Reflections on a Year in Chicago

The idea was to work in Chicago with High School students applying some of the ideas and programs that I have been practicing for the last four years of in Israel through Taglit-Birthright Israel and the Shorashim High School Programs- It sounded simple enough!

 

Looking back I really did not know what I was stepping in to, but I’m really happy I did it.

 

For the longest time I was certain of a few things that turned out to be misconceptions:

My year started working in an office for the first time after guiding outdoor tours many years. I was worried about the change of pace, but the Shorashim Office is more like a neighborhood café  were people come in and out and share ideas and news. And everything that I had heard about my participants I began to see in real life. I feel I have a new appreciation of them , and what it means to be Jewish here in America.

 

I also found out that I was “in my element “ when guiding a tour and there is always the hike view or the places we visited as a point of reference and without it there are a lot of things I need to learn in order TO BE Israel before I go on and educate. When I step into a class or a synagogue or a gathering of any sort, I need to think twice about how and what am I talking about and how to show Israel for what it truthfully is and not give a warped and unbalanced point of view. You’d be surprised how much work that takes!

 

Perhaps most importantly, I learned how incomplete an amazing experience in Israel without good followup programs. can be and come back crushing back in to his regular life and usually   forget about most of it or struggles hard on fitting it in to his life .   And most of all I learned good Israel education is not an easy fix.

 

I learned a lot this past year and grew. I hope you have a great new year – may it be a year of growth to you and your family .