I AM a Rabbinical Student!

To meet (l’hi-pa-gesh) להיפגש

This past week and a half has been full of meeting people. I have now met almost all of my classmates (and will meet the remaining few when we begin orientation on Monday), I have met SOs (significant others) of classmates, I have met some of my faculty for this year, and I have met A LOT of clergy!

This week was the first full week that I have spent in Israel that culminated with a Shabbat. Last week I chose not to go to services, mostly because I was not sure what time services began. In Israel, the times of services change depending on the seasons. In the summer, services begin later because the sun sets later, and therefore, Shabbat begins later. In the winter it is just the opposite. Since the sun sets significantly earlier, services and Shabbat meals begin earlier. This week a group of my classmates and I decided to attend services at Kol HaNeshama. Kol HaNeshama is a progressive (the Israeli Reform) synagogue in Jerusalem. Many of the founders were Americans who grew up in the Reform movement, and after making Aliyah, decided that they wanted to have a Reform synagoguge to attend where they felt more comfortable. As a result, they prayers that are said and the melodies that are used are much more similar to the Reform movement in the States than what you would hear if you went to an Orthodox synagogue. I, along with some of my other classmates, had a wonderful Shabbat meal at a classmate’s house. This was completed only by the crazy neighbor yelling at us because we moved chairs when we got up and sat down. Only in Israel!

Saturday morning was another day full of meeting people. I went to services at HUC in the morning, which is still an adjustment for me. There are new and different melodies here that I am learning, and hope to bring back to the States after this year. Because Saturday was part of the HUC Alumni Shabbat, there were many rabbis, cantors and educators who attended services, and with whom we were able to chat afterward. Following services, I went with two of my other classmates (Rebecca and Elle) to a fried of Rebecca’s for lunch. He is here working on an archeological dig, and had also invited some of his colleagues over. Of course, only in Israel would I find out that they were from Oak Park!

In the afternoon on Saturday I attended the HUC Alumni Shabbat. The topic was “Teaching Israel: Challenges and Opportunities,” and I was honored to be in the presence of so many great alums of the school which I am now attending. Following a panel discussion, I attended a breakout session with Rabbi Dr. Marc Rosenstein, who led a lesson called “547 Entrees of the Galilee Diary: Teaching Israel to North Americans.” The purpose of the Galilee Diary is to provide a more personal viewpoint that, “…Reform congregational schools [can use] to teach about Israel…” While we were having this discussion I took a few minutes around the room to look at my classmates and future colleagues. When I realized that sitting to my left was Rabbi Richard Jacobs, President-Elect of the URJ, and to my right sat Rabbi Uri Regev, former President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, I was awe inspired and a little bit intimidated to realize that these people, with whom I was having a regular conversation, are soon to be my fellow colleagues. It is still sometimes hard for me to believe that I AM actually going to become a rabbi.  Throughout our orientation this week, we have been introducing ourselves when in small breakout sessions. Yesterday, I stated my name, and that I was going to be a rabbinical student at the Cincinnati campus. One of our rabbinic interns corrected me and said, “No, you ARE a rabbinical student.” It took me a few minutes to absorb the gravity of that statement. At this point, I am officially 2 days into my 5 year journey to becoming a rabbi!

The HUC Alumni Shabbat culminated with a beautiful Havdalah let by Rabbi Josh Zweiback and Rabbi Ken Chasen. Havdalah is always the part of Shabbat that I have enjoyed the most, and this Shabbat was made even more special by the presence of many HUC Alums, including one of my mentors, Rabbi Michael Klein-Katz. As we were standing there together, singing the blessings over the wine, spices, and candle, I realized that this is why I wanted to become a Rabbi. The Reform Jewish community that was reflected in this Havdalah is something that I can not imagine not being a part of, and something that I hope to become a role model for over the years. This Havdalah was evidence to me that we can put our differences aside and come together for the sake of a bond through religion and celebrate our religion, our culture, and our heritage, right in the heart of the Jewish homeland: Jerusalem!