Freshman year is a time when students learn how to deal with new classes, teachers and friends. At the start of the school year, the freshman shabbaton offers an out-of-school experience for students in the grade to bond with each other. Shabbatons are grade-wide overnight trips offered each year of high school where students spend a Shabbat together at a camp. The freshmen had their shabbaton from Sept. 12 to 13.
The freshmen started their day by bowling at Pinstripes on Friday morning after ZK, where they bowled in small groups and had the opportunity to socialize. Then, they drove up to Capital Camps in Pennsylvania, where they stayed through Shabbat. Friday night, students engaged in prayers and songs, followed by free time.
“When we have the shabbaton, that’s one really intense moment where everyone can be together,” High School Jewish Life Chair Robbie Shorr said. “And I think doing it away from school does create the vibe shift because it’s a different mindset, and that just really contributes to being something really unique and memorable.”
On Saturday morning, students were offered a variety of prayer options, and then had the choice between different electives, such as yoga or a nature hike. The freshmen were also given free time to interact with each other before being put into discussion groups where they connected with the shabbaton’s theme, a community of individuals. According to Shorr, the theme’s purpose is to highlight how communities are made up of diverse people who have their own values and beliefs, but come together despite their differences.
“I thought it was really meaningful, the theme of focusing on yourself, because it betters the community,” freshman Keren BenEzra said.
In order to make sure that the shabbaton is well organized and a fun experience, Shorr spends many hours planning out the weekend’s details. This ranges from recruiting senior counselors and student leaders for teffilot, to making sure that the meals properly account for the number of vegetarians in the grade.
This shabbaton was particularly challenging to plan, as the ninth grade has 99 students, with nearly 40 new students from other middle schools. As a result, the shabbaton happened earlier than it had in past years to make sure the grade can bond from the start.
Shorr said that the shabbaton includes a mix of different kinds of activities, some in smaller groups, and some as a grade. The goal is to make sure there is plenty of community time, but also opportunities for students to step up and take leadership roles, such as helping lead during tefillah.
“Everyone is together, and not just together physically, but mentally, for two straight days doing different activities,” Shorr said. “I think to really create a community feeling for a ninth grade that we’re trying to meld into something for the first time, is really, especially impactful.”
According to Shorr, the shabbaton is a way for students to make new friends, specifically with new people. Some students wouldn’t have this opportunity during a normal school day, where the people in your classes or extracurriculars determine who students are talking to.
“It’s kind of crazy to throw everyone into it, but that’s kind of the point,” Shorr said. “This is the time to bond.”
The freshman shabbaton is also an experience for seniors. Every year, students from the senior class sign up to be counselors for the freshmen. This allows seniors to pass along what they have learned from their shabbatonim to the youngest grade.
Senior Malka Lederman was one of the counselors this year, and she especially enjoyed passing along the grade Nigun, a wordless song taught to the freshmen.
“I really loved me Z’mirot right after dinner on Friday night,” Lederman said. “At first we were all sitting at the tables we ate at, but then everyone started getting up and we stood in a giant circle, singing Z’mirot, and then we sang the grade Nigun. … There was just a lot of singing, and being together was really meaningful.”
Lederman’s responsibilities included making sure students were where they were supposed to be, helping people participate and encouraging inclusion in the activities. To prepare, Lederman and the other counselors attended a meeting before the shabbaton where they were taught about what their roles were going to be. Counselors on the shabbaton hold the responsibility of helping students after curfew during bunk time. Lederman faced some unexpected challenges, such as her bunk overheating.
The freshman shabbaton is an opportunity for students to engage in pluralism, celebrating Shabbat together while also upholding everyone’s traditions. Through this, students, teachers and counselors come together to grow deep connections and make memories.
“Not everyone at JDS keeps [shabbat] the same way, and some people might not keep it at all,” Lederman said. “ But on the shabbaton, everyone keeps it the same way, and everyone’s doing it together as a grade.”
