CTeen Edmonton delegation had a trip to remember!

By Regan Lipes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

(AJNews) – Each year Crown Heights is descended upon by thousands of Jewish teens from around the globe!  For Edmonton Jewish youths grades 9 through 12, it is practically a rite of passage to participate in this memorable, and deeply meaningful identity building experience. Chabad Lubavitch of Edmonton consistently sends an impressive delegation, and 2025 was no exception. Along with four thousand other Jewish teens, Edmonton’s representation of eight showed their pride in New York along with Rabbi Ari Drelich and his daughter Miriam.

It was a late flight out of Edmonton, but staying up was no problem for the young people: for parents it was another story. Armed with backpacks full of kosher snacks, the teens congregated at the Edmonton International Airport for their red-eye flight to Toronto and an early morning connection on to New York. Pausing for a moment to take a group picture, they bid farewell to their sleepy parents, knowing they were excited but having zero clue that they were about to undertake the adventure of a lifetime.

Awaiting a boarding call for their connection to New York, Rabbi Drelich led the young men to put on tefillin in the waiting area; a picture was then forwarded to the parents’ WhatsApp group to be enjoyed over morning coffee. Touching down to their destination early Thursday morning, the group had almost two days to explore Crown Heights before sharing a unifying Shabbat with over four thousand eager young people just like themselves.

The program set up by Chabad organizers was robust with many engaging activity choices to keep attendees busy. Some groups went on excursions to popular tourist sites, while the Edmonton crew wanted to take advantage of their time in Crown Heights. With Rabbi Drelich as their guide, they visited a Sofer and learned about the spiritual art of being a scribe. They were able to hear about all the dedication and skill that goes into the preparation of a Torah scroll; perhaps one of the young men among them was inspired to see himself training for such a position in the future. With Pesach right around the corner, a visit to a bakery to see how shmura matzoh is prepared seemed timely. The kids even got to see the delicate process in action. Also, among the stops made was a kosher liquor store, not for shopping obviously, but to learn about what goes into kosher alcohol production.

This left the teens with a bit of time to shop along Kingston Avenue before meeting up with other CTeens groups to formally kick off the occasion at the Armory. Our son was tasked with buying me a new challah cover, and with so many Judaica shops, he was able to select the loveliest one.

For the teenagers, being the night-owls that they are, sleep seemed like an impossibility with so much to discuss, but the minimal shuteye from the previous night, and a jam-packed Friday schedule awaiting ensured that heads hit the pillows fast. Amidst all the activity the teenage tummies were lovingly stuffed with plenty of kosher goodies and wholesome foods. Groups then selected from one of eleven options for daytime exploration. Some visited the Empire State Building in Manhattan, others boarded double-decker buses for sightseeing tours, with many opting to take in New York’s landmarks from a boat cruise. The Edmonton crowd chose to visit the Rebbe’s Ohel (resting place) followed by the Ferox Ninja Park.

Before entering the Rebbe’s Ohel, the teens learned about the customs of visiting this holy site. They were given pieces of paper to write their prayers on, and some, like our son, also carried with them letters they brought on behalf of family members. Those with leather shoes swapped out their cool kicks for rubber crocs, and those wearing tsitsiyot tucked them into their pockets. Candles were lit and then women and men split up to enter the Ohel from separate entrances. As custom dictates, each teen knocked respectfully on the door before entering the Ohel, and everyone quietly read the prayers they had written before tearing the paper into separate pieces. Each visitor humbly prayed at the Rebbe resting place that he should intercede on their behalf to Hashem.

With their souls refreshed and uplifted from their visit to the Rebbe’s Ohel, the Edmonton delegation joined other groups of CTeens participants for some trampoline fun, ziplining, and ninja obstacle courses.  According to the photo documentation provided on the parents’ WhatsApp chat, kids were left breathless and speechless sporting smiles that spoke volumes.

Returning to Crown Heights, greeted by more food in anticipation of Shabbat, everyone put on their Shabbos-best and made their way to 770. Groups were able to enter and have quiet moments of prayer and reflection in the Rebbe’s study among shelves full of his books and papers. In the great tradition of Jewish debate, teens split into pairs to get a taste of Yeshiva-style discussion with differing opinions and perspectives respectfully flying.  Next, were Niggunim (soul stirring songs) and Kabbalah Shabbat service at 770: a truly moving experience for any Jew.

Everyone then made their way to Shabbat dinner at the Ohelei Torah Ballroom. To accommodate over four thousand teens and their chaperones, five different spaces were organized within the venue to host dinner. Meanwhile, the young ladies attended the world’s largest girls’ Shabbat dinner. On both fronts dinner was scrumptious according to reports from the Edmonton group, and their seemingly bottomless teenage bellies were filled to capacity and then some. With plentiful dessert offerings it was a slow walk back to their rooms that night. But, before returning to their beds, participants were joined by speaker Noam Buskila to hear about how to find light and joy no matter how trying the circumstances. While this took place, Spanish-speaking teens had the option to attend a Spanish-language Farbrenguen. For fans of 4X American Ninja Warrior, Jesse Orenshein was able to talk about his experience competing: kippah and all.

For a day of rest, Shabbat had a packed itinerary.  There were both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Minyans held in the morning followed by a full line-up of activities. With multiple guest speakers and presentations, there was something for all interests. It was a day of learning and friend-making while the young people met others like themselves from ten different countries.

What Edmonton teens had heard so much about from previous CTeens Shabbaton alumni was the Time Square Take-Over, and there was great anticipation to say the least. After Shabbat, all attendees converged upon Manhattan and took Time Square by storm: Chabad-style! Singing Jewish songs and raising voices of hope in solidarity, everyone could be proud to be Jewish. Rabbi Drelich supplied the WhatsApp chat with wonderful videos of the boys carrying one another atop their shoulders shouting out for all the world to hear “Am Yisroel Chai!” The evening was so inspiring for our son that his phone is packed with pictures and videos of the Time Square event. The sea of people stretched as far as the eye could see with Jewish musical talent broadcast on the jumbotron with blinding radiance, and booming beats resonating within the hearts of all. This was a moment that the teens will all remember for a lifetime. With such a powerfully uplifting spiritual shared experience the Edmonton cohort, who already knew each other from years spent together at Camp Gan Izzy, CKids, CTeens and NCSY, bonded for life. Tongues were certainly wagging well into the night recounting the impact of a spiritually enriching Shabbat, and unforgettable Motzei Shabbat.

Sunday was the grand finale as the teens gathered for the great “Shine on” event for one more healthy dose of Jewish pride before returning to their respective cities. Of course, there was more eating and some social time to bid farewell to new friends. Each of the attendees received a sweatshirt as a keepsake of their Shabbat spent in Crown Heights with four thousand other Jewish youth. Almost like getting a yearbook signed, the teenagers ran around armed with Sharpies autographing one another’s hoodies. Our teenager proudly wears his garment which is covered with signatures from friends: new and old. I have been given very precise laundering instructions after being told: “I got every rabbi I met to sign it!”

The Edmonton group began their journey home late on Sunday, arriving very early Monday morning. Rebbetzin Drelich kept parents informed about flight delays, and there was certainly no traffic as the teens were being collected just shy of 2 am. But the young people arrived home somehow changed and were absolutely glowing with happiness and enthusiasm. Their ties to their shared Jewish identities fortified, they had returned home with more pride, strength, and a deeper sense of their connection to community.  All those who traveled with Rabbi Drelich are no doubt already talking to their parents about next year!