In a Heavenly three-pointer, some precious souls in Auburn, Alabama were now that much more connected to their heritage
The campers’ enthusiastic cheering impressed the athletes and their coach, who was overcome at the sight of yarmulke-and-tzitzis-clad campers exuberantly supporting his team. After the game, Coach Pearl expressed his appreciation in a court-side speech, and half-seriously invited the NCSY Kollel teens to visit him in Alabama whenever they wished. Last week, NCSY participants, in partnership with Athletes For Israel, took him up on the offer, traveling to Alabama and hosting a full-throttle shabbaton and tournament, complete with stirring Shabbos tefillos and festive seudos. Present at the shabbaton were the 20 members of the college’s Hillel, most of whom have never seen, let alone met, committed, religious Jews before.
After Havdalah, the group of Jewish students returned to their classrooms and regular routines, but many of them had to shift their schedules slightly, to make time for the weekly chavrusa session they’d committed to have.
It took some time and plenty of travel, but in a Heavenly three-pointer, some precious souls in Auburn, Alabama were now that much more connected to their heritage and our nation’s shared destiny.
(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 936)
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