By Aviva Dollin
Upon arrival to Tel Aviv I was not sure what to expect. The opening conference was a whirl-wind of small talk, programs, and jet lag. Between meeting people, learning how to be good Jewish leaders, and maneuvering the halls of the Dan Casarea and the streets of Tel Aviv, we had an hour and a half to think about our goals for the semester. When I sat down on the tile floor of Hamakom I had no idea what to write on the giant white sheet of paper in front of me.
I ended up writing about goals for my professional future, Jewish future, and Israel experiences. Professionally, I hope to figure out what I am passionate about and where that passion can take me. I am thinking about possibly law school, working in development in the Jewish non-profit world, or getting a master’s degree in public health and working for the CDC. While my passions lie within many different fields, I am hoping to focus them in and make some decisions about post college plans. I am also hoping to strengthen my relationship with Israel and Judaism through exploring different modes of connecting with my community and with God. I want to sharpen my Jewish leadership skills and bring an intellectually sound opinion of Israel back to Emory and back to Ramah in the Rockies.
The best part about the program was hanging up my white goal sheet next to 40 other similar goal sheets. Looking around at other’s goals reminded me of some that I had missed, and gave me the opportunity to learn more about my peers for the next four months. We had only known each other for four days, and I could already tell we would be fast friends! This activity reminded me of the importance of sharing values and goals with the people in my life.
