My Background:
Growing up, if you were to ask friends and family to
describe me, they would probably say that I was quiet, shy, creative, kind, or
curious, but, aside from maybe my mother, no one would have said that I was
spiritual. I was raised in a microcosm of intellectuals, where spirituality was
frowned upon and considered impractical and just short of useless. And so I
learned, through osmosis, to shut down my spiritual side, to tuck it away
somewhere where it couldn’t disturb me or distract me from life.
I continued on this path for many years, focusing my
precious energy on the “important” things in life, like school, piano lessons, dance
class, or Hebrew school, all the while, my spirituality was festering in some
dark corner inside, like a forgotten meal at the back of the fridge. As the
years passed, it became harder and harder to ignore the smell of my fermenting
spiritual self, yet I was stubborn, (another adjective friends or family might
use to describe me) and refused to listen to that part of me, which cried out
to be nurtured.
Needless to say, I was not such a happy camper in those
days. I went through the motions and stages of life without much enthusiasm or
joy. I didn’t even care to attend my high school or college graduations – such
milestones were just another notch in the belt for me. I probably would have
continued on that path to this day if G-d hadn’t stepped in and decided to take
over the reins. (Well He was always there, I just didn’t see it that way in
those days.)
My Turning Point:
After having graduated college and working a couple of
unsatisfying jobs, I was in a real slump when I received a phone call from
Mushky, a girl from our local Chabad, who wanted to know if I was interested in
volunteering with her once a week. She told me that she was starting a local
chapter of the organization
Friendship Circle, a Chabad based
organization that paired mentors with learning-impaired peers within the local
Jewish community. Having had a bit of experience with learning-impaired kids, I
quickly agreed, and Mushky and I began our weekly visits with our new friend
Jenny.
I really enjoyed visiting Jenny. She was outgoing, friendly,
and fun and I think she knew how to bring me and Mushky out of our shells. That
year passed quickly, and before I knew it, summer was upon us and Mushky told
me she was planning to go away for a six week break in Israel. I was happy for
her, and also disappointed that we wouldn’t be visiting Jenny together that
summer. I told Mushky as much, and she replied by inviting me to come to Israel
with her!
I had attended Birthright during college, which was the
start of my love affair with Israel, but I had thought that Israel was “way out
of my league” and that I wouldn’t have another change to glance upon its
beautiful shores or ancient old city walls for a very long time. Mushky’s
invitation seemed unreal and unattainable to me, so I turned her down, but
whenever I would see her, she kept bringing it up, and the more I thought about
it, the more realistic it sounded. Mushky described to me this wonderful place
of learning, called Mayanot, that she would be going to. With warm,
intelligent teachers, fun fieldtrips, and good food, it was sure to be the
experience of a lifetime.
As a kid, I had enjoyed learning about my Jewish roots in
Hebrew school, and always looked forward to the High Holidays each year. In
fact, I understood that Temple was the one place where spirituality was sort
of accepted. Now, as a college grad, I reflected back fondly on those
times, and thought to myself: “what the heck, I’ll go to Israel; I have nothing
to lose and everything to gain.” Although I didn’t know it then, I was about to
embark on a new and beautiful life-long journey.
My Mayanot Experience:
I arrived at Mayanot at about midnight, one cool dewy night
in July, and was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a bunch of friendly,
cheerful, and curious young women. They were eager to introduce themselves to
me and ask me all about myself. A few of them helped me settle in and to my
amazement, offered to stay up all night with me if I were jetlagged! I politely
declined, but decided that if these were the kind of people I was going to
spend my summer with, it was going to be great! I couldn’t have been more
right.
The next day, as more students and shluchas (peer
teachers) arrived, I began meeting the teachers and some of the staff. I was
surprised at how they just blended in with all the students and hung out with
us. It was fun getting to know them on a personal level before our classes even
started, and when we did finally settle down into our classes, I already felt
really comfortable with my teachers, and I know the other students did too!
None of us had any qualms about getting right down to the nitty- gritty
questions!
As my six weeks at Mayanot marched on, I realized how much I
was learning and soaking into my soul. I realized how happy I was, and wanted
to stay longer. Before the end of the six weeks, I decided I would stay at
Mayanot and keep learning for at least another six months. That six months
ended up turning into a full year, and that full year ended up turning into a
life-long connection to many wonderful women, teachers, and the land of Israel.
Today, I live in Israel where I am building my family and
continuing to enrich my life with Torah and mitzvos, and with G-d’s
help, passing this beautiful legacy on to my children.
Written by: Sarah (Kramer) Rosen, Mayanot Alumna class of 2008-9
