The “silver anniversary” 25th annual SimXa Shabbaton, held at the Marina Del Rey Hotel in California over the Thanksgiving weekend, November 27th- 30th, once again brought Jews of different backgrounds together to learn, grow, and be inspired until next year’s Shabbaton.
Moshe Davidoff, who heads SimXa Company together with his wife, Esther, says, “A few people asked me, how did our Shabbaton go this year? What I understood, after 25 years, is that the best way to know is by listening to the participants themselves. For example, I was at my shul the day after, and an unknown person approached me to ask whether I was Moshe Davidoff, the organizer of the SimXa Shabbaton. I replied in the affirmative. He said that he heard from someone who attended our Shabbaton that it was an amazing experience. Such unsolicited feedback is the best way for us to know how we did.”
The keynote speakers this year were Rabbi Aryeh Katzin, Director of RAJE (Russian American Jewish Experience), Rabbi Reuven Wolf of Maayon Yisrael Chassidic Center, Dr. Faye Zakheim, social work professor and relationships expert, and Miriam Yerushalmi, the author of many children’s and adult books, speaker, counselor, and family therapist.
In addition to the inspiring lectures, the Shabbaton attendees celebrated the 15th anniversary of a couple who got married at a SimXa Shabbaton in 2010, Asya and Elad Berwaldt, as well as two birthdays.
The attendees also had an opportunity to get their tefillin and mezuzos checked by Rabbi Avrohom Dovid Wolffe and to participate in a Silver Mezuza Cover Raffle. The winners were Marina and Adam Sragovicz of San Diego, CA.
A new addition to the Shabbaton program was the Jewish Mafia Game, led by Itzhak and Miriam Cherner.
The Shabbaton also included the much-loved Hike and Learn with Rabbi Katzin and concerts by Leo Chelyapov and Katya Kapelnikova, the latter for women only.
The fun-filled and much-appreciated children’s program was directed by Chana Leah Schuraytz and run by students from Bais Yaakov LA and Machon Bais Yaakov.
“I completely loved it in many ways,” says Yakov Itzhak Baytler, a first-time attendee from Los Angeles. “The atmosphere was extremely friendly, I could talk to everybody and make friends. That was wonderful! I loved Rabbi Katzin’s lectures. His messages were really awesome, and I called a lot because of them. And the food was great too!”
Mrs. Davidoff says, “The Shabbaton was simply magical this year. Things ran so smoothly that at times it seemed like it was all running on autopilot. You could feel Yad Hashem through and through in every lecture, every activity, and at every meal!
“While Reb David Yerushalmi delighted us with powerful Divrei Torah at our every Shabbos meal, our keynote speakers, Rabbi A. Katzin, Rabbi R. Wolf, Dr. Faye Zakheim, and Mrs. Miriam Yerushalmi inspired us throughout the weekend with their deep insights into Torah and Chassidic teachings.
“The children’s programs were also fantastic, enjoyed by children and parents alike, and have been receiving raving reviews. All in all, it was a huge success. We are very happy with the outcome and feel that all the hard work we’ve put into it before, during, and after the event has made it all worth it.”
