Growing up in Los Angeles, David Pardo was just a regular high school student attending public school. While attending the North Hollywood High School’s Highly Gifted Magnet program, David participated in a few local Jewish youth group programs including the Jewish Student Union at his high school. However, it wasn’t until his junior year of
From gymnastics to soccer, NCSY to the IDF, and Rutgers to the entire South America, it seems like Rachel covered all the bases on most people’s “Cool Things to Do Before I Die List,” but to her it’s just the tip of the iceberg! “I kind of just go with the flow, and when I find things that excite me, I just go for it! Who knows what’s next…” she says with a smirk.
Barry Berkowitz's journey from the halls of East Meadow High School to the headquarters of Google.
In 1999, David received a letter from Enosh, one of the leaders of the Jewish community in Putti Village, Uganda stating that he heard about how David is helping people move to Israel and teaching farming there. He explained how he was part of a small kibbutz of Jewish farmers in Uganda who could really use his assistance.
As she was purchasing head phones to watch the in-flight movie, a man and a woman started pushing down the aisles toward first class yelling “Imshi! Imshi!” (“move out of the way”) holding guns and hand grenades.
In the beginning, he may seem like your average NCSY success story. Sgt. Robert Williger joined NCSY at age 14, coming from a conservative and irreligious background, and got very involved right away. He rose through the ranks from president of his hometown chapter, Morton Grove, to co-regional president in Midwest NCSY. He was NCSY-er
At first glance she may seem like a regular girl from Southern California, but Yael Glouberman is already a Jewish leader in her own right. Yael used NCSY as a threshold to get involved in the Jewish community while in high school because her pluralistic high school did not her offer her any Orthodox opportunities.
Picture this scenario: You are a public school kid, interested in receiving a Jewish education, on the path towards becoming religious, and you want to switch to a Yeshiva high school to help further your Jewish growth. One parent is supportive of your decision, but the other is so opposed to you switching to Yeshiva that they file a petition for a ruling to keep you in public school. What would you do?
A common anxiety among the thousands of NCSY Alumni who travel across the globe to spend a gap year in the Holy Land after graduating high school is where they will spend their “free” Shabbatot. Many students don’t have any family in Israel, and the thought of not having a place to spend Shabbos is worrisome.
If you follow the media at all, you definitely bobbed your head along to MTV Jersey Shore star Angelina Pivarnick’s single that hit the Top 10 on various music charts before it was even officially released. After TMZ leaked a 52-second clip, it went viral and instantly garnered over 40 million listeners around the world. Thanks to the musical talents of Andy Stein, a Birthright alum from East Brunswick, New Jersey, Pivarnick was able to rebrand her image and regain her stardom after leaving the popular show.