tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166918487600041302023-11-16T01:32:32.009-05:00Tufts Hillel Repairs the WorldTufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-87550295267953869482012-04-24T15:34:00.002-04:002012-04-24T15:34:42.623-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As the chair of a Hillel sponsored initiative, Read By the
River, and an active contributor to Hillel, I have recently been invited to
several Repair the World dinners and events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one that impacted me the most was our dinner on tzedakah
with Don Abramson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don is a former
chair of the American Jewish World Service. He engaged us in conversation about
tzedakah and philanthropy.</div>
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Don gave us different scenarios to discuss to see what type
of decision we would make in that situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scenario that stood out to me the most was a true story
that happened at Don’s summer camp as a counselor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of his campers (Joey) had a difficult summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the last few days of camp and the
campers were playing a big softball game, the most important game of the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The score was tied, it was full count,
and the bases were loaded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joey
was at the plate, and in this situation he could either be the hero, or the
goat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pitch comes in, and the
ball looks 51% like a strike, and 49% a ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are the counselor umpiring, do you call this pitch a
strike or a ball?</div>
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At first I quickly answered the question and said of course
you call the pitch a ball, you want Joey to go home happy for the summer and
that remaining image could bring him back the next summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, as I thought about the
situation more, I started to lean towards calling the pitch a strike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The discussion became a conversation
about where you draw the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
pitch most likely was a strike, so do you challenge the integrity of the game,
by calling it a ball just for Joey, or do you call it a strike to have
continued trust in the rest of the campers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You also need to think about how the 17 other campers will
feel after the call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in
the situation, you don’t have this amount of time to weigh the pros and cons of
the outcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an instinct
call, and this type of scenario can change the complete outlook of a camper on
their time at camp for that summer.</div>
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This idea of one event changing the outlook of a child, is
exactly what we are trying to create with Read by the River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this 1,000 person annual event,
myself, Hillel, and other Tufts students promote reading to Medford and
Somerville elementary school students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With our literacy based booths and carnival themed event we try to show
these children that reading is fun. When they think of reading, we want them to
envision all of the possibilities and how they can use their imagination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With events and programs like Read By
the River, and Repair the World dinners we are increasing awareness about
social justice on step at a time.</div>
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</div>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-75593902119112057562011-12-15T12:07:00.000-05:002011-12-15T12:07:00.222-05:00We and I: Rabbi Jeffrey Summit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUM9vmS8KBWVQxHIoCbHIv68-kKIWXZR7_nyNwotx4n4AH7iZRNLQdVWNw26o-veuBDQrNV4uQ-XqEJTeBT9U3HUR3Fq9B-Qz6vL1PINWnuExv1d4HMcfOwgo5OBTiigp9p_was0pCWXU/s1600/jeffpichillel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUM9vmS8KBWVQxHIoCbHIv68-kKIWXZR7_nyNwotx4n4AH7iZRNLQdVWNw26o-veuBDQrNV4uQ-XqEJTeBT9U3HUR3Fq9B-Qz6vL1PINWnuExv1d4HMcfOwgo5OBTiigp9p_was0pCWXU/s200/jeffpichillel.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>I want to talk about the words “I” and “We” and I want to begin with a poem by Adreinne Rich called “In Those Years.”<br />
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In Those Years<br />
In those years, people will say, we lost track<br />
of the meaning of we, of you <br />
we found ourselves reduced to I<br />
and the whole thing became silly, ironic, terrible:<br />
we were trying to live a personal life<br />
and, yes, that was the only life we could bear witness to<br />
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But the great dark birds of history screamed and plunged<br />
into our personal weather<br />
They were headed somewhere else but their beaks and pinions drove<br />
along the shore, through rages of fog <br />
where we stood, saying I<br />
<br />
We live in a world where people are used to focusing on “I” as opposed to “We.” It’s easy to share examples. I’ve been to the homes of friends where they seem to have a television in every room and at night, family members sit in separate rooms watching the specific program that they want to watch. Sometimes family members sit by themselves in separate rooms watching the same program. When I’m out running on Comm Ave, I will often see two friends running together and then see that each is listening to his/her own Ipod as they run. And this is much bigger, while Tufts is known for a commitment to active citizenship and public service, there are an awful lot of people on campus who don’t continue the volunteer work that they were so careful to list on their college applications once they actually arrive at school. I’m not saying these are bad people but university has a way to make us focus on the “I” and that often comes at the expense of our responsibility to others in society. This plays out in the Jewish world as well. More and more Jews report that Jewish peoplehood, the sense of connection and responsibility they feel to Jews around the world, the gut feeling that connects Jews in the United States with Jews in Israel, is just not a part of their worldview. I’m not talking here about political support for any specific government or policy in Israel. I’m talking about the sense of “we-ness” that for so many years defined what it meant to be Jewish: peoplehood, a connection that bridges physical boundaries. The slogan for the Jewish Federation used to be “We are One,” a sentiment that no longer has an immediate, visceral impact for many Jews.<br />
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A major theme of Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is connection. The very word “atonement” can be broken down to “at-one-ment” being at-one, connected with ourselves, with God, with our families, friends and communities, with the Jewish people. This morning, I want to focus on our connections, and responsibilities to those around us, what the rabbis call our connections “ben adam l’havero,” between us and our fellow human beings. Most people will agree that they aspire to be responsible adults, but what does it really mean to be responsible? Who are we responsible for and how do our responsibilities play out in our day to day lives? At this point, I want to give special acknowledgement to my friends and colleagues Sheila Katz and Rabbi Josh Feigelson who are developing a wonderful new program for International Hillel called “Ask Big Questions.” They put together material for a discussion “What are we responsible for?” and I drew great material from their teaching for my words this morning.<br />
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So, sometimes it good to begin at the end and I want to stress that in this question, as in many questions, Jewish tradition ultimately comes out on the side of balance. You are all familiar with Hillel the Elder’s words: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me. But if I am only for myself, what am I?” While we can applaud this call for balance, how do we think about responsibility to others in our day to day commitments and decisions as we build our lives?<br />
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So I want to begin by sharing a story written by Rabbi Hebert Friedman, a rabbi who passed away in 2008. It’s a story about responsibility and I’m not completely sure who does the right thing in this story. I interested in what you think?<br />
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Friedman grew up during the great Depression and his family was poor. He tells how one night, his mother attended a meeting of her synagogue sisterhood in the late 1930s, where a representative of the U.S. National Refugee Service made an urgent plea for American Jewish families to take into their homes German-Jewish children whose parents were willing to let them emigrate to the United States, not knowing if they would ever see those children again. Of the more than 100 mothers at this sisterhood meeting, no more than a dozen raised their hand. Friedman tells the story, “My mother stood and announced that she would take three children. God had been good to her, she said, giving her three healthy sons; this was her opportunity to repay. She added without embarrassment that her family was living in a small apartment, with only two bedrooms, because their house had been foreclosed by the bank during the Depression. So, she could take only boys, who could sleep in the same room with her sons.<br />
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Friendman continued, “Mother came home with the affidavit forms, placed them under my father’s nose at the kitchen table, and told him of her commitment. No one, including the Jewish community, was responding to the impending Holocaust. As far as she was concerned, signing the forms was only a formality. My father saw it differently, because of the legal obligations his signature would impose. The Depression had reduced his earnings to some pitifully small amount, and he could not envision for an instant how they could handle the additional expense for food, clothing, school, for three more children.<br />
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My mother answered him quietly, but with great passion. Even though we were poor, how could we refuse to save Jewish lives if we were given the chance to do so? She was ashamed of the other sisterhood members. All of them should have volunteered, and she would not hesitate to tell them so at the next meeting. “But if we have enough food for five of us,” she asked, “why can’t we simply make it do for eight? If I have to wash shirts every day for six boys instead of three, what’s the difference?”<br />
