Two weekends ago, immediately following YCT's hike, I took part in a Panim's Re-Imagining the American Synagogue rabbinical student retreat at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in CT. There, I, along with two other students fro
m YCT, came together with students from several other rabbinical seminaries (such as AJR, Aleph, JTS, UJ, HUC-NY, HUC-LA, RRC, and Hebrew College) and a couple of rabbis and an educator. I enjoyed it, as I got to s
pend time working on trying to create some sort of vision towards my rabbinate and future shul(s), which was goo
d. What was tough about it was trying to figure out precisely how difficult things are as well as to understanding what the status quo was in the way shuls function and how to be aware of these things and to be on my guard lest the usual pitfalls befall me, as well.Also, as happens to me in any pluralistic setting (for instance, the El Salvador trip), I derived from the experience a greater energy and excitement about my position to go out and help American Jewry and glad where I am. (I also felt that, as Orthodox rabbinical students, we were more textually dexetrous. No, that was not meant as a shot at any of the other schools or movements, just a sense I got.)
For more pictures, see some of the other participants' albums: One album. And another: set one, set two.
6 comments:
sounds like a good time
kudos for YCT going on a pluralistic retreat! It is so important to meet/speak with other people on the same journey, whichever path they sre taking.
PS, it looked like a lot of fun!
"textually dexetrous." what does that mean? that you eat dexatrims and read some mordecai kaplan? do you mean dextrous? perhaps rumors of your textual dexetrosity are somewhat exaggerated!
Anonymous,
Thank you for catching a typo of mine. It happens - I guess you have shown that I am not imperfect and am not immune to typographical error.
As for what I meant, I was primarily referring to Hebrew textual skills with Jewish texts.
I checked out the photo albums. At one point, a lady was playing the guitar. Was she singing? If so, how did you explain walking out?
Also, did you feel sad for the ladies who are seeking G-d but (due to ignorance) wear a yarmulka and thereby violate the prohibition of Beged Ish?
Rev Elikahu Ferrell,
Perhaps you can help explain to me how you allocate your time? As a teacher of Talmud at the Passaic yeshiva, a noted Rav, affiliated with the Orthodox Union Kashrut department and presumably a husband and father; how do you divide your time so you have adequete time for your work, your learning and your family and still have free time to track the movements of Reb Drew and all the other YCT boys?
Thanks for hopefully addressing my shaila,
Curious Jew
Post a Comment