Shabbaton for DRS students builds relationships

Students received a dose of inspiration and a sense of pride in their religion while having a good time at the Davis Renov Stahler Yeshiva High School’s Shabbaton at Hotel Somerset-Bridgewater on Nov. 7-8. 

“Our sophomores, juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to spend a ruach (spirit)-filled Shabbat together, experiencing creative learning and social opportunities,” said Student Activities Director Rabbi Eli Brazil about the Shabbaton.

Students eagerly boarded the buses early Friday morning, and after dropping their belongings off at the hotel, headed to nearby Colonial Park for the Woodmere-based school’s flag football tournament, a yearly highlight of the Shabbaton. Following the tournament and lunch, students returned back to the hotel to check in and prepare for an inspirational Shabbat.

The theme of this year’s Shabbaton was “focusing on Jewish pride,” and Alan Veingrad was the guest speaker. A former professional football player and member of the Super Bowl XXVII champion Dallas Cowboys. 

Veingrad rediscovered his Jewish roots while playing for the Green Bay Packers, when a local businessman invited him to services on Rosh Hashanah. Shortly afterwards, he retired from football and became a Torah-observant Jew. 

Veingrad inspired students with his story and exemplified the Shabbaton’s theme by discussing the pride he has from his Jewish identity. “My favorite part of the Shabbaton was the keynote speaker, Alan Veingrad, because he helped me appreciate how special my Jewish identity is,” said senior Eli Goldberg. “I really admire him.”

Beautiful prayers kicked off Shabbat, followed by a festive meal. Students and their rabbis then sang together and shared words of Torah. Students heard from a panel of DRS rabbis tackling an array of questions posed by the audience regarding inspiration and Judaism.

At the conclusion of Shabbat, everyone came together to sing inspirational songs and to hear words of motivation from Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky, the school’s principal.

Following Shabbat, a barbecue dinner was held, followed by lively singing and dancing. The senior video was shown, and ping pong, trivia and video game tournaments were held.

The Shabbaton also gave students an opportunity to build relationships with both their peers and teachers.

“The Shabbaton was a fantastic way to bond with classmates, interact with teachers and further connect with Judaism,” said sophomore Justin Weiss. 

Rabbi Eliyahu Wolf, a veteran teacher, agreed it was a great way to foster relationships with students.

“The Shabbaton was a very enjoyable experience and a great way to connect with students,” he said.