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Friedman says, My parents argued all night — the only time I remember my parents raising their voices in anger and disagreement. My mother won. In the morning, my father signed the affidavits, and she proudly took them back to the synagogue. As I thought this over, I decided that my mother’s fight with my father symbolized the whole problem, and the only conclusion was to act according to moral Jewish values, without permitting rationalization or delay--“When history knocks, you answer!”<br />
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It’s a powerful story but I’ll ask you, what was the right thing to do in this situation? Friedman’s father was certainly thinking about his responsibilities, to his own children, to his wife and even if he could honestly provide for three more children? Yet, his mother is thinking on a different plane: what are our responsibilities to the Jewish people, to save a life when children are in imminent danger? What is the right thing to do? What would you do in this situation?<br />
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Let me throw a different story into the mix, one that I have struggled with over time. For many years, I’ve had a connection with a homeless man. Joseph (not his real name) started showing up at Hillel years ago. He’s a nice person and I don’t believe he is dangerous but he is schizophrenic and not the easiest person to deal with. Over the years I’ve tried to get him connected to social services, tried to help him find a place to live. But he doesn’t like shelters or half way houses and he prefers his freedom to a structured or controlled living environment. Usually, he would come to see me at Tufts and often he would show up at Shabbat but at one point, he got my home address and phone number and began to call me at home. Then one afternoon, when our son was about thirteen years old, and very idealistic, I came home to find Joseph sitting in our living room with my son, having a cup of tea. My son said, Dad, he knocked on the door and said he knew you and needed a place to sleep. Of course I let him in. It’s cold outside. We have a big house; there’s more than enough room for him to stay.<br />
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So how do you explain to your son, who has just had his bar mitzvah and is thinking seriously about social justice and our responsibilities to society, that you don’t want the homeless guy to move in with you or to set up a tent in your back yard? That yes, we have a big house and money and yes, I had known Joseph for many years but still, I said no. Was I being responsible or hypocritical? Was I teaching the right lessons to my children?<br />
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In the Talmud, the rabbis discuss how our responsibilities to others begin close and move out in concentric circles of responsibility. We are immediately responsible for the needs of our family, then our neighborhood, then our city or town. Because the Jewish community is a small community, and one that has been persecuted over the years, we are first responsible to the needs of the Jewish community but the rabbis are very clear that our responsibility doesn’t end there and they teach that for the sake of peace, we have an obligation to help human beings in need regardless of their religion, ethnic or cultural background.<br />
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So let me return to the two stories that I told. I can’t be so presumptuous to tell you the right thing to do in these situations but I’ll share a little of how I struggled with these questions. In terms of Herbert Friedman’s story, I think that if something was going to have an impact on a whole family, such as bringing in three new children, it seems right that the family would be engaged in this decision together. It’s not the same situation but when our children were young, we involved them in our family discussions of where and even how much tzedukah (charity) we gave and their opinions did have an influence about where we gave our money. I also think it’s important to realize that there is a middle ground between taking in refugee Jewish children and not taking them in. Certainly, the situation required that a responsible person, a responsible Jew, needed to do more than brush off the request to help. One could commit to working actively to find them homes, educating and taking care of them. It didn’t have to be all or nothing.<br />
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The situation with Joseph, the homeless man, is somewhat clearer to me. I was not prepared to take him into our home, even for a short time. We did, however make sure he had warm clothes and we drove him to a shelter. We helped him get his glasses fixed as well. But when it comes to defining our responsibility in such a situation, I think we should we should think more broadly and deeply about our responsibilities and obligations as we confront the broken parts of our communities, like the parts that leave people homeless and abandon people with mental illness to live untreated on the streets.<br />
At Hillel, we have been in active partnership with an organization Repair the World, to get more students engaged in service. We teach, and apply, a strategic approach in this work that I think is meaningful. It’s called CASES and has five components that I believe are important to consider when we work to figure out our responsibility to people, and issues, in our community. The C stands for Community Partnerships. Who else is doing this work, what can they teach us and how can we partner with them? The A is Advocacy: (continuing on the example of homelessness) it’s not enough just to help someone who is homeless; we also have to be involved in changing the laws and social structures that leave people homeless and without adequate care for their physical and mental health. The S is direct Service. We should be in the trenches, in some way, volunteering in a homeless shelter or food pantry, actually meeting, talking to and helping the people who need our help. The E is education: we need to know and understand about the root causes of homelessness, how large is this problem, how is it being effectively addressed and where? And the final S is sustainability. How do we make sure that our efforts continue when we graduate or move on to working for another cause or in a different community? By approaching issues of social justice with the CASES methodology, we go deeper and make a more impactful contribution. We increase our effectiveness as change agents. There is nothing wrong with stopping at a table on campus to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to deliver to a homeless shelter but we can, and we should, do more, becoming educated about these issues, come to know the people we’re working with as human beings, partnering with others who are knowledgeable and devoted to the cause, working to change root causes and making sure our efforts continue into the future.<br />
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When we think about ourselves and our responsibility to people around us, when we think about “I” and “We,” I want to suggest that we should push ourselves and honestly assess if we are doing enough to make a contribution to the communities, to the world, around us. It’s our actions, not our intentions, that inscribe us for blessings in the book of life. Our tradition teaches that we don’t have to finish this work but as Jews, we obligated to find a way to be engaged and involved.</div>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-24627555294849200872011-12-13T09:38:00.002-05:002011-12-15T10:47:36.688-05:00Gateways to Judaism: Arielle Evans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5C5dpGOZ_uG-nGxr-5o0UnrvdIJDizz6vIvHgEiGxucj0il-dSMIE5qi3rqdcztS_87JA4fCCbXnOMJJtvCEPrirjwj5zcjCQhdgHie3h4vgqvcjMZnKOoRtb5YkKqGYRMeuUWj7J_KW6/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-12-15+at+10.37.14+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5C5dpGOZ_uG-nGxr-5o0UnrvdIJDizz6vIvHgEiGxucj0il-dSMIE5qi3rqdcztS_87JA4fCCbXnOMJJtvCEPrirjwj5zcjCQhdgHie3h4vgqvcjMZnKOoRtb5YkKqGYRMeuUWj7J_KW6/s320/Screen+shot+2011-12-15+at+10.37.14+AM.png" width="173" /></a></div>Last spring I received an email from a Hillel member seeking volunteers for Gateways, a program that brings together Tufts students and adults with special needs for Shabbat. I was beyond excited. For fifteen years I attended a Jewish Day School that stressed the importance of gemilut chasadim (acts of loving-kindness) and growing up I spent much time volunteering with children with special needs in music therapy and in a camp setting; additionally, during my gap year in Israel I spent every Tuesday working at a recreation center for adults with Down Syndrome. These hours of volunteering were always the most fulfilling part of my week. Yet at Tufts, I’d found myself slipping into my one-track mind academic mode and, despite the Tufts commitment to “active citizenship”, spent less time volunteering than I had hoped. I figured Gateways would be the perfect remedy and jumped at the chance to be involved. I was right; Gateways immediately reignited my passion for working with others and reminded me that there is more to life than Club Tisch.<br />
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Gateways Shabbat happen every few weeks. We always start the evening with an interactive discussion about some aspect of Judaism, whether it be the next-approaching holiday or our favorite Shabbat meals. We then head over to Hillel, where we sing together in services and eat dinner. I am lucky enough to spend these nights with Ilyse, an eighteen year old woman with Down Syndrome. She defines spunk, is always color coordinated (even down to her glasses!), and is one of the very few people who shares my love for Justin Bieber. Yet Ilyse and I have developed a bond that runs deeper than just talking about musicians or her color choice of the week. We have gained an understanding of one another and work off each other’s emotions. Her laughter makes me laugh; her smile makes me happy; her success makes me proud. She has become so much more than a just a buddy; she is truly a friend.<br />
