From September 4-7, the 11th grade class embarked on a weekend trip to Seneca Lake Camp for a Shabbaton aimed at strengthening the bond between students, deepening their connection to Judaism, and building lasting memories with their friends and classmates. To better understand what the Shabbaton meant to students, we spoke with 11th grade students Shira Sager and Rafa Chaberman, as well as with Scheck Hillel’s student life director, Arieh Bentolila, who was in charge of planning the getaway.

For Shira Sager, the most powerful moments were the ones that brought the grade together in song. “When we were all together as a grade in the gazebo singing songs and playing guitar, I felt our grade got closer in that moment,” she explained. Sager also highlighted the lip sync battle as a memory she will always carry with her, as it combined laughter with bonding opportunities. When asked what she would add to next year’s Shabbaton, she suggested more structured activities on Shabbat afternoon. ‘We had a lot of free time on Saturday, and if we did more activities as a grade, it would’ve made it more meaningful,” she said.

For Rafa Chaberman, the Shabbaton was significant due to the fact that it combined fun times with friends and deepened his connection to Judaism. He especially enjoyed using the camp’s sports facilities. “My favorite part of the Shabbaton was the free time, where I got to play sports with my friends. I got to play some fun tennis games, and it was a great time to bond with everyone,” he said. However, it wasn’t just about sports for Chaberman; he found the Shabbaton meaningful on a religious level as well. He explains how keeping Shabbat at camp allowed him to disconnect and connect more deeply to Judaism. “At home, I normally don’t keep it [Shabbat], but it felt good to actually keep it, especially at a Jewish camp surrounded by Jewish people,” he said.

For Arieh Bentolila, the heart of the Shabbaton was in the name he gave it–“Chazak.” The Hebrew word comes from chazaka, which means “strength”, and chizuk, which means “reinforcement”. After the 10th grade Israel trip, Bentolila set out to ensure that the lessons learned throughout the experience were reinforced. He said that this reinforcement could be achieved through Shabbat. Bentolila explained that the main goal of the Shabbaton was to celebrate Shabbat together and grow more with the knowledge they had already obtained on the trip to Israel. He added that he felt as though that goal was achieved. Furthermore, Bentolila enjoyed the experience of being able to bring his own family to Camp Seneca. Sharing Shabbat as both a dad and the student life director was something very special to him. He enjoyed the interactions between both his biological children and the Scheck Hillel students, whom he refers to as his “other children”. The 11th grade students took great care of his children, and he felt that both groups learned from each other. For Arieh Bentolila, the Shabbaton was not just a school trip. It was a chance to see his students and his family come together and an opportunity to strengthen the Scheck Hillel community.

Overall, the 11th grade Shabbaton at Camp Seneca provided both students and staff with the opportunity to step away from their daily routines and connect in a deeper, more meaningful way–not only with each other, but also with Judaism. Whether it was through sports, singing, or laughing, this weekend created lasting memories that strengthened students’ connection with each other and built a strong sense of community. As Shira Sager, Rafa Chaberman, and Arieh Bentolila shared, the trip was more than just a getaway; it was an experience that concluded a more tight-knit grade that was inspired to carry forward the bonds they had created.