By Rabbi Rich Kirschen, Director of NFTY in Israel
Right now, as Shabbat begins around the world your teens are either in their hotels nestled in the rolling hills of the Galilee, camping deep in the Negev desert or exploring the wonder of Golden Krakow in Poland. At this moment these young people are experiencing an incredible opportunity to explore the depth and breadth of our collective historical Jewish experience; essentially an exercise in spiritual, intellectual and physical Reform Jewish Torah. Over the next few weeks our young learners will be exposed to the remarkable narrative of the Jewish people on multiple levels. And while they are encountering these stories, we know that they will ask and challenge us with a myriad of thoughtful questions that reflect this special age group, which is why it is so important that these teens visit Israel as they are beginning to form and solidify their own Jewish identity.
To bring hundreds of young people every year in order to retrace the footsteps of their ancestors is an act of intense Jewish commitment and also a beautiful way to embrace the tradition of the Passover Seder. As we read in the Haggadah, it is our responsibility as part of the Jewish people to tell and retell the story of our people time and time again (basically, we like to talk… a lot).
This summer we are passing our story down to the next generation, through the unique Jewish concept of “Kedem and Kedima”. Kedem means understanding who came before you and Kedima means understanding how to move forward. These are two Hebrew words which symbolize the Jewish value which teaches that in order to understand where you are going, you need to understand where you came from.
This is why we like to say that NFTY in Israel is a summer of memories but also a summer of dreams. My teacher and friend Rabbi David Wilfond taught me that Sigmund Freud (who imparted a different kind of Torah) used to say that his patients who had lost their memory were unable to have dreams. Our educational curriculum is based on a people that can dream and that is why this summer we are beginning with a journey of memories; and it is these memories which ultimately become the beginning of a lifetime of dreams.
To quote the prayer we say in synagogue when we return the Torah to the Ark:
חדש….חדש ימינו…חדש ימינו כקדם
“Hadesh, Hadesh Yamenu, Hadesh Yamenu KeKedem”
“Renew Our Days, As the Days of Old.”
This is a summer where we teach how the old can be renewed and how the new can be made holy*
Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem.
*This line is based on a teaching by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook