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Shimon HaTzadik used to say: “Upon three things the world stands: on Torah, on worship, and on acts of loving-kindness” (Pirkei Avot 1:2). Gateways is a program that brings together these three tenets of Judaism in a unique way, and the fact that this is one of Ilyse’s favorite songs during services makes this quote all the more fitting. We spend time learning about Judaism, actively engaging ourselves in Shabbat worship, and working together in the spirit of gemilut chasadim. My Shabbat experience has been made all the more meaningful through Gateways and I constantly find myself looking forward to the next one!</div>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-40254262948828579952011-10-24T16:04:00.007-04:002011-12-13T09:43:34.280-05:00Don't Separate Yourself from the Community: Rebecca Herzberg '14<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRqxfKCkrIrrwqWsa_0Y5AzegQ-6qbQLapOa2d0dXH8WNyPz0miV3JZceOi9qMtESJ2fd6c7Ugf1GXg-3ADR3hOhsmUS-BpqSIUy3OHbTLzXoSljbKFDvuLRkGK4YSihV_hA1NX1gt5g2/s1600/226667_1761360122012_1479330243_3326997_612178_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRqxfKCkrIrrwqWsa_0Y5AzegQ-6qbQLapOa2d0dXH8WNyPz0miV3JZceOi9qMtESJ2fd6c7Ugf1GXg-3ADR3hOhsmUS-BpqSIUy3OHbTLzXoSljbKFDvuLRkGK4YSihV_hA1NX1gt5g2/s320/226667_1761360122012_1479330243_3326997_612178_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>One of Rabbi Hillel's most famous sayings is, "If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?" I heard this quote often throughout my fifteen year Jewish Day School education. I was active in community service throughout my high school years, whether it was through sometimes volunteering in food banks and soup kitchens, other times working with children in inner-city Philadelphia public schools, and ultimately completing a semester of community service before graduation.<br />
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Community service has continued to be a part of my life here at Tufts, where campus life is truly centered around active citizenship. Over the past three semesters, I have had the opportunity to be the co-director of Community Relations for the Leonard Carmichael Society (Tufts' Umbrella Volunteer Organization), tutor a middle schooler in math, and be a buddy for a young adult in the community with special needs. While I thoroughly enjoy these commitments, these are very much individual acts, where I do not necessarily see the broader impact of my actions on the community.<br />
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But on September 23, 2011, when Tufts Hillel and the Leonard Carmichael Society hosted Reach Out: Tufts' Service Day, I was able to see the impact the Tufts community could make on our surrounding one. Reach Out: Tufts' Service Day was a first-ever campus wide day devoted to community service. Its goal was to have Tufts students volunteer in the community and show community organizations how much we care. As one of the organizers of the event, my vision, and that of my co-chairs, was to have students volunteer with many types of non-profit organizations, such as working in community development, with the elderly, or in after-school programs. We wanted to jump start the year with community service in the hopes that students would forge lasting relationships with their organizations and continue to invest their time there. We also wanted to make Tufts students aware of the needs of or our surrounding communities, and that community service opportunities abound.<br />
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We definitely did just that - on September 23, 200+ bright blue t-shirt clad students left the Aidekman Arts Center motivated and ready to "reach out." After the event, we received inspiring feedback. Students exclaimed how much they enjoyed working with their various organizations - whether tutoring children after school or cleaning up parks to name a few. The other day I even had a student approach me, asking me about how she could get involved in community service because she wanted to forge a relationship with organizations but had been unable to attend the Service Day. I spoke to some students who even said that they did not realize how easy and fun community service could be, and others who are already planning to work with their organizations on a regular basis. I'd say we definitely met our goals.<br />
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As Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers) 2:4 states, "Don't separate yourself from your community." Participating in Reach Out: Tufts' Service Day allowed me to feel a sense of ownership of my community and allowed me to see the huge difference one community can make in the lives of another. </div>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-20991811660169861132011-04-19T16:49:00.000-04:002011-04-19T16:49:35.791-04:00Tufts Against Genocide - Remembering Rwanda: Annie Lobel '11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUhA8SBMXjzkaZiGhFww1e0W1rum0b1yCIWSQ7ZTBJ86io5TK_tlS6w3gZphdu5mGBl6tQglMn2kH3ZAqv_3N6_L9rHUEMxsJ4RChxIT8CdrNAO_9_IWNGZB7ORGO1B6DmX2axaVkZR3j/s1600/AnniePhoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUhA8SBMXjzkaZiGhFww1e0W1rum0b1yCIWSQ7ZTBJ86io5TK_tlS6w3gZphdu5mGBl6tQglMn2kH3ZAqv_3N6_L9rHUEMxsJ4RChxIT8CdrNAO_9_IWNGZB7ORGO1B6DmX2axaVkZR3j/s200/AnniePhoto.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I studied post-conflict development and the aftermath of civil war and genocide during my junior year in Rwanda and Northern Uganda. It was an incredibly eye-opening, transformative and at times difficult experience. I lived with host families while living in both countries. I learned to love cold basin baths, having electricity only sometimes, having very little personal space, learning how to slaughter a chicken ceremoniously, learning how to speak some Kinyarwanda and Acholi, and learning that there really isn't much different between myself and people my age half way across the world. What I took away from my time in East Africa was the power of humankind - the acute awareness of people's strength to do good, but at the same time, their ability to commit evil – as happened in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. This is not an event of distant history. No, it happened during my lifetime. And the repercussions of such a tragedy are still very present. Genocides are frequently spoken about as “unthinkable” events; yet they are “thinkable,” because they have happened and keep happening.<br />
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I of course am not Rwandan nor Ugandan myself, but when studying the Rwandan Genocide in Rwanda, although it happened to a certain group of people, I realized that this issue of genocide is far from an issue of one ethnic group. It is an issue relevant to all of us. Whether we are the people being persecuted, the persecutors, or the bystanders, we are responsible. We are responsible to take a stand and to educate ourselves and our peers about the histories of genocides, the ongoing occurrences of genocide, and how to take steps to stop such inexcusable massacres.<br />
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There are about 200 different memorials commemorating the 1994 Rwandan Genocide in a country the size of Vermont. Much of my classroom time was spent visiting, studying, and experiencing these memorials. Memorials in Rwanda are unique in that many of them have just been left as they were in 1994 - a huge statement making sure future generations do not dare forget what took place for 100 days killing nearly one million people.<br />
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Let me tell you - studying war and genocide in East Africa was really tough for me at times, but also I have never done anything so rewarding. I wish that everyone my age could be exposed to the realities of what humans can do to each other. Once you see it, smell it, respond to it and are no longer able to hold back tears, there is no way you can ignore it.<br />
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I remember returning to my Rwandan host family's home after my visit to the memorials, and my host sisters greeting me so warmly. I just wanted to cry. I wanted to ask so many questions but I didn't even know where to begin, what was appropriate, and whether they would want me inquiring or not. My host dad had told me he lost several of his siblings at the high school I had just visited, and now that I had visited I understood much more of what he was talking about. I was and still am amazed by his and his family's strength, love, and inspiration.<br />
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Although my host family felt unique to me, truth is they were not unique in that in Rwanda, everyone has been directly affected by the genocide. Everyone I met had lost a brother, mother, cousin, grandparent, or best friend. Nobody escaped the horrors of the genocide.<br />
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Let me tell you - returning to Tufts was not easy. It was a bit isolating even. I knew I had changed but my world at home had not changed very much. What I had thought was a "perfect fit" at home no longer fit as perfectly as I remembered. Reverse culture shock returning to the States was way harder than the culture shock when I first left home. When my peers would ask me "how was abroad?" no one sentence answer was ever satisfying to me. There was so much I wanted to communicate to my friends, peers, and family, and the frustration that no one would even begin to understand where I was coming from was frustrating and disheartening. I did realize that the frustration was not productive unless I turned it into something. People were trying to understand, they just needed guidance. Ever since I returned to Tufts I felt this need to take action, to do something about all of this, to educate my peers and help make them want to learn more, and to help other people understand that this should not happen again - we cannot let it happen again.<br />
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It was incredible to return to Tufts and eventually find and connect to like-minded students and to put together the Tufts Against Genocide (TAG) Committee with the incredible support of Tufts Hillel and the inspiration of the Cummings Challenge.<br />
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TAG's kick-off event was a panel of five survivors of Genocide - we had a survivor from the Rwandan Genocide, the Holocaust, the Bosnian Genocide, the Cambodian Genocide, and the son of Armenian survivors - each told his or her story. The purpose and message of our panel was to remind the Tufts community that genocide does not discriminate. It is relevant to all of us. We were hoping that by portraying a range of cultures and ethnicities on stage, listeners would be affected by the visual as well as people's stories. The event was incredibly moving, educational, and inspiring. We had no idea if 30 people would show up - we were delighted when a full auditorium of 250 people filled our audience to hear the firsthand accounts of these inspiring speakers.<br />
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After this event, a number of Tufts students have inquired how to get involved in this movement of bringing more genocide education to campus. Since the panel we have had a few other events, such as a Holocaust film screening, discussion, and dinner, as well as a Rwandan Genocide film screening during Genocide Awareness Week. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
