Education

Shabbaton Outline: Adversity

This Shabbaton explores the Torah's approach to growing through adversity.

For more information about how to run this Shabbaton, please contact Rabbi Phil Karesh of Midwest NCSY.

Theme: Adversity

NCSYers will learn the Torah approach to growing from adversity. Teens will consider different types of situations where we encounter adversity in life, and how we can deal with each type of situation.

Discussion / Learning Session:
The Silver Lining of Advsersity

Teens will learn the Torah's approach to growing from adversity. Includes a magazine with thought-provoking Torah sources and quotes.

Round Robin (Shabbos Afternoon):

Choose 6 advisors and split them into 3 pairs. Each pair of advisors will run a 15-minute activity with a group of teens. Then the teens (or advisors) with switch for the next timeslot.

(1) PUZZLE: Teens are given pieces to a puzzle. (We used the Midwest NCSY logo.) Everyone will be blindfolded.

  • While they are blindfolded, ask them what challenge they are experiencing now.
  • Ask them to think about 3-4 areas in which those who are blind struggle because of their adversity.
  • Then, hand out the puzzle pieces.
  • Select one person to then take off their blindfold. This one NCSYer will guide the process of building the puzzle, with the overarching guidance of the advisors. They may need help.
  • Once completed, all teens should take off their blindfolds and you can close with the following message: The fact that people have adversity doesn't mean their life is over. It means that they have challenges that will make them still stronger.
(2) WORDS: Prepare a poster board with velcro tabs, along with words that have velcro on the back. There should be 3 sentences worth of words, with each word printed on its own card.
  • Share a personal story of adversity.
  • Then, hand out one word to each NCSYer in the group.
  • Have the teens come up with the most creative sentence possible about adversity with the words they have available to them. (Consider giving a reward for the most creative sentence.)
  • When they are done, keep their poster board.

Sample sentences to cut into cards:

  • This weekend, we learned the Torah’s approach to dealing with adversity.
  • Adversity introduces a man to himself.
  • I am not what happened to me; I am what I chose to become.

(3) TENNIS: This is a team-building exercise where there is a small ring with many strings attached to it. The goal is for everyone to hold onto a string and, as a team, while balancing the tennis ball on the ring, to raise a tennis ball from the floor to as high as they can. It takes time and is a LOT of fun.

  • Before you start, ask them about the challenge of working as a team.
  • Ask them about the adversity that people feel when they are excluded.
  • Intentionally make them drop the ball once they start to show them how one person excluded from the community can ruin the goals of the community, etc.