A Special New Year with A Special Community
Shana Tova and Happy New Year
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I must share with all of you what Rosh Hashanah in Warsaw was and what it meant to me. For me in really began when I returned to Sdborow for the last night that they had there. I was able to bring them Rosh Hashanah packages from the Lauder Morasha Day School which included a note about the holiday, apples, honey and challah. A fellow volunteer gave a talk about the meaning of the holiday and I made honey dishes with several of the seniors. It was wonderful to know that they were getting some things to sweeten and start their New Year.
The First Night, many people gathered at the Nozyk Synagouge where I attend(there is also a Chabad and another shul, Beit Warszawa) had a very nice service and similar to one I am used to. Afterwards, there is a community meal at a hall just beside the shul. I was amazed to see so many people gather and come to the meal. It was very nice to enjoy the first night with many members of the community that I am starting to get to know. The dinner was very long but nice and afterwards I went with some friends to PUSZ(Polish Union of Jewish Students) for a dinner they were having there. We got there late but it was nice to meet some youth. Shul shabbat morning was long-but again very much like a service at home. Afterwards I attended lunch at a family that is so wonderful, warm and welcoming. For that evening I went to another family-my supervisor which was another warm experience.
The Second day, I brought a woman who I have met through my work who is unbelievable. She has the most incredible story of survival and the way she helped in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, how she helped save over 2000 Jewish childern and how she survived 6 camps-not being a Jew. It was two years ago when she realized she was Jewish-so she joined me for services and lunch at my apartment. I will share more about her, the book she wrote and the movie that is being made about her another day.Buts shes Amazing!
Through the three weeks I have spent here the perspective I have been gaining about the Jewish community in Poland is so different then the perspective that most people have. Many of the tourists I meet regularly and the friends I have only know Poland to be somewhat of a graveyard. They do not have the privilege I have to understand the complexity, yet vibrancy of what is here.There is a community here. It is growing and changing and is composed of people who have had such a different experience with their understanding of their Jewish identity. Many many people who are middle aged did not always know they were Jewish and have discovered it at different points. But this holiday opened my eyes and reinforced what I am learning-there is a wonderful community in Warsaw and when to end my holiday, over 200 Jews from all the communites gathered and walked about 40 minutes-with Police stopping traffic at all intersections-to go to the River for Tashlich(a Jewish ritual which takes place during the 10 days of Repentence and is meant to throw away your sins) and saying the prayer together, one can not helped but feel moved and energized that not only is there a community here, but a community that cares and a community that is interesting and committed to being Jewish.
Please Continue to Read my thoughts about this as I continue to learn and discover more about Poland, the community and what it means to me. Nothing what make me happier then to read your thoughts, comments and what life is like for you.
I am attaching an amazing article that echoes some of what I have shared-someone sent it to me from the Washington Post and Jerusalem Post
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/21/AR2006092100240.html
Lots of Love
Aviva
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I must share with all of you what Rosh Hashanah in Warsaw was and what it meant to me. For me in really began when I returned to Sdborow for the last night that they had there. I was able to bring them Rosh Hashanah packages from the Lauder Morasha Day School which included a note about the holiday, apples, honey and challah. A fellow volunteer gave a talk about the meaning of the holiday and I made honey dishes with several of the seniors. It was wonderful to know that they were getting some things to sweeten and start their New Year.
The First Night, many people gathered at the Nozyk Synagouge where I attend(there is also a Chabad and another shul, Beit Warszawa) had a very nice service and similar to one I am used to. Afterwards, there is a community meal at a hall just beside the shul. I was amazed to see so many people gather and come to the meal. It was very nice to enjoy the first night with many members of the community that I am starting to get to know. The dinner was very long but nice and afterwards I went with some friends to PUSZ(Polish Union of Jewish Students) for a dinner they were having there. We got there late but it was nice to meet some youth. Shul shabbat morning was long-but again very much like a service at home. Afterwards I attended lunch at a family that is so wonderful, warm and welcoming. For that evening I went to another family-my supervisor which was another warm experience.
The Second day, I brought a woman who I have met through my work who is unbelievable. She has the most incredible story of survival and the way she helped in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, how she helped save over 2000 Jewish childern and how she survived 6 camps-not being a Jew. It was two years ago when she realized she was Jewish-so she joined me for services and lunch at my apartment. I will share more about her, the book she wrote and the movie that is being made about her another day.Buts shes Amazing!
Through the three weeks I have spent here the perspective I have been gaining about the Jewish community in Poland is so different then the perspective that most people have. Many of the tourists I meet regularly and the friends I have only know Poland to be somewhat of a graveyard. They do not have the privilege I have to understand the complexity, yet vibrancy of what is here.There is a community here. It is growing and changing and is composed of people who have had such a different experience with their understanding of their Jewish identity. Many many people who are middle aged did not always know they were Jewish and have discovered it at different points. But this holiday opened my eyes and reinforced what I am learning-there is a wonderful community in Warsaw and when to end my holiday, over 200 Jews from all the communites gathered and walked about 40 minutes-with Police stopping traffic at all intersections-to go to the River for Tashlich(a Jewish ritual which takes place during the 10 days of Repentence and is meant to throw away your sins) and saying the prayer together, one can not helped but feel moved and energized that not only is there a community here, but a community that cares and a community that is interesting and committed to being Jewish.
Please Continue to Read my thoughts about this as I continue to learn and discover more about Poland, the community and what it means to me. Nothing what make me happier then to read your thoughts, comments and what life is like for you.
I am attaching an amazing article that echoes some of what I have shared-someone sent it to me from the Washington Post and Jerusalem Post
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/21/AR2006092100240.html
Lots of Love
Aviva
posted by Aviva at
2:14 AM
1 Comments:
Aviva!! I miss you dearly... Hillel/QIPI is not the same... but is managing somehow to still be run... I vote that you come back next year as director.. word on the street is the position may be opening... how funny would that be?!? It seems like you having a great time doing the thing you love... SCHMOOZING and meeting various community members. If only there were more aviva's in the world! Shana Tova and have an easy fast!
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