We as college students have taken a stand and want to be part of a movement to make sure that now and in the future when people say "never again," that this "never again" will become a reality.<br />
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This is the beginning of something way bigger than just a committee of Tufts students. We want to get the whole campus involved. We want to get other campuses involved. We are not asking everyone to go on and work in memorials or attend graduate studies in genocide education. No. What we are asking is that everyone - no matter if they are a student, teacher, athlete, doctor, engineer, philanthropist, or waitress - we want this subject to be on the forefronts of everyone's mind. It is relevant to all of us. And it takes the next generation of leaders to care and to take action against stopping any and all future genocides.</span></span></div>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-48351534838494085362011-04-05T21:50:00.000-04:002011-04-05T21:50:23.715-04:00Read by the River: Emma Gaines '11<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTYslzn0a24p16ZZjWqLDU8BJADHCiSTPuPomQ4P3HIIg9KMWlVEwlCVHuCg8aCTr5NiULsAXMVMg2-OZkRe6B2a6vwzXomBlfCPCAP3pRnC9gmIZ3SNr4QM9l21krCIp2u1JxBpCcdvs/s1600/RBTR13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTYslzn0a24p16ZZjWqLDU8BJADHCiSTPuPomQ4P3HIIg9KMWlVEwlCVHuCg8aCTr5NiULsAXMVMg2-OZkRe6B2a6vwzXomBlfCPCAP3pRnC9gmIZ3SNr4QM9l21krCIp2u1JxBpCcdvs/s320/RBTR13.jpg" width="203" /></a>This year, Tufts Hillel held the 11<sup>th</sup> annual literacy carnival Read by the River (RBTR). I have participated in RBTR for all my four years at Tufts, and I’ve been on the executive organizing committee for three out of those four years. RBTR has always been one of my favorite things about my Tufts experience, including the planning process and the carnival itself. From late nights spent drawing decorations at Hillel, to the smile on a child’s face when I hear my 5<sup>th</sup> consecutive book report on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Diary of a Wimpy Kid</i>, I love everything about RBTR!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve always been involved with doing community service with children, and in high school I even worked on some literacy oriented projects. At Tufts, one of my majors is Child Development. I think that RBTR is a perfect community service opportunity for me to contribute to the community in the ways that I most want to and am most qualified to. Although it is easy to get caught up in painting murals or ordering the popcorn for the carnival, when it comes down to it, RBTR is all about the kids. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For this reason, we are always thinking about ways to make RBTR better for the kids. We’ve made a lot of improvements just during my time at Tufts – extending our literacy community service initiative beyond just the day of the carnival to a full year commitment and expanding to Somerville, for example. There have also been little changes that go a long way for the kids – for the first time this year, before the day of the carnival, children drew a picture from their favorite book and wrote about why they loved reading, and we hung these up at the day of the carnival for everyone to see. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This year we thought of another new improvement for RBTR, which was a parent’s booth. Thanks to Lauren Estes’ dual leadership, this idea was the brainchild of both the RBTR board and the Hillel organization Vitality, which works to promote health and wellness on Tufts campus. The idea became a reality, and the booth provided educational information to parents both on literacy and health related issues, and also gave out goody bags with health related products such as toothbrushes and hand sanitizer. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think the parent’s booth is a sign that in little ways, RBTR can always change and find more ways to best serve the children who loyally come year after year and have a wonderful day at the carnival.</div>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-41882437195642652792011-03-31T14:16:00.001-04:002011-03-31T14:16:59.128-04:00Talk About Full Circle: Sonni Bendetson, A'09<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgAMZWQHUNYP-0Fdsv6VK72bhyBNyNc4zsSFgYVDy38eVTQ7OeUz1tNAlG28iKqXlwAgOUSgy_NY4T4M8pjDdsugtlgQZ4hFxGcld23elrz3eAcrgt7_KcUdvy3k3cK0Qq5oseOUGqcyl/s1600/me4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgAMZWQHUNYP-0Fdsv6VK72bhyBNyNc4zsSFgYVDy38eVTQ7OeUz1tNAlG28iKqXlwAgOUSgy_NY4T4M8pjDdsugtlgQZ4hFxGcld23elrz3eAcrgt7_KcUdvy3k3cK0Qq5oseOUGqcyl/s1600/me4.png" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There’s a tradition at Tufts Hillel that when we say the motzi on Friday nights, everyone reaches their arm toward the center of the table and puts a hand on the challah. At two Shabbat dinners recently, for the first time, several of those hands belonged to young adults with special needs. As I looked around the room at students, professors, Hillel staff and even President Bacow connected to one another and reciting the motzi in unison, I realized that, at that moment, no one could really tell who had special needs and who did not.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That was a highlight for me: watching my college world merge with my professional world around an issue that is deeply important to me. And </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Repair the World</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> made it happen. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I grew up with a younger brother who is hard of hearing, and it only took witnessing one teasing comment from another kid, a family friend who called my brother “ear boy” because of his hearing aids, to ignite my passion for advocating for people with special needs at a very young age. In high school I became involved in the Gateways Teen Volunteer Program, which trains high school students to be one-to-one aides for students in a Sunday school for children with special needs. I wrote my college essay about my experience in this program, and went on to study Child Development at Tufts, graduating in 2009. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After graduating college, I took a job as Program Associate at Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, the same organization that runs the Gateways Teen Volunteer Program. During one of my first days on the job, I attended a meeting with a group of parents who wanted Gateways to design a Jewish education program for their young adult children with special needs, who were all about my age. I was thinking about the role Judaism had played in my life for the past few years and realized that, like most Jewish young adults in the US, my campus Hillel had shaped my Jewish identity as a young adult, providing a forum to explore Judaism through education, socialization, volunteerism and spirituality. Then it occurred to me that people with special needs were simply not a part of this experience, and that if I had not found a way to incorporate this population into my definition of my Jewish community in college, then most other people probably hadn’t either.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I wanted to create a program that would meet the needs of Jewish young adults with disabilities, as well as begin to address issues around the inclusion of people with special needs in the greater Jewish community. Lucky for me, Tufts University, my alma mater, was poised and ready to take on this mission. Tufts Hillel, through their Repair the World initiative, partnered with Gateways, Boston’s central agency for Jewish special education, to pilot this innovative new program that aims to challenge- and change- the way we view, treat and interact with people with special needs in our community. Now the greater goal is to develop emerging adults who are not only aware of people with special needs, but who value and expect a community that is inclusive of all Jewish people.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With the support of Gateways and the partnership of Tufts Hillel, we recruited volunteers and have run the first two installments of the program with huge success. Everyone in the program- the volunteers and the young adults with special needs- have had fabulous evenings. “The best part,” according to Marie, a bright young woman with Down Syndrome who is enrolled in the program, “was when we did the Kiddush together. The whole table and the whole room, it was like one big community and I felt part of it.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The next installment of this program is slated for April 8 at Tufts Hillel. For more information on this or any Gateways program, please contact Sonni Bendetson at 617-630-9010, ext. 109 or at </span><a href="mailto:sonni@jgateways.org"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">sonni@jgateways.org</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. </span><o:p></o:p></div>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-12487788512610844482011-02-28T11:01:00.001-05:002011-02-28T16:39:52.692-05:00Gateways Shabbat: Lauren Stanzler '14<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcsc42uIeKosUr_txrZTD0aNaZWk3hl3XNebVN_zIHZg8hBsEk5DULZ_smKDfgP-5y7IonCKy045zN7lSrgctapauuwb1baKOsGpgYkPXmYJu8uO-2H8MhUayvtQNvYUi0f3owVoXhZEN/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcsc42uIeKosUr_txrZTD0aNaZWk3hl3XNebVN_zIHZg8hBsEk5DULZ_smKDfgP-5y7IonCKy045zN7lSrgctapauuwb1baKOsGpgYkPXmYJu8uO-2H8MhUayvtQNvYUi0f3owVoXhZEN/s1600/image.jpg" /></a></div>This semester several students from Tufts are volunteering with a program called Gateways as the start of a new partnership with Hillel. Gateways is an organization based in Boston that provides access to Jewish education for children and young adults with special needs. With this organization, we are hosting several students with special needs to our Shabbat services at Hillel. The participants, mostly from the Boston area, are around college-aged and they are extremely enthusiastic to be part of this program.<br />
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I got involved with Gateways because I thought it would make my Shabbat experience very special. I think everyone deserves a chance to celebrate Shabbat with their community. I wanted to grant this opportunity to members of my faith who may not always have access to a Shabbat service. I also hope to form friendships with the young adults with special needs. Although I don’t have much experience working with people with special needs, I thought it would be rewarding to interact with them, especially on Shabbat.<br />
