I’ve been waiting for this day to come for a very long time. Today, I move to Jerusalem to begin Rabbinical School at Hebrew Union College. It is the first step toward a dream that I’ve wanted for as long as I can remember.
Just hours away from boarding my 11 hour flight, I’m a little overwhelmed by all of the emotions that come with such a monumental moment in my life. I’ve been telling people for weeks that I am incredibly excited to go to Israel, but I am not excited at all about leaving America, and all that comes with it. If I’m completely honest with myself, I’m absolutely terrified. I’m moving away from my family, my girlfriend, and the lifestyle I know to go chase my dream. That isn’t easy, no matter how excited I am for my adventure.
Yet, I am reminded constantly of why I am doing this in the first place. I am actually going to Rabbinical School. In 10 days, I begin classes to learn the valuable information necessary to begin my career and continue to hone the leadership skills I need to guide a congregation and my Reform Jewish movement. As scary as it is to be moving to the other side of the world, it is an incredible opportunity to learn in the epicenter of Jewish life, and to experience a culture and a lifestyle that is so important to my heritage and my people.
As I get on the plane, I’m getting ready for an amazing adventure, and I’m sure I will have hundreds of stories to tell. While I am away, I intend to very thoughtfully and thoroughly document my experience, using my blog, The Zoot Perspective, as a home base. The content that has been standard on the blog will remain the same, but throughout the year, I will make a concerted effort to incorporate posts at least twice a month that address specific issues or experiences that I have in my year in Israel.
I also intend to keep up the work I’m doing on my video blog, The Zoot Perspective: Web Congregation, because where better to take an in-depth look at the Torah portion than in the holy land? There will, of course, always be new and innovative ways to share my journey, from Instagram campaigns to Twitter and beyond. I’m even working on a book that gives insight into what it is really like to live in Israel. The possibilities are endless, as are the incredible stories I cannot wait to tell.
I’m about to move to the other side of the world to study in one of the most incredible places on earth, and to drive my education forward toward my dream. I am so incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to take this adventure, and to share it with my family and friends. I cannot wait to use this site as a vehicle to tell the story. I’m not exactly sure what I will find over the course of the next 10 months, but I know it’ll be a journey like none other.
If you enjoy the work of the Zoot Perspective, please visit my GoFundMe page, to help support me on my journey. Thank you very much.
No comments:
Post a Comment