Written by Jospeh Elbaz

Yesterday at Valley Torah, the ALIVE program set up a lunch for all ALIVE members to commemorate us on our hard work, and lead us into a summer of success and strength in all forms. Students got to enjoy a barbeque lunch made by students and rebbeim and commemorate all the memories they made over the school year in the ALIVE program. The lunch was not only a good experience, but a motivation to continue the ALIVE program throughout the summer, which could prove to be a challenging thing. Yet, it seems like everyone is sticking with it, and after asking a couple of students myself, the program seems to be just as full as it was this previous year. And after asking the program leaders, the trips will not go down in fun and Kidush Hashem, but only get better in an attempt to make more memories and keep the fire going that the rebeim and program advocates started. 

In summary, the ALIVE program was an amazing experience for students and staff alike, and without the work of key figures such as Rabbi Semmel, Mr. Jonathan Arashben, Rabbi Majeski, and many other collaborators, nothing could have been possible. This lunch was the sort of summary or conclusion to the entire program, which will not be ending this year, but will be continuing for many years with Hashem’s will. While we probably won’t be going to Florida again, I anticipate that the trip will be even better than the amazing trip that preceded it.