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Before the first Shabbat service with Gateways, the Tufts students involved in the program attended a training session. During this session we discussed how to interact with the participants and how to make them feel comfortable in a new environment. We also went over the schedule for the program and simulated situations that might occur during the service. The training was a great experience that made me feel prepared and excited for my interactions with the participants.<br />
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The first Shabbat was a success. My friend and I were paired with our “buddy,” a girl from Boston who was excited to be at Hillel. Before services began, we discussed the meaning of Shabbat. Both the volunteers from Tufts and the participants from Gateways agreed Shabbat stands out form the rest of the week because it is a time for relaxation and reflection. It was easy to connect with the participants, as they were thrilled to be at services and amongst such warm and supportive college students. I particularly enjoyed eating dinner with my “buddy,” who joked around with me because I am not familiar with the geography of my hometown, Boston. Overall, the Gateways program made my Shabbat a very special experience. I look forward to the next one!Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-29748015921865887872011-02-21T17:18:00.000-05:002011-02-21T17:18:17.745-05:00Storytelling: Rebecca Matyas ‘13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjdzwq2cDm81u8fcf3Ivpy5R5DPX-8o8oSGRGJLF7xZ5mcRun3BVq6LdMXnYSyNgEG7fsKAeQ3awL-EH3bNDOKCXoqrgOBCmfZ_EdtrWEvAG1eNH5IlvjdEvgylXpDakHBl4lDHAPh2wM/s1600/REPAIR+THE+WORLD+BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjdzwq2cDm81u8fcf3Ivpy5R5DPX-8o8oSGRGJLF7xZ5mcRun3BVq6LdMXnYSyNgEG7fsKAeQ3awL-EH3bNDOKCXoqrgOBCmfZ_EdtrWEvAG1eNH5IlvjdEvgylXpDakHBl4lDHAPh2wM/s320/REPAIR+THE+WORLD+BLOG.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Once upon a time, there was a quiet village. Then, one terrible day, a fearsome dragon began to terrorize the villagers. Luckily, a brave hero stepped in to slay the dragon and return peace to the countryside…<br />
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Last week, I attended community organizing training focusing on storytelling by the Jewish Organizing Initiative (JOI). Two professionals from JOI spent the afternoon us, a group of Jewish student leaders, both board members and others, who wanted to learn tools to make a difference in the world. We learned about structuring our personal stories in the most effective way to express ourselves, with a clear beginning, middle, and end like the story of dragon and the village. Then, we discussed ways that storytelling can be useful in inspiring people to action, making connections with others, and helping others find connections with each other. Finally, we practiced our own stories and gave each other constructive criticism.<br />
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Storytelling is a tool that I use a lot as a CEI intern, especially in one on one coffee dates. For instance, many of my engagees are uncomfortable in Jewish settings where they feel they are “not Jewish enough.” I believe that no one should feel inadequate or excluded because of their beliefs or choices, so I will often tell a story about a time that I had doubts about aspects of Judaism, where a certain belief or custom did not seem like something I wanted to incorporate into my own practices. Hearing how I reconciled my personal Judaism within a broader Jewish context has been comforting or validating for several of my engagees because it allows them to see how their doubts or choices contribute richness to their own Judaism without detracting from “how Jewish they are.” With this validation, people can feel more comfortable exploring their options without being deterred contexts outside their comfort zones.<br />
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I use my stories to connect with people of all different backgrounds and encourage them to tell me their stories so that I can learn what they are passionate about and help them find opportunities to take ownership of their Judaism in ways that are important to them. While storytelling was a tool I was using regularly, I really enjoyed the workshop because it helped me reexamine the tools that I use every day and will allow me to be more intentional and successful in my own storytelling.Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-8304107367263789292011-02-07T15:59:00.004-05:002011-02-07T16:02:05.830-05:00Lisa Ling Raising a Moral Voice: Nat Schils '12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgkqioqjOjQy3hGw6agPjZchz7Zh-8YAKkB6puA0te0M_8ctXyzFYb0ics69uvjQQoOVvKHHYqxegh9hS464XA1j1zEvU4YSPV39fvP_ErXZyWUIbaXImSNCYarO9rOVu26S9VBtKeTUf/s1600/DSC00189_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgkqioqjOjQy3hGw6agPjZchz7Zh-8YAKkB6puA0te0M_8ctXyzFYb0ics69uvjQQoOVvKHHYqxegh9hS464XA1j1zEvU4YSPV39fvP_ErXZyWUIbaXImSNCYarO9rOVu26S9VBtKeTUf/s320/DSC00189_2.JPG" width="284" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This past Tuesday Lisa Ling, an internationally renowned journalist, came to Tufts for the Merrin Distinguished Lecture which is presented annually by Tufts Hillel. Even though I had heard that Lisa Ling had covered fascinating stories around the world, gaining access to previously closed off locations and speaking about ignored or taboo topics, I was blown away by the breadth of her experience. She spoke about her time in Afghanistan, where she saw boys as young as fourteen wielding guns like trained military men. She met with American couples traveling to China to adopt baby girls. She spent time at a maximum-security penitentiary, traveled in North Korea, and explored the disturbing truths of prostitution in the United States.<br />
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Apart from her stories, however, what struck me most during her speech was when she talked about the dangers of “American style glasses” through which we often dilute complex issues into black-and-white, wrong vs. right, simplicity. Lisa Ling recounted numerous experiences when her oversimplification of a complex issue was blown apart when she started investigating a story at the ground level, interacting with community members and those who had first-hand knowledge and experience with the issues. One example she used was of a policy in Australia that allows women with children under the age of five to bring their children with them if they are jailed. While this policy may seem akin to child abuse and endangerment at first, Lisa Ling came to see another side of the story through her investigative work. She shared statistics about the increased risk that children with one or more incarcerated parent will themselves end up in jail, as well as the decreased incidents of violence at jails when children are present. While many in the audience may still not have agreed with this policy, it definitely brought to light the importance of complete knowledge before making hasty, and potentially inaccurate, assumptions about the lives and decisions of other people.<br />
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In continuation with this theme of knowledge before judgment, Lisa Ling also stressed the importance and power of listening. While many people are surprised by Lisa Ling’s ability to infiltrate seemingly closed-off areas, she attributes her success to her commitment to listening carefully and to spending time with people in order to gain their confidence and trust. Rather than promoting monetary action and donations to support a cause, Lisa Ling encouraged audience members to bring global stories to light and to spread awareness about different conflicts that exist both in our own backyards and around the world. By spreading awareness, we can decrease our dependence on “American style glasses” as we begin to think differently about complex issues like environmental justice, female empowerment, and the rights of children. Perhaps it is a human instinct to simplify what the world presents us, especially in today’s increasingly technology-dependent world in which we are constantly bombarded by information and images. I hope that we can all remember Lisa Ling’s words and the importance of being open as we continue to explore global and domestic stories in Tufts classrooms and in the wider world.</span>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-44430173525667045742010-12-19T17:10:00.004-05:002010-12-19T17:21:00.059-05:00Connecting with the Boston Jewish Community: Sofi Shield '14<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_Q9G3OuM9RVAqXAy7lEBTEXzJlhadpOIlkAR13Oal1WNfTxTR2Z44DvWYFEiRvAgfGrCAh0sLmbYtHDj3y2EeO7XWkvNUoor_IZtfNUDpYJG10S85tAkzLLa1TVW3ej2o_Nq6hL2NRV_/s1600/sofi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_Q9G3OuM9RVAqXAy7lEBTEXzJlhadpOIlkAR13Oal1WNfTxTR2Z44DvWYFEiRvAgfGrCAh0sLmbYtHDj3y2EeO7XWkvNUoor_IZtfNUDpYJG10S85tAkzLLa1TVW3ej2o_Nq6hL2NRV_/s320/sofi.jpeg" /></a></div>On November 21st, I went with a group of other Moral Voices members to Temple Shalom in Medford to help them make pies. We went in two shifts, both of which were welcomed with open arms (and freshly baked donuts!) by the appreciative temple members. Making pies was a fun activity, but connecting with the Jewish community in Boston was definitely what I think the overall achievement and reward from the outing. The temple members were all interested in who we were and eager to engage us in conversation, and we also enjoyed ourselves playing with the little children who were running around the social hall.<br />
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Making a connection with another Jewish community in the area is something that I think is very important for Moral Voices and Tufts Hillel. Whether we pair up for events in the future, or are just there to support each other, I am very happy to have been able to be a part of establishing this relationship. In fact, three freshman(Simmone Seymour, Ariel Bronstein and myself) went back to help out on December 5th for the Temple Shalom Hannukah party. After being offered copious amounts for delicious latkes and sufganiyot, we headed to our stations. The three of us helped in running the children’s games. “Bowl to Knock over the Greeks,” “Dreidel Darts,” and “Pin the Candle on the Menorah” were all featured activities and the kids would play turn after turn, eager to beat their score from the previous round. At one point,a blind lady asked to bowl and Ariel guided her through the game time after time as the lady smiled, laughed, and told us how much fun she was having. Around the same time, and older man came up to us and asked if we were Tufts students. He introduced himself as Herb, class of 1958, his wife (who was also there) also a Tufts graduate. He is very involved with both Temple Shalom and the Tufts community,and was definitely a valuable, interesting person to meet when trying to bridge the two.<br />
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Overall, these two events were fun experiences that were valuable for Moral Voices as a group, and for everyone on an individual level. We had fun, baked pies, played with adorable children, ate good food, and helped out the community in which we live, connecting Jewish groups in the Medford-Somerville area.<br />
