At a gathering of 120 Jewish teens this past week, the incredible feeling of power as a movement was astounding. As a collective group, we were able to have conversations that not only demonstrated progress in the relationships we formed, but also in the entirety of Reform Judaism.
Over the course of the weekend, we discussed everything from prioritizing our goals for the future, to the need for advocacy themes in our organization, as well as the need to provide certain structure to our voting processes to both maintain the integrity of our elections process, as well as that of the candidates.
After one particularly long discussion that resulted in the tabling of a large decision to a later date, one of the greatest young men I have ever met said "It is not so much about the changes we are making, but rather that we are empowering people to make change." This was truly insightful.
As teenagers, people are always telling us we can accomplish great things. In most contexts, this sounds like a hoax. How can I, one teenager, make an impact on the world? It is when we get to practice decision making, practice standing up for what we believe in, and practice making necessary changes in our society that we can begin to make these lofty goals an actuality.
Our youth movement is just what it's title is. A movement. We are constantly moving forward and developing our priorities, as well as setting up systems that will allow us to better the work that we are doing. Yet, our most significant act of motion is simply growing up.
Another of the amazing parts of this past week was the installation of the coming year's board that occurred on Saturday night. For this ceremony, each of the outgoing board members shared some words about their discoveries during their term and imparted their wisdom unto the rest of the general assembly.
Seeing the leaders who helped to train me and shape me as a leader in this movement leave it was a sad thing. I was disappointed to see them no longer called NFTYites. But they gained a new, even more significant title: JEWISH LEADERS. After all of the movement in the youth organization, it was time for the movement to grow beyond its borders and escalate into a lifelong journey. Who could possibly have set a better example for me than these five outgoing board members, and who can possibly be more capable to take their place than the five incoming.
In the coming year, there is so much excitement to follow in the footsteps of those who came before us as well as to pave our own trail. Being given the opportunity to be empowered to make change is something that I will cherish for my entire life, as well as an excellent opportunity to not only make my way along a path, but to leave behind ideas, proposals, guidance and support, so that those who come after me can see the way as well.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Summer Sun making fun
Top 20 things to do over summer vacation:
20: Watch 10 movies in three days.
19: Stay up til 2 in the morning finishing your 10th movie in three days.
18: Wake up at 11 every morning.
17: Clean your room for 15 minutes and get distracted by facebook again and again.
16: Get a visit from friends who show up at your door unannounced and have a meeting in their car.
15: Write blog posts a day late and deep into the night.
14:Go for a Slurpee run the minute school lets out.
13: Become a hockey expert overnight.
12: Make a list of all the things you need to do today... and then do one a day for a week.
11: Move your phone charger closer to your computer so you can Skype and text at the same time.
10: Go to Panda Express twice in two days.
9: Play baseball 3 times in a week.
8: Hide school backpack in a corner so it doesn't ruin your fun.
7: Go outside, complain its too warm, go outside and complain its too cold.
6: Stay up until 2 in the morning on facebook.
5: Watch the end of the hockey season, which makes little sense because there is no ice in the summer.
4: Take three naps in one day.
3: Play disc golf four days in a row with your dad.
2: Fly home from Boston at 8 at night and leave for New York at 4 the next morning.
1: Lose your keys at a baseball park at 9:15 at night when it is dark.
20: Watch 10 movies in three days.
19: Stay up til 2 in the morning finishing your 10th movie in three days.
18: Wake up at 11 every morning.
17: Clean your room for 15 minutes and get distracted by facebook again and again.
16: Get a visit from friends who show up at your door unannounced and have a meeting in their car.
15: Write blog posts a day late and deep into the night.
14:Go for a Slurpee run the minute school lets out.
13: Become a hockey expert overnight.
12: Make a list of all the things you need to do today... and then do one a day for a week.
11: Move your phone charger closer to your computer so you can Skype and text at the same time.
10: Go to Panda Express twice in two days.
9: Play baseball 3 times in a week.
8: Hide school backpack in a corner so it doesn't ruin your fun.
7: Go outside, complain its too warm, go outside and complain its too cold.
6: Stay up until 2 in the morning on facebook.
5: Watch the end of the hockey season, which makes little sense because there is no ice in the summer.
4: Take three naps in one day.
3: Play disc golf four days in a row with your dad.
2: Fly home from Boston at 8 at night and leave for New York at 4 the next morning.
1: Lose your keys at a baseball park at 9:15 at night when it is dark.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Taught Teacher
This past Friday night, I was invited to an adult B'nei Mitzvah for the mother of my best friend. I arrived at temple expecting your run of the mill service, maybe a little longer than usual, but, overall, nothing out of the ordinary.
Instead I received one of the greatest lessons that I could ever have learned. As my friend's mom read from the Torah and performed the ceremonies necessary to becoming Bat Mitzvah, I saw a great lesson. I saw this mother giving her son the greatest gift she could possibly give. She was, in fact, having this Bat Mitzvah to coincide with her mother's birthday, as a sort of gift to her mother. She also was giving a gift to her son, whether he realized it or not.
This woman, who, after the fact, said that she was immensely afraid of speaking in front of a group, was showing her son, who, incidentally had just been elected president of the temple's youth group, that learning Judaism does not stop after you are 13 years old when the traditional bar mitzvah time occurs. It does not stop at 18 years old when you graduate the high school program. It does, in fact, continue into adulthood and for the rest of a Jewish life, continually pursuing education and learning. The fact that this mother was able to teach her son that she was still learning and that he too had to continue to pursue his Judaic education, was something that I found incredibly meaningful, and possibly the most exciting part of the event.
Life lessons seemed to be on a two-for-one sale, because I learned something else that was really important to me. The group of adults who were officially becoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah that night all had something in common. They were all nervous. And they all had reasons why they had put this off for many years. One was afraid of public speaking, another didn't want to take time away from her family. All of them did it, however. They all stopped making excuses for their own fears or insecurities and did something that they are all proud of. I was incredibly moved seeing someone who wanted to accomplish something overcome their fear and do it, throwing caution to the wind on those things that scared them.
Without even knowing it, these four members of the community taught me something with their learning. The student became the teacher without even knowing it.
Instead I received one of the greatest lessons that I could ever have learned. As my friend's mom read from the Torah and performed the ceremonies necessary to becoming Bat Mitzvah, I saw a great lesson. I saw this mother giving her son the greatest gift she could possibly give. She was, in fact, having this Bat Mitzvah to coincide with her mother's birthday, as a sort of gift to her mother. She also was giving a gift to her son, whether he realized it or not.
This woman, who, after the fact, said that she was immensely afraid of speaking in front of a group, was showing her son, who, incidentally had just been elected president of the temple's youth group, that learning Judaism does not stop after you are 13 years old when the traditional bar mitzvah time occurs. It does not stop at 18 years old when you graduate the high school program. It does, in fact, continue into adulthood and for the rest of a Jewish life, continually pursuing education and learning. The fact that this mother was able to teach her son that she was still learning and that he too had to continue to pursue his Judaic education, was something that I found incredibly meaningful, and possibly the most exciting part of the event.
Life lessons seemed to be on a two-for-one sale, because I learned something else that was really important to me. The group of adults who were officially becoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah that night all had something in common. They were all nervous. And they all had reasons why they had put this off for many years. One was afraid of public speaking, another didn't want to take time away from her family. All of them did it, however. They all stopped making excuses for their own fears or insecurities and did something that they are all proud of. I was incredibly moved seeing someone who wanted to accomplish something overcome their fear and do it, throwing caution to the wind on those things that scared them.
Without even knowing it, these four members of the community taught me something with their learning. The student became the teacher without even knowing it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)