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Extraordinary Journey: How Rivky Potestio and Her Family Found Judaism and NCSY

Over a decade ago, Rivky Potestio and her family began their extraordinary journey from being deeply involved in a small Spanish-speaking church, where her father served as pastor, toward conversion to Orthodox Judaism. But for Rivky, the transition was socially and academically difficult. “None of my new classmates had ever encountered anyone with my kind of background, and I don’t think they knew how to relate,” she explains.

NCSY became a safe place in which Rivky could grow and thrive in her Judaism without the pressure. “NCSY not only helped me become more comfortable with myself, but now I’m confident and proud to tell people I’m Jewish,” Rivky says.

The following year, Rivky went on NCSY’s GIVE program, which immerses teen girls in volunteer experiences that give back to the people and land of Israel. “Participating on GIVE helped grow my appreciation for Judaism and NCSY, and it cemented my decision to apply for president of the board for my senior year,” said Rivky. It’s a position she won handily and at which she excelled.

Rivky Potestio

Michlelet

Next Step: Israel Internships

Rescue Israel

ReSurf Israel

TheAnneSamson

Jerusalem Journey (TJJ)

TheAnneSamson

Jerusalem Journey Ambassadors

TheAnneSamson

Jerusalem Journey Ambassadors Poland

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NCSYReliefMissions

Torah Learning Convention for Public School Teens Connecting NCSY Alumni

HundredsofpublicschoolteensfromacrossNorthAmerica gather for five days of intense Judaic study at the National Yarchei Kallah retreat These students dedicate time from their winter break to study Torah and Jewish values.

Social Action Missions

Whether responding to natural disasters, delivering food to the poor, or running local toy drives, NCSY’s social action missions enable students to give back to their local and global communities

NCSYAlumniConnectionssupportsstudents’transition from high school to the next stage of their Jewish journey. Whether taking a gap year in Israel or going straight to college, NCSY alumni programming helps students remain connected to their Judaism

JSU Ingrains Jewish Identity

NCSYruns275JewishStudentUnion(JSU)clubsat public high schools across the United States and Canada, strengthening students’ Jewish identity and connection to the Jewish people

Inspirational Shabbatonim

TeensfromacrosstheJewishspectrumcome together for NCSY Shabbaton weekends For many teens, these retreats are their first Shabbat experience. Others come from Orthodox homes and are eager to share their knowledge with their peers Participants leave Shabbatonim with Jewish pride, empowerment, new social connections, and a sense of Jewish unity.

Public School Summer Trips

The Anne Samson Jerusalem Journey (TJJ) enables public school students to explore Israel while learning about their Jewish heritage While in Israel, unaffiliated Jewish teens discover an array of communities and traditions, broadening and enriching their Jewish id

96%

Percentage of teens who returned for a second Shabbaton

Benefiting Communities through JUMP

NCSY’sJUMP(JewishUnityMentoringProgram)isa four-month leadership experience in which teens compete to develop social entrepreneurship projects to benefit their communities The teams then present their program to a panel of judges and receive mentoring feedback.

Biking for Scholarships

- Netanya Stein, 2011 TJJ participant and 2018 TJJ advisor

BikeNCSYisayearlybiketourthataimstoraise scholarship money for NCSY students. This year Bike NCSY gathered 130 riders from across the country to help NCSY teens spend a gap year in Israel