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Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-9050582754383602772010-12-12T13:58:00.001-05:002010-12-12T13:58:32.447-05:00An Interfaith Thanksgiving: Shauna Pierson '13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjFNDnIuRTi-_5gsrmISNAl5vOWAXhjlJoPn7yF1hXp71yFcT9AilYvOdfxjtBXMx1sWqyybBLfjpWezR841RpAMsbh7tOv-4y8wqSCR1Y3ipyjqnHncWpJeLI5z2PSzv-5QkXaRJfhs4/s1600/interfaith+thanksgiving.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjFNDnIuRTi-_5gsrmISNAl5vOWAXhjlJoPn7yF1hXp71yFcT9AilYvOdfxjtBXMx1sWqyybBLfjpWezR841RpAMsbh7tOv-4y8wqSCR1Y3ipyjqnHncWpJeLI5z2PSzv-5QkXaRJfhs4/s400/interfaith+thanksgiving.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>My name is Shauna Pierson, and I am one of the interfaith co-chairs at Tufts Hillel. I am a strong believer in the power of common ground, in strengthening the ties that bind us together in order to achieve great things. That was the goal of our Interfaith Thanksgiving dinner, and when I looked around at a room filled with people of different backgrounds, religions, cultures, and creeds coming together to give thanks in multiple ways, I realized it was a success. <br />
As Hillel’s Interfaith Committee co-chairs, Ben Jaye and I spent months preparing for Interfaith Thanksgiving. We joined up with most of the other religious organizations on campus, namely the Catholic Community at Tufts, the Hindu Students Council, the Baha’i Association, CAFÉ, the Protestant Student Fellowship, and the Muslim Students’ Association; it was a meaningful and productive experience to plan this interfaith event with the other leaders of religious groups on campus, and we made a ton of new contacts and friends. <br />
We also decided to cosponsor the event with Tufts Chaplaincy, thereby adding an inclusive and interactive “Thanks-for-Giving” portion. Organized by Father O’Leary, the religious groups were each partnered with a service organization on campus—such as TUPD, dining services, or the athletic department. Seeing representatives from each respective religious group give thanks to their chosen behind-the-scenes workers at Tufts was an immensely powerful moment. <br />
The most incredible part of the evening was the service portion. Like last year, we decided to devote our efforts to an organization called “Hugs and Hope”, which works toward bringing smiles and kind words to terminally ill children and their families. Each participant was given the name of a terminally ill child, some of their hobbies, their favorite colors, the names of their brothers and sisters, etc. We had a plethora of arts supplies, and within minutes everyone in the room had snatched up construction paper and colored pencils, and was totally absorbed in making the most beautiful and inspiring card for a child in need. I heard squeals of joy when people realized that their assigned kid loves the same comic books as they do, laughter as people recalled their own days of childhood arts and crafts projects, and sadness when we all realized that they are far too young and innocent to be suffering so much. But it was the feeling in the room—the unity, the collective desire to help—that was truly indescribable. <br />
Looking back, I know that there were definitely some roadblocks along the way—and we realized that dedication and perseverance were key in producing a successful event that would bring so many diverse people in the same room at the same time. But this is what we did, and the spirit of that evening stayed with each of us as we went our separate ways to celebrate Thanksgiving with our own family, friends, and customs. Because no matter what, we are all thankful for this life that we have been given, and it is an amazing thing when we realize that we can do great things when we forget our differences.Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-73740576817381447292010-12-05T13:23:00.006-05:002010-12-06T12:44:17.278-05:00Taking Action in Somerville: Alon Slutzky '13<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJ-XStxfuZK1S_2XMEE7c1tP7qbLVP2eZX4Q8FDGS34R7_yUFrllO0wzDJLH0ohW4PBFV-Ods91IiuxRHeW36MfQoTi41NJm3m-LCw4afNZ91LIPKws_2AWHW8uunMughxCAyAmOdHmME/s1600/DSC_0907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJ-XStxfuZK1S_2XMEE7c1tP7qbLVP2eZX4Q8FDGS34R7_yUFrllO0wzDJLH0ohW4PBFV-Ods91IiuxRHeW36MfQoTi41NJm3m-LCw4afNZ91LIPKws_2AWHW8uunMughxCAyAmOdHmME/s320/DSC_0907.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Tufts volunteers go "all hands in" at a nursing home in Somerville.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">My name is Alon Slutzky, and this is my Repair the World story. Two weeks ago a friend and I, with the help of about a dozen other students, visited a nearby nursing home in Somerville in order to help some of the residents celebrate their birthdays. The idea to organize the celebration arose out of a simple conversation with my friend Josh Malkin. The conversation started with us recounting the community service that we did during high school and the difficulty of finding constituent meaningful service to participate in at Tufts. We wanted to close that gap and proceeded to browse through some of the campus groups and the volunteer opportunities they offered. We both knew we were looking for something more personal than assisting with a fundraising drive and something more local than helping with an issue taking place half way the around. After a fruitless search for opportunities through existing organizations, a realization dawned on us. Do we need an existing organization to tell us what community service is available for us? Why can’t we organize something ourselves that is tailored specifically to the service we want to partake in? Although it would take some more work on our part, we agreed to do organize a community service project on our own. That is when we decided to visit the elderly community near Tufts. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Choosing a nursing home was not an arbitrary decision. When I was twelve years old my grandparents’ health deteriorated and they moved into a nursing home. Although my opinions have changed now, back then I was far from ecstatic about visiting them there. One day, before we went inside to see my grandparents, my mother sat me down and explained to me how hard her parents have worked in order to raise her and her two sisters. Now that my grandparents were reaching the end of their lives, it was our responsibility as a family to show them we haven’t forgotten them. After a number of visits to their nursing home it became clear to me that there were many residents whose family did indeed forget them. I saw residents who have not seen visitors in years. I understood the travesty of raising your children with love and attention only to be neglecting by your children when you need the love and attention in return. Out of this experience Josh and I decided to visit the elderly in around the Tufts community and remind them that we haven’t forgotten them. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> We reached out to Anchord an a Capella group on campus and asked them to provide the musical entertainment for the celebration. We also asked URAK(cleverly pronounced you-rock), the UnRandom Acts of Kindness club, to make birthday cards for the residents celebrating their birthdays’ that month. By word of mouth, and by spamming some elists we asked students to join us. The response was way more than we expected. What we thought would be a 3-4 person trip to the home for a short visit evolved into over a dozen people spending two hours with a roomful of residents singing songs together and swapping stories about the old days. The residents were happy to see us and we were amazed by how easy and simple it was to brighten their day. The nursing home contacted us the next day and asked us to come again as per the request of the residents. Also many of the students that came to the home asked if we can go back to visit. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;">The main lesson that I learned from this experience is that we all want to do good for the community, the tough part is figuring out how. As it turns out, all you need is a few like-minded friends and just enough drive to turn words into action. The other important lesson I learned from one of the residents who recently celebrated her 94<sup>th</sup> birthday is that no matter how old you get it never hurts to laugh. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr align="center"><td><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-JcZiImJ_cAQGVKtxIp56FuV-iSYoVaWJ6SgYPD3DsqGhBPxFGvhzSR7q2zggIHLQWc3mDnM7Kn-mG7IJ58aRbQdG2HZJrvM49pvnXAlTmnRt7Elw6luEb3abc4AwhA7nyid4RNcT_p2/s1600/DSC_0918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-JcZiImJ_cAQGVKtxIp56FuV-iSYoVaWJ6SgYPD3DsqGhBPxFGvhzSR7q2zggIHLQWc3mDnM7Kn-mG7IJ58aRbQdG2HZJrvM49pvnXAlTmnRt7Elw6luEb3abc4AwhA7nyid4RNcT_p2/s320/DSC_0918.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Anchord, the Tufts a cappella group, performs as students and residents look on. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-2922309769820526732010-12-01T18:14:00.002-05:002010-12-01T18:16:24.219-05:00The Global Jewry Festival: Elizabeth Schrott '12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9KwE3qJyL-BntzMk_T3jMQat-wn7pFJuLafojuqii8pK5V3WRM7UK-HW53cZLAnZwG0b-QqNts3466m1fS5EAxCN7c91Co_JfYies0K2zvcj5b0rVRpg89esnZ3t5JCTAml9_qiz7hiZ/s1600/jdcu+festival+year+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9KwE3qJyL-BntzMk_T3jMQat-wn7pFJuLafojuqii8pK5V3WRM7UK-HW53cZLAnZwG0b-QqNts3466m1fS5EAxCN7c91Co_JfYies0K2zvcj5b0rVRpg89esnZ3t5JCTAml9_qiz7hiZ/s320/jdcu+festival+year+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> My name is Elizabeth Schrott and I am the student chair of the JDCU initiative at the Tufts Hillel. JDCU is a group that focuses on global Jewry, as there are many different Jewish communities all over the world, and we highlight the work that the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee does in these communities. On November 30</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">, JDC had our Third Annual Global Jewry Festival. The Global Jewry Festival is a night filled with educational posters, student performances, delicious regional specialties, and fun! The goal of this event is to highlight the flourishing Jewish communities all over the world. Students have the opportunity to learn about these communities and to understand how Judaism extends to many countries in Africa, Asia, and South America in addition to those in North America and Europe. </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> What makes this event particularly special is that the communities we highlight have positive relationships with the American Joint Distribution Committee, an amazing organization dedicated to rescue, relief and renewal in Jewish and non-sectarian communities all over the world. The JDC works with members of these communities, giving aid and support when needed. Since 1914, the JDC has become one of the leading humanitarian assistance organizations, working in over seventy countries. It is really exciting to learn about the JDC’s projects and the lasting effects that JDC has had on many struggling communities. JDC also has amazing opportunities for students, such as their short-term service trips, where students have the opportunity to experience working in some of these Jewish communities while learning about the importance of tikkun olam.