Nfty Experience Analysis

The time I realized I was apart of something bigger than my self was when I went to nfty* summer kallah in 2015. “If you where to ask any person at random what is nfty they would most likely respond with “ nifty, adjective particularly good, skillful, or effective”. If you where to ask someone Jewish they might reply “it’s a youth group” but, if you where to ask someone actively involved in nfty they would all have a different answer because the nfty experience has a different definition to every member. To me nfty started when I was a freshman just like everyone else, but I didn’t get the “life changing experience” everyone talked about until I was a sophomore going to my third event. It had always been a fun weekend-long event for me to go to, I got to meet new Jewish teens and be back at my favorite place on earth… CAMP! At nfty events we stay at camp for a few days out of the year We learn about social action, leadership, tecout olam, and more about our selves. We also have socials to see our friends and do tons of activities. At the end of summer kallah we gather around in a circle to sing our good-bye songs.

As we looked all over camp for her I started to think about nfty and how the program has brought us together. It was only my third event so I had only met this girl three times and I consider her my best friend. She was a person I talk to every day when I’m at home and even though she lives hours away we still are very involved in each other’s life. Nfty does that to people; most people at events don’t come for the decent food or, the hard as rock beds, or the little to nothing vanity space. The come for the friendships and the feeling of helping others and to find who they truly are. People at nfty are different then people at home, we all have one thing in common, were Jewish. And that’s not a very common thing for most of us at