The days surrounding Shabbos—Friday and Sunday—were packed with outdoor sports and recreational activities. Softball, basketball, pickleball, and tennis topped the list, while the lake and heated pool also saw enthusiastic use. Talmidim were well cared for, enjoying delicious meals provided by Camp Romimu, along with snack boxes for each bunk and hundreds of bottles of water generously supplied by the MAY Student Government.
On Erev Shabbos, the 12th grade led a heartfelt kumzits. Before Kabbolas Shabbos, the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, set the tone with a heartfelt address highlighting the koach of Shabbos. He encouraged the talmidim to open both their minds and hearts to the spiritual opportunities the Shabbaton had to offer. A spirited Kabbolas Shabbos, filled with passionate singing and dancing, beautifully ushered in a truly memorable Shabbos.
The Mesivta was honored to welcome back renowned speaker, Rabbi Benzion Klatzko as the guest speaker. Rabbi Klatzko spoke several times over the course of Shabbos, inspiring the talmidim with his incredible experiences, trademark warmth, positivity, and insightful messages of growth and personal development.
In keeping with MAY tradition, Shabbos kibbudim were auctioned off in exchange for hours of voluntary learning throughout the extended weekend. This meaningful program, dedicated l’ilui nishmas Immanuel Warshawsky, A”H, an esteemed alumnus of the Yeshiva. Over 300 hours of independent learning was committed to being learnt in his zechus. The tremendous amount of both formal and informal Torah study was a powerful reflection of the talmidim’s growth this z’man.
This year, the Mesivta introduced several incentive programs, greatly enhancing the davening, learning and overall ruach on the Shabbaton. These programs culminated in a raffle of over a thousand dollars in prizes on Motzei Shabbos at the lively Melave Malka BBQ, which followed the annual varsity vs. junior varsity softball game.
Mesivta Ateres Yaakov extends its sincere gratitude to Rabbi Shlomo Drebin for organizing the Shabbaton, and to Rabbi Shlomo Pfeiffer and Camp Romimu for once again graciously hosting this unforgettable experience.