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> JDCU is looking forward to our Fourth Annual Global Jewry Festival next fall! It is a really wonderful event that is eye opening for those who were unaware of the plethora of diverse and beautiful Jewish communities all over the world. </span></div>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-10750176040567602182010-11-21T20:46:00.004-05:002010-11-21T20:51:04.971-05:00Repair the World: A Poem by Asher Rosenfeld, '12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnGMOlPiBy2ZmTwHt9sTGr7f9ZsRUAJNE6zuiq2u85beMdA5FCm6STKgEsmcRcWOtiQgESxEB6ReUI_PeNmu6qQ9Qpr6VVhfWWIuFw7ZCiLjQYb2TWVA0-BE0oYv3KKAWXzYFyS2GQJKi/s1600/asher.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnGMOlPiBy2ZmTwHt9sTGr7f9ZsRUAJNE6zuiq2u85beMdA5FCm6STKgEsmcRcWOtiQgESxEB6ReUI_PeNmu6qQ9Qpr6VVhfWWIuFw7ZCiLjQYb2TWVA0-BE0oYv3KKAWXzYFyS2GQJKi/s320/asher.jpeg" width="220" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">Justice, you shall pursue</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">And in helping others</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Help you</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">And maybe bring</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">His helping back</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">To others who in justice lack.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">When together you might find</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A better home</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A better mind</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Closer still you two can grow</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">By making half this world whole</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">One Jewish life touched each day</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Helping others find their way</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Justice now for everyone</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Pursued by you</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">By all</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Not none</span>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-54613848938098430142010-11-14T11:45:00.001-05:002010-11-14T11:49:05.517-05:00A Trip to the Agohozo Shalom Youth Village: Daphne Amir, '12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyotiWtnboBWRR49BV8tXHaD1b-2zgVif4uw8L1I_URXFTvjUqxw5g_HGwVvufATD3QfVLvwFQ1ZDsXGqHuF9RHFeTgSyG97e1D0nY21cVSRGzkOo9yI0uVfkZVlP6PPa6qJy6mmmcFPXj/s1600/daphne.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyotiWtnboBWRR49BV8tXHaD1b-2zgVif4uw8L1I_URXFTvjUqxw5g_HGwVvufATD3QfVLvwFQ1ZDsXGqHuF9RHFeTgSyG97e1D0nY21cVSRGzkOo9yI0uVfkZVlP6PPa6qJy6mmmcFPXj/s320/daphne.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>My name is Daphne Amir, and this past May, I traveled to Rwanda on a Jewish service and learning trip with Tufts Hillel. Thanks to a generous donation from the Cummings Foundation, twenty of my peers and I had the unique opportunity to volunteer at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village and learn about the Rwandan genocide of 1994. After traveling the rugged, rundown streets of Kigali, we finally arrived at the village. I was astounded; the Rwandan countryside was the most breathtaking landscape I had ever seen. What I could not reconcile, however, was that the beautiful scenery of Rwanda, also known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, completely mismatched the inhumanity and bloodshed that had taken place on its soil.<br />
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Little did I know until my arrival at Agahozo Shalom that Anne Heyman, the founder, used Rwanda’s scenery to the advantage of the kids in the village. “If you see far, you will go far” is painted on an impressive mural at the entrance to ASYV. From the top of the hill, a student can gaze at Lake Mugesera embedded in a valley for miles and miles. Although Rwanda witnessed a great tragedy, the village encourages students to take pride in the beauty of their country and to be instilled with a sense of hope and purpose.<br />
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The layout of the village was also truly intentional. Agahozo Shalom, which is located on one of Rwanda’s many hills, uses the land formation to delineate its ideology. With housing located at the bottom, the dining hall midway, and the high school at the top, ASYV preaches that education is of the highest priority, followed by community.<br />
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I was completely awestruck by the kids at the village upon discovering our shared values of tikun halev and tikun olam—healing the heart and healing the world. The village is committed to helping children who have suffered in their past to heal, which will prepare them to give back to the world. Having attended a Jewish day school, I had never heard these particular phrases used outside of a Jewish context. I was absolutely amazed to hear the kids, from a completely different culture and place, speak the words that had guided me in my Jewish education. The concepts fit seamlessly into the village context, and this commonality made me feel so connected to the kids.<br />
Seeing that the kids were instilled with hope and joy was one of the most empowering experiences I have ever had. It was invaluable to learn about Rwanda’s dark history and then be able to meet the inspirational, young survivors who will carry their country forward. The trip has taught me many precious lessons, among which is my connection and compassion to people across borders. I have experienced the value and importance of contributing to a community whose core values include healing its individual members and so selflessly reaching out to the rest of the world. I send my love and best wishes to the kids in ASYV, and I truly believe that they will do great things.Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-65672291250692864442010-11-08T11:47:00.003-05:002010-11-09T10:25:28.709-05:00Repair the World: My Story, Dahlia Norry '12<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFukicxgW6D4avG6mgfpfs1sqYBD4eYD-S0zLOLDhsfvBt8YF1hvQrIfUYaVukqVB10wZEkEmV1PDF97dN4_P8r5TgitaZxxsdHLMAZUjj8dUWS0IkDysOF-sbEmOe1ZMLtqgOdgpCqEx/s1600/dahlia.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFukicxgW6D4avG6mgfpfs1sqYBD4eYD-S0zLOLDhsfvBt8YF1hvQrIfUYaVukqVB10wZEkEmV1PDF97dN4_P8r5TgitaZxxsdHLMAZUjj8dUWS0IkDysOF-sbEmOe1ZMLtqgOdgpCqEx/s320/dahlia.jpeg"</img></a></div>My name is Dahlia Norry, and I spent this summer in Lurinchincha, Peru with 14 other college students and 3 group leaders. The program, Volunteer Summer, was organized through American Jewish World Service (AJWS), an outstanding organization that acts upon the Jewish obligation to pursue social justice. For seven weeks, we worked to construct a “Ludotecha” recreation center in the mornings and in the afternoons, we studied, discussed and spent time with the community members. <br />
I am still processing what this trip taught me. I feel blessed, and sometimes guilty, to have had this opportunity. AJWS helped and is still supporting me as I try to better understand what my role is as a global citizen. I hope with every fiber of my being that this summer helped me change. I hope that I internalize a new view of our globe and each of our capacities to make a difference. <br />
At Tufts, a globally conscious university there exists an inherent challenge: to make a difference for our larger world by working through an American framework. This struggle is both extremely difficult and extremely well supported here at school . Organizations around this campus inspire me everyday but at the same time, I feel stuck in a bureaucracy and that my efforts will help myself more than they will help others. I wonder if the resources I am utilizing are being put forward in productive ways.<br />
Whether or not I always succeed, AJWS has showed me the importance in trying. We must engage with these questions about how to be active citizens and try to make educated decisions with regards to putting ourselves forward. Lurinchincha taught me humility and the beauty of an intentional community, and I hope to use their model to create spaces in my life where I can walk forward as a global citizen. Thanks AJWS!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-31481390125594368132010-11-01T13:41:00.006-04:002010-12-06T12:43:16.006-05:00Where the Water Meets the Sky: Heather Blonsky, A11<div style="font-family: inherit;"><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Clauren%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Clauren%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Clauren%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt86g-9blGhogYO95JGCquu3Cm2PPIam_V82BeZgiE5PqSwJXHOx7ce4qWE7EaM1AuC2V0HzXcRu_rwv3yZC-kRmIfBHSqsJo1QuuAU2Jpj1zd7uiQfritK-94g4uZum5343HI7RN8pJue/s320/heather.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="174" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Heather Blonsky, A11</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: small;">Last week, Tufts University Moral Voices held a film screening as a kick-off event exploring our topic for the year - Moral Voices on Equity: Raising a Voice for Women Worldwide. We watched “Where the Water Meets the Sky” a film which shows a group of women in Northern Zambia as they learn how to use film equipment and create a documentary about a topic that is both personal and rarely talked about, the plight of women orphaned by AIDS. Camfed is an organization that educates girls and empowers women with a goal of improving the lives of 2 million children by 2013 and achieving that goal in a variety of ways. Camfed brought the cameras to Samfya, Zambia and taught a diverse group of women, including women enrolled in school, women living in a remote fishing village and women who make a living selling products at the market, how to make a documentary, giving them a voice they didn’t have before. