CTeen Shabbaton
CTeen ShabbatonIsrael news photo: Bentzi Sasson

Chabad held its International CTeen Shabbaton in Crown Heights this past weekend. The Shabbaton was attended by 420 teens and shluchim from 54 communities, from Las Vegas to Vienna. The highly successful Shabbaton combined trips, icebreakers, discussions and speakers.

The Shabbaton featured Shlomo (Alan) Veingrad’s story from “Super Bowl to Super Jew.” Veingrad accompanied teens throughout the Shabbaton, sat at their tables during meals, chatted in Times Square, and posed with them on a festive boat ride circling the Hudson.

Aside from a thrilling trip to all of NYC’s most thrilling attractions, the weekend was enhanced by a thought-provoking talk by Shimona Tzukernik a tour of a mikveh (ritual bath) by Dina Rosenfeld, and a “Stump the Rabbi” session. The teens also enjoyed a trip to the Ohel, 770 library, and the Rebbe’sand made many other classic Crown Heights stops along the way.

Despite the success of the Shabbaton, CTeen believes that more is needed, as was reflected by CTeen Chairman Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky’s address to the teens at their Sunday afternoon banquet.

“You must demand more programs, more classes, and more shabbatons from your rabbis and rebbetzins,” urged Rabbi Kotlarsky. Heeding to Rabbi Kotlarsky’s call, a teen group from Orlando is already begging for a CTeen summer camp.