My Bar Mitzvah
Today was a very significant day in my life. Today was the day that in the eyes of the those of the Jewish faith would see me as a man. Today was the day that I had my Bar Mitzvah, and at the age of 21, when this was my choice and my choice alone, not force by parents or expectations, it made it all the more powerful to me.
It was not a grand synagogue in which this event took place, but it mattered not, for I was surrounded by new friends, whom even though I've only known for the past 9 day, I feel as though I've known them my whole life. To have them there with me, this group that has helped me find myself in one way or another on this magnificent trip to the holy Land of my ancestors truly touched me as I stood before them today.
After the Bar Mitzvah, we headed to our rooms where we talked and laughed as we always do, before we came together again for discussion. The discussion today involved an activity called "agree, disagree", in which we were given simple statements about our Judaism and what ideals we carried in regards to it. These simple statements sparked insightful debate amongst our group, leading to a furthering of our understanding of each other and ourselves. This activity helped me acquire a better grasp on the cultural and religious sides of Judaism. The activity that we took part in after this was led by our Israeli friends, and was comprised of discussion of their time in the I.D.F. and how it affects them and all Israelis lives. We had a main discussion where we were read simple phrases that were used commonly by the soldiers, which helped them very easily convey there feelings about their service, and some slang terms that were known by all soldiers. These simple phrases we soon learned had deep meaning, showing how even though they had to be in the army, and how some did not want to be, that they just accepted it, because here it is a way of life. We then broke into groups and spoke to a to one of our Israeli friends about there personal opinions of the time they spent or are still spending in the I.D.F. and what we thought about the rules set in place for them there. This conversation gave us a glimpse into the lives of these people whom we have become so close to, through their eyes.
It was powerful and meaningful to hear what they had to say, and how they showed their individual ideas and morals regarding what we may take for granted. The rest of the day was simple, we went to a mall to eat dinner and again, talk and laugh together. We came back to the hotel and as I'm writing this we are listening to Udi Krauss perform an acoustic concert for us before we close our night with, again, conversation and laughter, and a deepening of the bonds we have formed over the duration of this gift we have all received. These people will never be forgotten by me, and this trip will forever be in my mind and heart, as it truly helped me define what I think it means to be Jewish.
