CTeen Shabbaton Extended Due to Snowstorm

Over the weekend, 4,500 Jewish teens from various places like Australia, Slovakia, Singapore, Brazil, France, and Los Angeles gathered in Brooklyn for inspiration and learning through the Chabad movement. However, a snowstorm unexpectedly altered their travel plans, shutting down airports and restricting road access, forcing everyone to stay longer than anticipated.

Some of the teens, who had never experienced snow before, engaged in playful snowball fights outside the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway. Additionally, groups formed to see who could shovel the most snow from the sidewalks and streets of Crown Heights.

With two feet of snow blanketing New York City, local Lubavitchers who welcomed the teens into their homes extended their hospitality, and arrangements for thousands of additional meals were made to accommodate around 2,000 teens who found themselves stranded. They took turns dining at a nearby girls’ school, Beth Rybka.

Incredibly, many of the teens managed to leave just before the airport shut down completely.

This gathering was part of the 18th CTeen Shabbaton, which started with a mere 18 participants in Rabbi Mendy Kotralski’s parents’ living room, as he noted during an interview. CTeen, with programs running globally throughout the year, saw the unforeseen extension add about $500,000 in expenses to the already planned $4 million event.

The event, originally set from Thursday to Sunday night, had to stretch to a full week due to the storm. “It became a complete seclusion experience,” Rabbi Kotralski remarked.

To manage the unplanned costs, Kotralski mentioned they reach out to their donors for support. He is involved in multiple roles within the Chabad central office and also hosts a major annual event in Crown Heights that attracts numerous participants.

Part of CTeen’s program featured performances by Israeli musicians, with Jewish teens singing and dancing in Times Square following Shabbat on Saturday night.

The festivities culminated at Nassau Coliseum, where over 100 buses transported attendees to a gathering that drew 8,000 people, including many local residents.

This year, some teens were recognized for overcoming challenges, including those from Sydney who experienced the Bondi Beach Hanukkah attacks. CTeen spokesperson Avi Weiner highlighted the emphasis on those who faced adversity without losing their identity.

Among the teens temporarily stranded was Jackson Ignerzi, a 15-year-old from Port St. Lucie, Florida. At his public high school, he is one of only four Jewish students, which can often feel isolating. He recounted experiences of anti-Semitism he’s faced, including a hostile encounter during a parade where he and friends played music by Jewish rapper Nissim Black.

Similarly, 15-year-old Dina Cohen from Sydney noted that while her school community is growing, she often feels alone in her faith. She expressed how deeply impacted she was by the anti-Semitic attack at Bondi Beach Park last year during Hanukkah, which resulted in numerous casualties. “The Jewish community feels very small in Australia,” she reflected on a snowy day at the Jewish Children’s Museum.

Cohen realized the harsh reality of anti-Semitism after the incident. “Coming here to the CTeen Shabbaton showed me that there are so many of us,” she shared. “They taught me such strength and how to deal with this hate. It really helps me get stronger.”