Last night was yet another life-changing experience for me here on EIE. Our last Kabbalat Shabbat service was held on Tel Tzuba (this really cool mountain thing with ruins of old civilization), and guess who led the service. Yeah, you're right, it was me, along with two of my closest friends, Jenna and Amber. I have to say that this service was the most sentimental service of all, not just because it was the first service I had ever led, but also because it was the last Kabbalat Shabbat service I would ever participate in on EIE. I think the most heartwarming moment, other than when a few people started to cry when we sang "Sweet Mother," was when we were singing the Barchu. As we all turned around to face Jerusalem, I had the realization that I was not just facing in the direction of Jerusalem, but I was actually looking right at Jerusalem. And I just thought it was so utterly amazing that I was eye-to-eye with the place that is most holy to Judaism, that is most holy to my people. I never had that feeling before, and I guess it is bittersweet that the moment I did was the last moment I would be able to feel that (at least until a few years from now when I return to Israel).
In just five days, I will be walking onto the plane that will forcibly take us all back to the JFK airport in New York. In just five days, I will be returning to my other home in America. In just five days, I will be leaving the most welcoming, uplifting, incredibly extraordinary community that I have ever been a part of. In just five days, I will be leaving my EIE family. But it will all be okay, right? That's what we've been telling each other over and over. It will be okay because we are never going to let our friendships die and we have made unforgettable memories. I know that I have changed for the better on this journey and I will let my memories and the lessons I've learned guide me for the rest of my life. Thank you NFTY-EIE for making this trip the experience of a lifetime, I will remember it forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment