Nominated and written by an Anonymous Intern
Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, also known as the style consultant for NCSY, can be recognized as the Education Director for NCSY. I had the opportunity to meet Dovid as his intern for the past two summers. It’s strange to think how lucky I was to be able to intern for someone so invested in the personal development and growth of teenagers around the world. Dovid spends most of his day learning Torah and deciphering the best way to convey it to teenagers so they develop a love of Torah and a desire to strive to know more Torah.
The coolest part about interning for the education department was the opportunity it granted me to develop my Torah learning and to grow my skills and breadth of knowledge. From the first day in the office, Dovid invested his time in educating me how to properly educate others, and ensuring my personal growth. He consistently sent me material, and pushed me to expand my Torah learning. I vividly remember a day in the office he sent me a few articles in Hebrew written by Rav Hutner and asked me to read, understand, and write a piece on them so others could learn it on their own. I had never learned in such a way, and I did not think I would be able to do it, but with Dovid’s push, help, and belief in me, I spent several hours and finally cracked the meaning of the text. When I presented my work to Dovid, he imbued in me such a feeling of accomplishment and confidence that could not be matched by any other accomplishment. In short, he allowed me to push my potential to the fullest and accomplish.
Dovid’s guidance was not confined to the four walls of his office or the six weeks of the summer. He kept in contact with me, constantly invested in my growth and professional development. When going through a personal struggle, he guided and advised me.
Dovid has inspired me to never shortchange myself in my Torah learning and Jewish education. He has helped me believe in myself and showed me what being a mentor for someone really means. Combined with his unbeatable knowledge of music, Dovid is one that I know will continue to push the limits in inspiring and educating the Jewish future.
