By Aryeh Smith and Rabbi Yossi Schwartz
How many of these 60 do you know how to do? Be honest with yourself, keep track and find out if you are a TRUE NCSYer below!
1. Sport NCSY swag at shabbatons
2. Know all the hand motions to kol haolam kulo
3. Know the difference between Advisors and NCSYers
4. Try to get NCSY advisors to go out with each other
5. Ask “are you shomer negiah?” without being creepy
6. Get advisors to let you go to your room during programs
7. Look innocent while doing something very wrong
8. Look like your are doing something wrong but you are innocent
9. Be the first one in line to wash al nitilas yidayim
10. Wear a yarmulka, but it doesn’t look like you are wearing a yarmulke
11. Sneak out of your room
12. Come with the most creative thing to say after “you look so beautiful as usual….”
13. Never getting sick of tov lehodos
14. Be at the bus pick up on time and then realizing the bus is an hour late
15. Be cool with sleeping on the floor
16. Make black jeans look good as shabbos pants
17 . Tell people you’re a grade older than you actually are
18. Know what NCSY used to stand for
19. Tell people that NCSY stands for “nothing can stop you”
20. During benching, know whether to stand at “Shabbos” or “menucha”
21. Become a vegetarian a week before the shabbaton
22. Send a shabbat-o-gram
23. Rock the bow ties
24. Know when to put your arm over your friend’s shoulder during ebbing
25. Know how to fake the words you don’t know to songs
26. Crowd surf
27. Start the moshpit
28. Not get dizzy by speaking in the circle
29. Know which programs you can ditch at a shabbaton without getting in trouble
30. Remember everyone’s name
31. Be smooth about not remembering a names
32. Refer to people as “Yo”
33. Get scholarships for Shabbatons
34. Not say the same dvar torah as everyone else
35. Not use the word inspire in your dvar torah
36. Have an original inspiring story
37. Say “I was that boy”
38. Make the crowd cry at kumsitz
39. Have the most creative questions about shomer negiah
40. Not fall off your chair when you stand up to get everyone attention
41. Find spots in the hotel/camp grounds where you won’t get caught doing whatever you shouldn’t be doing
42. Keep up with your advsiors
43. Post pictures up on facebook right after the Shabbaton
44. Regret some of you pictures that you posted right after Shabbaton
45. Refrain from texting on Shabbos
46. Daven at the hashkama minyan
47. Bring your own candy
48. Make signs for you chapter
49. Sing your chapter song the loudest
50. Wear advisiors name badges
51. Breakdance
52. Know all the steps to the yidden dance
53. Convince your parents that NCSY is not sketchy
54. Convince your friends that NCSY is cool
55. Know what all the awards means at banquet
55. Be cool with getting the kesser shem tov award
56. Scream when another girl gets an award
57. Know who they’re talking about when they say “This NCSYER…..”
58. Act surprised when you get the NCSYer of the year and shed tears for the picture
59. Be cool about not getting the NCSYer of year award
60. Let NCSY change your life to become the most inspired Jew!
Scored 1-15:
Have you ever attended an NCSY event before? We’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, maybe just a couple… Well now that you’ve been privy to this list, learn a thing or 2 (or 60), go to another shabbaton and do it right! Make beautiful posters for your chapter, learn all the hand motions to kol haolam kulo, (and maybe skip out on some of the sketchier stuff) – it’s sure to be an experience you won’t forget!
Scored 16-45:
You enjoy NCSY events, attend the occasional shabbaton and maybe even hit up a latte and learning every so often. However, you have not yet made NCSY your LIFE and have not learned the ropes to maximize a shabbaton to its fullest. After all, what’s a shabbaton without losing your voice, managing on 3 hours of sleep and sneaking off to do the things advisors know you’re doing, but don’t want you to do?!
Scored 46-60:
Congratulations! You are a true SUPER NCSYer! In fact, your very essence embodies NCSY. To you, NCSY isn’t a youth group, it’s a lifestyle. You probably have never missed a Shabbaton, night activity, or any event since you’ve been involved. You clearly eat, sleep and breath NCSY, and let’s be honest — probably dream about it too.
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