CTeen, Entertaining Teens on Long Shabbosim

There isn’t a weekend with an empty slot in the past and upcoming month on CTeen’s international calendar of events. With literally one teen event leading into another, teens and their shluchim have spearheaded three regional shabbatons and five regional trips in the short span of two months.

“Teens and shluchim weren’t satisfied with our first regional shabbaton in Florida,” Says Rabbi Shimon Rivkin, CTeen’s Executive director. Two Florida regional trips held on the past two Sundays went into the making as soon as the shabbaton concluded. “It’s a classic mitzvah goreres mitzvah.”

More than 60 teens from eight CTeen chapters across Florida joined together for the Orlando shabbaton during Shabbos parshas Behar/Bechukosai. Hosted by Rabbi and Mrs. Yosef Konikov of Chabad of South Orlando, the shabbaton was organized and led by Rabbi Aron Pink of Plantation and Rabbi Adi Goodman of South Broward.

The program began with a moving candle lighting ceremony followed by an enjoyable and meaningful Shabbos meal in a warm, family style atmosphere.

During the Shabbos daytime meal, teens opened up and shared how their lives have been affected and transformed by CTeen’s local programming and by the CTeen shabbaton in New York this past February.  “I had this feeling at the Ohel and did not know what it was. I just knew that I needed to do something to become more Jewish,” Sandy R., a teen from Sunny Isles, Florida, announced at the meal. “I decided to start keeping Shabbos and become more tznius and am looking forward to going to seminary.”

Shabbos concluded with a grand havdallah ceremony at City Walk, triggering feelings of Jewish pride and unity among all those present.  The shabbaton concluded on Sunday night following a fun-filled day at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure.

“This year, with the launch of our TGIS (Thank G-d It’s Shabbat!) Shabbos programming initiative at the banquet of CTeen’s international shabbaton in New York, we took it upon ourselves to go the extra mile and plan regional shabbatons as well,” explains Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch and chairman of CTeen. “The impact this is having on teens and the nachas ruach being generated from teens spending a Shabbos together is remarkable.”

Moving right along to California, Rabbis Mendy Naparstek of Irvine and Yisroel Zavdi of Huntington Beach ran a memorable shabbaton at the Big Bear Mountain Resort last Shabbos. “Though the teens enjoyed the great outdoor adventures and activities, the highlight was definitely Rabbi Yossi Jacobson’s moving campfire farbrengen,” says Rabbi Naparstek.

“At first, keeping high tech teens occupied on a long summer Shabbos seemed extremely challenging,” admits Rabbi Naparstek. “But the TGIS guide created and provided by CTeen Central, rich with teen friendly content spanning Thursday night through Motzoei Shabbos gave us the tools and confidence to pull off an amazing shabbaton.”

“Our objective is to give shluchim and teen leaders the resources and tools to create a shabbaton in their own communities,” explains CTeen’s project manager Rabbi Mendel Perlstein. “Boruch Hashem, CTeen chapters held more than 25 TGIS events over the past three months.”