After an incredibly frustrating three-year pause, the Grade 9 Shabbaton took place again this year at the most picturesque ‘Nekkies Lake Chalet Resort’ just outside Worcester.  The pupils were extremely excited about an ‘Ice-Skating’ outing en route to the resort – is there any better way to break the ice?

Once on site, the Grade 9s settled into their rooms and began preparing for Shabbat.  We had a pre-Shabbat sing-along with guitars and ‘gees’ to get the Shabbat spirit flowing through our systems and then had a vibrant and engaging Friday night shul service.  A fun trigger led to a discussion around respect and acknowledgement after dinner. 

Shabbat morning kicked off with a delicious breakfast that filled our bodies with sustenance.  Our souls were then nourished by the tuneful ‘Musaf’ service and a fascinating Q & A session with the highly erudite Rabbi Sam.  A hike up the mountain, a relationship round robin, some afternoon touch rugby and bonding with friends were some other highlights of the day.  A really in-depth look at the factors that cause bullying was Saturday night’s programme. 

These are just some of the reflections from the Grade 9s:

• ‘Shabbaton brought us closer to people in our grade we did not really know and opened us up to our unexplored connection to Judaism….it was the experience of a lifetime!’ 
• ‘We learnt about the beauty of Shabbat and grew a lot’
• ‘It was a 10/10 and I miss it already!’