YU Hosts Coed Shabbaton on Beren in Honor of Yom Haatzmaut
YU hosted an Israel-themed shabbaton held on the Beren Campus on May 2-3 which drew about 70 students. Organized by the Office of Student Life (OSL) in partnership with the Office of Torah Studies and Spiritual Life, the shabbaton featured Gabi Sackett, YU Israel Program Director, and his wife Rivke Sackett. Throughout Shabbos there were many opportunities to discuss and celebrate Israel.
Yom Haatzmaut was celebrated on Thursday, May 1 this year, but Shabbos officially marked the fifth day of Iyar, the Hebrew date on which Israel declared independence in 1948. Director of Student Life Jonathan Schwab (YC ‘11) told The Commentator that Shabbos was specifically built around that, with the intention of “continuing our celebration of and discussions around Israel.” The Shabbaton was coed and free to all students.
The Sacketts also spoke at the Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut tekes earlier in the week. OSL staff members have gotten to know Gabi Sackett through working with him and have “been incredibly moved by his story of the last eighteen months of returning to reserve duty,” Schwab told The Commentator. They wanted to share with students both his story and stories from the homefront: the life of the “milu-ima,” shared by Rivke Sackett. Schwab explained that having the Sacketts for Shabbos was an extension of the original plan to have them speak at the tekes.
On April 29, OSL sent an email announcing that Shabbos was free to students. Those who already paid were refunded.
Making the event free “would make it even nicer and emphasize that this is something we strongly believe in,” Schwab told The Commentator. He explained that OSL has an annual budget for Israel-related programming, which last year mostly went to the large rally in Washington. This year, with fewer expenses of that kind, OSL allocated the extra funds for the Shabbaton.
Shabbos on Beren is not typically coed, though it often includes a handful of students from Wilf as “Minyan Men.” This Shabbaton, in contrast, was fully coed.
“This Shabbaton is for talking about Israel, our support for it, planning for aliyah or for the many ways that Israel can and should figure into our students’ lives on campus and beyond,” Schwab told The Commentator. “This is not a single-gender or single-campus topic.”
Shabbos began with Minchah, Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv in the beit midrash. Participants then moved downstairs for dinner in Koch Auditorium, followed by an oneg and aliyah panel. While students ate Rabbi Azriel Fine’s (YC ‘19) cholent as well as other snacks and desserts, the Sacketts answered students’ questions about aliyah and life in Israel.
“[T]hey gave a lot of different information that people are usually afraid to share,” Hayley Goldberg (SCW ‘27) told The Commentator. “People tend to say, ‘Yes, it’s amazing, go for it, everything’s so positive and grand,’ and they made sure to say to us that it’s great and it’s amazing, but it’s not going to be easy.”
“You have to find the right people to support you, and you have to put in the work,” Goldberg said, paraphrasing the Sacketts. “But it will be OK in the end if you want it to be OK in the end. You just have to be willing to work through all the difficulties.”
Shabbos day began with Shacharit services followed by kiddush and Rabbi Avrumi Schonbrun’s (YC ‘19) parsha shiur. Lunch featured catered food from the restaurant Smash House, as well as an opportunity for participants going on Counterpoint Israel, a YU-run Israel volunteer program, to speak with the Sacketts.
“I really appreciated getting to speak with the Sacketts this Shabbos,” Goldberg, who will be volunteering with Counterpoint Israel, told The Commentator. “It was really great getting to know them and getting to meet the people who are going to be on the trip.”
On Shabbos afternoon Eliana Diamond (SCW ‘25) led an improv session and Rebbetzin Michal Schonbrun (SCW ‘19) gave a parsha shiur, followed by Minchah. At seudah shlishit, Rabbi Fine, Diamond and Tiferet Weissman (SCW ‘25) made a siyum on Masechet Makkot, which they finished as part of the Daf Yomi cycle. Sackett then spoke about his experience meeting a homeless Israeli man on the streets of New York and hosting him for a Passover seder years ago. He also spoke about Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron and Yom Haatzmaut, showing that there are hints to these days in the Tanach, with each year having a corresponding pasuk. He refused to share what this year’s pasuk is, saying that it’s not about a determined fate; rather, it’s about being a good person, doing good things and each person creating the year for themself.
“I think it was a great idea to have this shabbaton,” JJ Grayson (SSSB ‘27) told The Commentator. “It was a great way for students who are planning to or thinking about making aliyah to hear all about the pros and cons of making aliyah and getting advice on how to proceed.”
Grayson described the Sacketts as “super helpful in answering all the questions and giving advice to us.” “They’re a really sweet and nice family, very welcoming,” he said.
“It was truly an honor for my family and me to be part of the Israel Shabbaton,” Gabi Sackett told The Commentator. “Shabbos was incredibly meaningful — a time filled with deep connection, inspiring conversations and a shared sense of purpose.”
There is a “vital and unbreakable bond between YU and the Jewish homeland,” he added. “Strengthening this connection is not just important — it’s essential. Shabbos reminded us that YU’s presence in and partnership with Israel is a source of strength, unity and inspiration for our entire community.”
Photo Caption: Celebration in Jerusalem, Israel
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Shalev Cohen