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Through the progression of the film, we watched the joy among the women as they successfully learned how to direct the documentary and use the camera and sound equipment, finding happiness in learning a new skill, having the opportunity to speak about important issues and, finally, presenting their hard work to hundreds of viewers throughout their community. After the film ended, everyone in attendance held a short but lively discussion of what we had just seen. As privileged American students at a private university, it is difficult to even comprehend the conditions in which these women from Zambia live. While we could all agree that empowerment is something positive, especially for women, we recognized that it is also something intangible for us, something that doesn’t appear in our daily lives. Most everyone expressed a feeling of being uplifted, proud to see such a project in action, lifting up and empowering the women involved to speak, share and be a part of something worthwhile. “Where the Water Meets the Sky” gave us a window into one story of empowering African women providing us with both a feeling of hope and initiative for the future. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As an idealist with an interest in ‘saving the world’ and a confusion with regard to how to do it, watching this film helped me to see one way in which individuals are making strides to empower others. As I think about how I can make a difference, the documentary reminded me that if you influence one life, you change the world because change cannot be made in one fell swoop but instead must be made one person at a time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">To read more about the documentary or Camfed, watch the trailer, or have a film screening, visit the website: <a href="http://www.watermeetssky.com/">www.watermeetssky.com</a>. </span></div>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-53512607660717739072010-10-24T21:16:00.001-04:002010-12-06T12:40:25.187-05:00Repair the World: My Story, Kira Mikityanskaya, A11<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDrNFDQitPfhFIMh_g4HwVJgH_HpIDWhh4_-TMPHNH8nvVDBtselHJt8bnE-C3u2PbjLkyak87lzaJJdI0OHP-WqF968CQvxWsk5DIQS63OLfgGo1PPGmeYLSF-qvY-HFuZVam4t-YOPJ/s1600/kira.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDrNFDQitPfhFIMh_g4HwVJgH_HpIDWhh4_-TMPHNH8nvVDBtselHJt8bnE-C3u2PbjLkyak87lzaJJdI0OHP-WqF968CQvxWsk5DIQS63OLfgGo1PPGmeYLSF-qvY-HFuZVam4t-YOPJ/s320/kira.jpg" width="183" /></a></div><div>Ask those currently involved in social justice and community service work why it is that they do what they do and how they got involved in the first place and their response will more often than not have something to do with their parents and how they were raised. Tikkun Olam and tzedakah were words that many of my friends heard repeatedly from their parents or in their synagogues from an early age. I, however, was not one of them.</div><div><br />
</div><div>My family and I immigrated to the United States when I was six years old and at the time, I did not know that my family was Jewish. Growing up as an immigrant, I had different priorities than many of my fellow friends whose families were well established in this country. My time, effort, and intellectual abilities were spent on assimilating and learning how to succeed in this country. I was the one in need of help, not the one doing the helping.</div><div><br />
</div><div>As time went on and my family found its place in this country, I was able to gain a deeper understanding for the forces that allowed me to end up where I am today. I learned how much the Jewish community helped us when we first came to the U.S. and how many resources they invested in our family. As I learned more and more about Judaism and what it meant to be Jewish, I found the value of tikkun olam to be the most powerful and prevalent in my life. As my involvement in the Jewish community grew throughout the years, so did my dedication to ensuring that I would eventually ‘ pay it forward.’ If the community had faith in me and helped me when I needed it most, then it was my duty to return the favor.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Upon coming to Tufts, I naturally became very involved with the Hillel on campus and took advantage of the many available opportunities to continue on a path of social justice. I started planning programs that raised awareness about important issues, educated others on campus, traveled oversees on several service trips, and took the time to participate in Jewish learning.</div><div><br />
</div><div>In my current role as a Student Coordinator overseeing the newly formed partnership with Repair The World, I am not only able to continue doing all of the things I have done in the past, but I have the ability to empower others to do the same. I am able to use my passion for social justice to ensure that students find their reason for being active in their community, to match their interests with the community’ s needs, and to strengthen Hillel’s commitment to tikkun olam.</div></span></span></div>Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-48082381219587592812010-10-24T21:06:00.000-04:002010-10-24T21:06:33.822-04:00On the Rise: Simmone Seymour, A14On Monday I, along with two other students at Tufts, volunteered at an organization called On the Rise located in Cambridge, MA. The organization works to restore confidence in women that are homeless via a transitional day program. We were given a tour of the home and then introduced to the program. As part of the introduction we were shown video footage of women from the home give their personal accounts of what led to them becoming homeless. The stories that they wove together were mind-boggling and I could never have imagined someone enduring what these women have gone through. These women were not lazy people who had chosen not to work or had willingly chosen to do drugs that had led them to the streets. They were strong women that had survived a lot and had been placed in situations I do not know what I would have done in. The stories changed my perspective on homelessness. No longer do I believe that homelessness is a condition that somebody can be blamed for getting himself or herself into; I now believe that it is a condition that results from unfortunate events in one’s life. The footage also showcased the work of On The Rise. The organization has no formal structure, such as other transitional programs. There is no stack of intake forms or private therapy sessions; instead you are merely offered a warm shower and a chance to open up when you are ready. This approach created a trusting relationship among the women and staff, and restored responsibility and confidence in the women. They were allowed to feel human again and felt like they had someplace to belong – both invaluable gifts.<br />
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Myself and the two other students ended up sorting through clothes for the women. Though a simple task, volunteering at the organization reshaped my outlook on homelessness. It felt good to know that I was supporting such a worthy cause and there was no doubt that I will be back.Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-73853608116160835392010-10-21T16:14:00.003-04:002010-10-21T22:00:42.097-04:00Repair the World: My Story, Julie Kalt, A12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCBhnPjgQh7v7hChtuUaiJEd9_I2kPJZef_u0kwlGP6XF5kVSkfGaPEWMCJuOcnxqvkeQaKZO1T5Qery_umvY2J_p4OiSJtqbEK438dztXKSA2VnXMMyH9LDQdqHKon3XCFjWSK3JFZ1z/s1600/julie-kalt-10-21-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCBhnPjgQh7v7hChtuUaiJEd9_I2kPJZef_u0kwlGP6XF5kVSkfGaPEWMCJuOcnxqvkeQaKZO1T5Qery_umvY2J_p4OiSJtqbEK438dztXKSA2VnXMMyH9LDQdqHKon3XCFjWSK3JFZ1z/s1600/julie-kalt-10-21-10.jpg" /></a></div>If nothing else, <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Tikun Olam </span></i>teaches us how to try – how to try to make the world a better place and how to connect ourselves with the larger society we are serving. My name is Julie Kalt. I am a Junior here at Tufts and I never knew what it meant to be part of a Jewish community outside of my nuclear family before coming to Tufts. I walked earnestly into Hillel my freshman year hoping to find something, and low and behold, I didn’t just find something, but <i><span style="font-style: italic;">everything. </span></i>When I say everything, I mean a place where I found some of my best friends, a place to grow intellectually and spiritually, a place where I could focus my efforts and never get tired of the countless projects, and a place where I’ve fostered a sense of self I didn’t have before. I was bat mitzvahed my freshman year, served on the Executive Board as Cultural Vice President my sophomore year, and am now one of the student coordinators for this new and exciting Repair the World Partnership. <br />
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Growing up, social justice wasn’t necessarily emphasized in my immediate surroundings. However, when I was three years old, my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. This more than anything, alerted me to the realities of life. But instead of solely focusing inward on the sadness I felt or on the problems that manifested within my family, I chose to focus my energy outside – on school, on public service, on choosing to use the emotional baggage from the hardship I faced in a constructive way. I am so excited about Repair the World because social justice is something that all Jews can relate to and feel comfortable relating to. To be able to infuse Hillel’s existing (already amazing) programming with social justice oriented action, advocacy, and education excites students and speaks to Tufts Hillel as a truly Tzedek institution. They say that you must repair yourself before you can start repairing the world, but I propose that there is a reciprocal relationship between these two ideas. In my case, focusing outward has allowed me a certain level of healing inside. We should not limit the significance of <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Tikkun Olam </span></i>simply to “Repair the World,” but let our own experiences and personal context speak to, enhance, and enrich its meaning.Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116691848760004130.post-89834600588274596932010-10-21T15:27:00.000-04:002010-10-21T15:27:35.222-04:00Tufts Hillel Repairs the WorldTufts Hillel is excited to announce its new partnership with a national organization called Repair the World (<a href="http://www.werepair.org/">www.werepair.org</a>), an organization committed to inspiring American Jews and their communities to give their time and effort to serve those in need. By working with Repair the World, Hillel will be able to take its current programming to a new level and better fulfill its role as a Tzedek Hillel. Challenged with engaging more students than ever in long term service work, Hillel and Repair the World are looking to empower young people everywhere to pursue their passion, raise awareness for what’s important, and make volunteering a priority in their lives. This blog will feature regular and guest contributors reflecting on issues of social justice, community service and engagement from a Jewish perspective.Tufts Hillelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06975052618781520129noreply@blogger.com0