeshiva. Aish HaTorah is actively pro-Israel and encourages Jewish people to visit Israel and connect to the land and its history. Some consider the organisation to reflect a more Religious Zionist philosophy in its attachment to Israel, promoting...
- Baal teshuvaBaal teshuvaBaal teshuva or ba'al teshuvah , sometimes abbreviated to BT, is a term referring to a Jew who turns to embrace Orthodox Judaism. Baal teshuva literally means, "repentant", i.e., one who has repented or "returned" to God...
- United Synagogue YouthUnited Synagogue YouthUnited Synagogue Youth is the youth movement of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. USY operates in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The goal of the movement is to bring Jewish teenagers closer to Judaism and Israel through learning and social interaction...
, the youth group of Conservative JudaismConservative JudaismConservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,... - National Federation of Temple Youth, the youth group of Reform JudaismReform JudaismReform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
- Young JudaeaYoung JudaeaYoung Judaea is a peer-led Zionist youth movement that runs programs throughout the United States for Jewish youth in grades 2-12. In Hebrew, Young Judaea is called Yehudah Hatzair or is sometimes referred to as Hashachar, which means the dawn....
, the pluralist zionist youth movement of HadassahHadassahHadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America is an American Jewish volunteer women's organization. Founded in 1912 by Henrietta Szold, it is one of the largest international Jewish organizations, with around...
- Pinchas StolperPinchas StolperPinchas A. Stolper is an Orthodox rabbi, writer, and has been a spokesman for Orthodoxy through his writings and books popularizing Orthodox Judaism.-Biography:...
- Aryeh KaplanAryeh KaplanAryeh Moshe Eliyahu Kaplan was a noted American Orthodox rabbi and author known for his "intimate knowledge of both physics and kabbalah." He was lauded as an original thinker and prolific writer, from studies of the Torah, Talmud and mysticism to introductory pamphlets on Jewish beliefs and...