By Zelle Rettman, Special to JTNews
NCSY is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.
I began doing the National Conference of Synagogue Youth in the 6th grade, originally because all my friends from Seattle Hebrew Academy did it. However, NCSY slowly turned into more than just a social event. It turned into a different way for me to get in touch with Judaism. Going to a Jewish school educates you, but NCSY helps you to feel the Judaism.
My favorite part of NCSY became “ebbing” at Shabbatons and onegs. At the end of the third meal, everyone pulls their chairs into a circle and sings. Songs like “Esau Einey” have become some of my favorites because of the sensations I remember that came from singing them in a circle with my fellow NCSYers.
NCSY has been able to teach me a lot about Judaism that school hasn’t. One reason for this is probably that I am not “graded” on my questions or answers or anything. That is not to say that school “grades” me on my concept of Judaism, it just forces me to be a certain way and portray myself a certain way because I go to school there, though going there was my choice.
However, there isn’t as much of a variety for Jewish schools as there is for Jewish youth groups, so when I chose NCSY to be my main focus for Jewish youth groups, I really chose it. After going to both religious and Conservative Jewish schools, I decided that I liked the Orthodox perspective the most and it made the most sense to me, so NCSY was a place for me to delve into it further.
From 6th grade until 10th grade, I enjoyed events like NCSY 500 (go-
carting), Slice of Chai (exploring Judaism over free pizza), and the Seattle Shabbaton. After enjoying all those events for so long, and growing so much as a person, I decided I wanted to take more of a leadership role in NCSY and to give back to incoming NCSYers what NCSY had given me.
I joined Seattle NCSY Chapter Board as a 10th grader as fundraising chair, because I wanted to make sure we had enough money to run all the events we wanted — and then some. This led to me becoming president of NCSY’s Seattle Chapter Board in 11th grade, and now, for 12th grade, I’m still president.
Being president is more than just delegating jobs to the other people on board. It is helping people with their jobs, picking up the slack should there be any, and making sure everyone feels welcome. It can be a pretty difficult job at times, especially close to the Seattle Shabbaton, but it is all worth it.
Zelle Rettman, president of Seattle’s National Conference of Synagogue Youth’s board, attends Northwest Yeshiva High School.