Shanah Tova! - Happy New Year
Thursday, September 25th, 2008As I’m sitting here thinking about the new year, I’m thinking about my hopes for me in this coming year – what am I going to do differently this year … where did I blow it last year… how do I spend my time and how does that align or not align to my core values. Lots of big questions here. I ask myself these questions all the time throughout the year, but right around now, I look for answers. It’s sort of like my paper is due!
It takes a lot of energy to build up to this moment and have the strength to face some of these ‘issues’ that are swirling around me - big and sometimes scary to face. So, I also find myself gravitating towards my friends – picking up the phone and calling my buddies, soaking up time with my kids in a different way, and also thinking about some of the people who have inspired me over the last year to have hope that I HAVE a purpose, that there IS a purpose, that we’re all in this thing TOGETHER.
Last weekend, I was an artist in residence on a special leadership retreat at Capital Camps in PA that was organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. This weekend retreat had 2 groups – one that represented lay leaders from around the greater Washington region and, the other group, was an amazing group of young adults from Birthright. What an ingenious idea to bring together a group of lay leaders that is so concerned and inspired by young adults. What an ingenious idea to bring together a group of young adults with lay leaders who are such extraordinary role models for participation and leadership in Jewish life!
So, at one point during the retreat, I found myself at a campfire, literally standing on a rock, singing my brains out, literally standing between the young adults from Birthright and the group of lay leaders. What a bizarre place to stand … right in the place between the adults with intentions for future generations of Jews and the embodiment of those intentions in the youth. I was standing between generations and feeling their energy colliding all around me in such positive and exciting ways. (now, to stand up on my soap box for just a second) Figuratively speaking, it’s ‘campfires’ like these where we have both of the groups TOGETHER – the group that is supporting and building the foundation for the youth AND the youth standing together in the SAME place so they can actually SEE each other – HEAR each other – GUIDE and inspire each other. We don’t see this physical/tangible type of ‘meeting’ in the Jewish world as often as we should.
And it was this very experience that has given me an incredible sense of hope for the new year that there are many brilliant people out there like the Orlee Turitz’s from the Federation and the Avital Ingber’s from Birthright who will make these experiences happen, make these connections, and find the effective and powerful answers we all need to make Judaism meaningful, accessible and relevant for future generations.
(ok – I’m stepping down from my soapbox now)
Shanah tova to everyone out there. Thanks for all you have given me and my family and have a sweet, happy, and healthy new year!
Rick
