By Marilyn Gladstein
There were many programs and conversations that took place during the Opening Conference of the Nachshon Project that will have an ever-lasting impact on the way I live my life. The conversation that was the most powerful to me and still stands out in my mind was the discussion my group had with Rabbi Cohen on Shabbat about "kavanah," intention.
I grew up in Seattle Washington in a Sephardic Modern Orthodox community. Kavanah is something that is discussed often in regard to tefilah, however, I never truly understood it. When we sat down in small groups during Rabbi Cohen's session on shabbat to discuss "kavanah" with a number of people so different from one another the conversation took me outside my comfort zone. I was no longer talking with peers of the same view point, experiences, and religious beliefs as I have. Instead I was speaking with people from all across North America who have grown up in communities unlike mine and who have different religious beliefs. This was a new experience for me, which allowed me to come to my own conclusion about what kavanah means to me.
The powerful discussion stared off with Rabbi Cohen dividing everyone into groups of around four people from different backgrounds. The group I was a part of was a very interesting diverse group of women. I represented the Modern Orthodox approach, there was a girl who brought the Reform Movement approach, one girl who came from a Conservative background and the final girl in our group identified as "Conservadox." Our group represented many of the different streams and movements of Judaism. We started off our conversation talking about what we value in life and then looked deeper into Jewish texts about kavanah. Amongst my group we came to the conclusion that there isn't only one way to connect to G-d. There are many different levels of connection and someone can feel a deep connection to a certain practice or cultural expression, while a different person feels connected on a completely different level. With the right intention, kavanah can mean something different for everyone.
Reflecting on my realizations from that discussion, I not only feel like I have a deeper connection with G-d when I pray but I now also feel like I have connected deeper with the other fellows in the cohort. Having an open and respectful discussion about how we each personally connect to G-d actually brought us closer together.
