Finding their Derech

This past August, on Tisha B’Av, the voices of the 26 participants on NCSY Summer’s new program, Derech (Hebrew for “path”), mixed with those of other visitors at the Kotel (Western Wall) to create an impromptu choir.

The intensity and beauty of the group’s singing was unexpected for Josh Miller, a junior at Ida Crown Jewish Academy. This summer was his first time on an NCSY summer program, and his first time in Israel. NCSY connects teens with Judaism, the Torah, and Israel through social and recreational programs.

Miller serves on the Midwest NCSY Regional Board and on the Chicago Chapter Board. “Experiencing the land while learning its history was inspiring,” he said. “The Torah learning was also incredible. We learned and had trips every day.”

Derech, a five-week trip for North American high school boys, filled a gap in NCSY’s range of summer programs. “It’s a big decision, which summer program [to] go on, and I know I chose the right one,” Miller said. “I didn’t know anyone that first day at the airport. On the last day, guys were crying on each other’s shoulders. We knew we wanted to keep these relationships.”

Some participants were inspired to write their own song. “A couple of kids used some of their time in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) to find a recording studio,” Miller said. “That last Shabbos, we sang it all day long, and on the last day, we sang it at the airport as we said our goodbyes.”

Before heading home, Miller and the other participants discussed integrating their experiences into their everyday lives. “Coming back from the program, I have a fire lit in me for learning more Torah,” he said. “I want to take time out of my day to learn.”

For the full list of the 21 NCSY Summer programs, visit summer.ncsy.org. Pre-registration is open for NCSY Summer 2025 programs at summer.ncsy.org/prereg2025. NCSY is a division of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.

Ilana Weinberger is the Assistant Director of Public Relations for the Orthodox Union.