Written by Jesse Ryan Nagelberg
On Thursday, February 12th, after a morning of Ulpan, the 21 Nachshon Fellows boarded a bus and made our way towards Tel Aviv/Yafo for what would be an eye opening and thought provoking shabbaton that explored different expressions of Judaism in Israel. Our first stop on that journey was at Alma, a pluralistic educational institution that is dedicated to renewing Hebrew culture, where we spent a lovely afternoon immersed in text study.
We delved into the intricacies and meanings behind the opening lines of Parashat Lech Lecha, in which Abram is famously instructed: "Lecha Lecha m'artzecha, m'moladetecha, u m'beit avicha, el haartez asher arecha," which translates to "Go forth from your native land and from your father's house to the land that I will show you". I quickly picked up on the fact that the 21 of us embarking on the Nachshon Project, most of us not knowing what to expect, bore a striking resemblance to the passage we were reading.
But almost a month and a half into being here, I admit that I have a pretty clear picture of what to expect from my participation in this program and my time in Israel. I no longer think of being a Nachshon fellow as walking into the unknown, instead I see another connection with Abraham. The journey that Abraham began after being instructed "Lech Lecha" by Hashem, lead to years of learning, growing, and transforming. I think that as Nachshon fellows, we too have embarked on a similar journey.
We learn all the time! Not just in the intense month of ulpan that is now behind us and in our courses that have just begun, but also in everything we do. Every session, every speaker, every experience we take part in, and even every time we share an idea with the group. It has become the custom among us to de-breif with each other after each session and each speaker. To hear what others liked and disliked, what angered them, and what puzzled them. I truly appreciate knowing that each one of us brings such different perspectives and points of views to the wide range of topics that we discuss. It makes learning about each other and from each other that much more interesting.
And from there we grow and transform. Our experience at Alma, all 21 of us actively engaging in learning together, is in my opinion the reason I am here. My time as a Nachshon Fellow so far has challenged me to embrace new ideas and has forced me to reconsider preconceived notions. I re-read the notes I take and think about the implications of ideas, notions, and theories on my life and my future. I see myself actively learning, actively growing, and actively transforming. For me, the Nachshon Project is part of my Lech Lecha journey, and even if I never find all of the answers I am looking for, I am really, truly, enjoying the process.
