Yesterday was Trip Day. I was scheduled to go to the Central Park Zoo, and then the show Stomp.
First, after breafast, we had a hour and a half Torah Service, which ended up being a bat mitzvah for a girl who never had had one - it was cute. When she finished reading torah, candies were passed out to pelt at her (a terrible tradition in my mind), and i ate mine.
We get to the Central Park Zoo, all 20 of us, and then we had to figure out what our groups were (the URJ Kutz Campus for Reform Jewish Teen Life requires everyone on trip day to be in a group of 4 or more). My group was a group of 12, and we called ourselves the Red Team. I, played the important role of Red Team Leader, who #1, dictated where the group would go, and instigated the red team count off with, "Red Team Leader 1" followed by 2, 3, and eventually "12 and last". It was cute.
When it was time to leave and get on the bus, we left the Zoo, and hung out at i think 64th street for about an hour, because the bus was late. During that time, i came up with the idea of, first, getting a beef empanada (delicious), and second, conducting a survey. First the survey started out with meaningless trivia, such as, "What is the name of our current president's father?". But then i wanted to do something interesting. The Question, "WHat is the most important thing in your life" arose, and was asked. Here are the answers.
-Myself
-Persuit of Truth
-1st God, then Children (this one was one of the last)
-*Family* - most said answer
-Children * - Said a lot
-Attitude
-Quality of life
-Happiness (not said too much, i thought that interesting)
-Living
-Nothing of Value (said twice!)
-Relationships with everything**** - ill get back to that later-
-Humanism
-Health
-Alcohol, Sex and Drugs
-Empathy and Compassion
-Love * (Said a lot)
-Breathing
-Walk Away - with that famous New York blow off style
-Friends
-TV
-Other People
Those were the New Yorkers, all of the answers written down on my arm b/c i didnt have paper. These Are the answers of my J Studs Class:
-Family
-Commmunity
-Holy Community - Kehillah Kedosha
-Judaism - said by two people
-God
-Friends
-Don't know YET - i emphasise the Yet - its important.
The answer i agree with most is the relationships with everyting. The woman who told it to me said it, and i was like, "ok, with friends and family and your boyfriend/girlfriends...", and she said, "not just that", and i said, "yeah, i got it, like with God and everything", to which she responded, "no, like your relationship with that bracelet, or with your shoes, EVERYTHING, thats the most important thing in my life".
I like that.
PS. Somp was Amazing.
PPS. I Got to see my good friend Adam from Israel, and hung out for a while, it was nice.
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2 comments:
Dear Benny,
I hope you get this before Shabbat. I just read your most recent post about Trip day. I loved it. I am loving reading your stuff - but mainly how much you are thinking and processing and growing. I feel like you are literally growing, emotionally, and spiritually right before my very eyes. I want you to know that I am so very and deeply proud of what I see in you. You are thoughtful and sensitive and so open to other people and new experiences. I feel like you are developing a relationship with your deepest and truest self - and God - and you will be able to always come back to that place in times of difficulty. Remember what this place feels like - and you will continue to develop a relationship to it, and to you -- and through this place - to God (I think). It's the most important relationship you can ever have - it's like getting to know the best of yourself. I don't know why I'm telling you all of this except that I am in a very reflective space today -- and also have been thinking about this stuff myself (and how far I can get from my truest self) -- and then, I go and read your blog!! It made me so happy to read about your journey. I hope you have a wonderful Shabbat. I wrote Rabbi Eve Rudin and said we approve of your staying -- she had written and asked. Keep blogging - I just love reading it. Oh year, stuff is still VERY boring here. But guess what? I called Asher's mom Shira to go have dinner with her. I have always felt like I wanted to get to know her better and she was really happy I called. I hope you are ok with that. I am trying to make some friends. OK - you just called! So great to hear from you. OK gotta go. LOVE YOU TONS. Mom
It's too bad you didn't get a hot dog in the park. You probably have heard the story about how the kabbalistic rabbi went up to a hot dog vendor and said "make me one with everything".
I just heard another another wrinkle to it, discovered recently in an ancient scroll. Apparently the missing piece is that the rabbi had handed the vendor a $20 bill. When the vendor gave the rabbi his hot dog he didn't offer any change. So the rabbi says "what about my change?" and the vendor replies "change comes from within".
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