I read the email about the upcoming Lechu V’Nelcha Shabbaton, in the USA, and I was brought back to my own days at Lechu V’Nelcha. Those two wonderful years of growth, of joy, of connection. How my heart fondly recalls those days, how I miss them!

With longing I recall our Monday nights, those hours spent together learning, schmoozing, growing. And I remember those weeks leading up to the Shabbatons, when Rebbetzin Fink and the group of volunteers were busy preparing. How they spent days and days on it. How they sat late into the night with their notebooks and their computers and their phones, calculating, planning, pondering. Everything should be good, everything should work out well, only the best for the Lechu V’Nelcha girls. All without earning a penny from it in return!

And the spirit! How it was all done with such comradeship, such joy! Everyone just wanted to help, just wanted to contribute, because they were working not for themselves, but for the benefit of the daughters of Klal Yisrael.

Everyone knows a Shabbaton costs a lot of money to arrange. Especially one of the level of a Lechu V’Nelcha Shabbaton, with its top-caliber speakers and programs, and beautiful hotels and meals and service. It could be a nice money maker too- but Lechu V’Nelcha doesn’t charge a cent more than their costs. (In fact, they usually come out with a deficit, which then needs to be covered by donations.)

To be honest, I was quite frugal as a girl (marriage has loosened me up a bit!) and I rarely spent money on myself. Yet for Lechu V’Nelcha I was always happy to spend (besides for everything we got free of charge!). The Shabbatons, the retreats. I always felt I gained a thousand times what I spent-actually, what I gained was priceless.

Yes, I’m now married, and I live in Eretz Yisrael, and I have a bunch of kids ka”h, yet never have I regretted what I spent as a girl when I was part of Lechu V’Nelcha. In fact, I sometimes think if I would have a million dollars in my bank, I would donate it to Lechu V’Nelcha in gratitude! I think of it as one of the few remaining spots of purity in this world.

So, dear reader, I would urge you to sign up for this upcoming Shabbaton. Do it for yourself, do it for your future husband iy”h, do it for your future children iy”h. You’ll be happy you did.

Lechu V’Nelcha is not a mosad, it’s not a name. It’s not a money making business-it’s just a pocket of kedushah, of friendship, run with the pure motive of caring for our girls and being mekadesh Shem Shamayim.

Actually, I’m a little bit jealous of you-I wouldn’t mind joining too!