To’ameha: A Taste of Shabbos, a Taste of Yiddishkeit

It's the air.

Not just the crisp mountain air of the Catskill mountains, where tens of thousands of Jewish families spend the summer, but also the air of adventure and anticipation.

The place? Tamarack - An Upstate New York bungalow colony

The event? A Mentors Mission Shabbaton, hosted by super-hosts Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Wolfson, and co-host Rabbi and Mrs. Meir Kaplowitz.

Everything is fresher in the country. The scent of just-cut grass, the aroma of fresh potato kugel, the feel of leather straps against forearms bearing tefillin for the very first time. Ahhh!

Twenty-five secular college students delighted in the country's freshness this summer, when they participated in the Mentors Mission Upstate Shabbaton Retreat. It began on Thursday night, at the New City home of Mr. and Mrs. Mordichai Heineman. Mr. Heineman co-hosted the event, along with his father in law, our very own super-mentor Mr. and Mrs. Shalom Parnes. The program featured a magnificent barbecue and backyard swimming, and was a fantastic kick-off for what proved to be an amazing Shabbaton.

On Friday morning, the group awakened to Shacharis, followed by a scrumptious breakfast. Some of the students put on Tefillin for the first time! The morning continued with a mind-opening shiur by Rabbi Yitzchok Greenblatt, that gave some of the mentees their very first taste of Torah.

The group spent an adventurous afternoon kayaking down the Delaware River, and came home famished and ready for Rabbi Meir Kaplowitz’s famous erev Shabbos “To’ameha." Literally defined as “a taste of Shabbos food,” Rabbi Kaplowitz took it to a whole new level. He welcomed everyone onto his porch, where he fired up the grill and served up a feast.

The group was honored to be joined on Friday by Ohr Somayach executive board member Mr. George Karasick and his grandson, and our super-mentor Rabbi Zecharia Fruchthandler, who arrived from bungalow colonies nearby.

Last year, the Tamarack bungalow colony hosted the Friday afternoon barbecue. This year, they greeted us like long-lost family, and literally opened their homes and hearts, hosting the students for meals and sleeping.

For the students, being part of a Shabbos meal was an other-worldly experience. Sitting around a candle-lit table, hearing Kiddush, and watching the adults and children sing zemiros together, left them incredulous. For the families, it was amazing to see the beauty of Shabbos through the eyes of a newcomer.

After the meal, the guests gathered for an Oneg, hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Aron Wolfson. Mr. Wolfson, son of the great Rabbi Avrohom Wolfson, and grandson of the world-renowned Mr. Zev Wolfson, comes from a family that has kindness and giving in their DNA. As a member of the Tamarack summer community, he not only hosted the Shabbaton. He and his wife took the lead in organizing the entire weekend!

They found hosts, arranged meals, and secured locations for davening and learning sessions. The Wolfsons even personally delivered beautifully wrapped freshly baked sourdough challahs from the new bakery, Krustik!

Shabbos afternoon found the students schmoozing with Ohr Somayach rabbanim. As Shabbos waned, the mentors were treated to a beautiful shalosh seudos, with an inspiring talk by Dr. Chaim Neuhoff. Then, it was onto Mrs. Wolfson’s porch for havdalah and dancing, and a pizza party melave malka, hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Nochum Wolf. The Shabbaton concluded with a delectable backyard BBQ banquet at the home of R David Merkin in Passaic, where we were joined by R David Markowitz from Olami, PTI Rosh Yeshiva and local Ohr Samayach alumni.We greatly appreciate the efforts of R Shmuel Brodsky from PTI who helped organize this fantastic closing event!

Mr. Abie Zlotnick, sitting nearby, immediately piped up, “I get this mitzvah!” In less than a minute, he pulled out his checkbook, and presented him with a blank check, for, in his words, “whatever it costs, including shipping.”

Mr. Zlotnick was not the only one to jump at the chance to be part of Ohr Somayach’s work. Throughout the Shabbaton, hosts and members of the bungalow colony kept telling the organizers how much it meant to them to be part of the Mentors Mission.

Of course, the main beneficiaries of the Summer Mentors Mission were the mentees, who got a “to’ameha” – a taste of real Jewish life. Many are already reaching out for more of the “full course” of Yiddishkeit, and are scheduling learning sessions, joining mentors for Shabbos, and taking on mitzvos.

Special thanks to Mr. Danny Lemberg. Although he likes to stay behind the scenes - this and everything else - couldn't - and wouldn't - happen without his guidance and leadership.

Thank you to the Tamarack colony for hosting us so graciously, and for showcasing to our students a model frum community, that exemplifies what it means to live an uplifting Torah life in today's day and age.