Some thoughts...

Hi all,

First of all I wanted to start by thanking everyone for their contributions. Though I’ve been a silent member thus far, I’ve really enjoyed learning from and about each of you through posts. This brings me to my first thought that I wanted to share – a lesson/thought that I’m sure we all know, but this blog specifically reminded me of it.

Because the author of the post’s name is only signed at the bottom of the message, I’ve been able to read many posts without knowing who wrote it at the start. Some of them I realized right away who had written it (it’s a strong hint when you talk about being a Donner HF or CA ) but others I had no idea until I got to the very bottom. While I’ve had the opportunity to get to know some of you better than others, I still don’t know most of you that well. It was exciting to read a post, take it in and then have the opportunity to combine it with what I know of the person. The lesson that this reminded me of is that of not letting pre-conceived notions interfere when judging/learning about a situation/person. It’s not always so easy to just cover up a name and get to see something from a blank slate, but it’s an important aspect to keep in mind.

The other thing I wanted to talk about in my post is more of a thought provoking, self-reflection idea. I am currently in Jerusalem taking a Jewish studies course and this week in one of my classes we were talking about someone who is considered to have been one of the greatest rabbis of all time. I’m not sure exactly how we got to this point, but my teacher said “Wouldn’t it be great to know the guiding principles of the most respected and trusted rabbis of all time?” Then he asked us each to think about our own guiding principles in life. While we didn’t dwell on it in class, it got me thinking. I drew a blank when he first asked us but it was a great prompt that I’ve been thinking about lately and wanted to share with you all.

A last parting thought – I was in Tel Aviv 2 weeks ago and saw graffiti that said, “The greatest revolution is personal revelation.” I think this ties in with some of the ideas that have been brought up in other posts. As members of the community who hope to enrich the lives of the students around us, it’s important to remember the significance of not just blanket programs/activities/ideas to cause changes, but that every individual must learn and understand for his/herself. Anyone have other interpretations or comments on this?

Hope everyone’s summers are relaxing and memorable!

-Danielle