By Didi Poliak
On Friday afternoon of the opening conference, after almost a week of being at Shefayim, we sat down in our own spaces to write, and reflect, about our goals for the upcoming semester. When I was in the process of learning about and applying for The Nachshon Project, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to get out of such a program, and I thought I knew exactly why I was even considering it. However, after spending almost a week in this new place, with 22 new people, and looking down at my blank piece of paper, I was the most confused that I had ever been about my future. Becoming a Jewish professional was always something that was in the back of my mind, especially since I had grown up at camp, and being Jewish was always something that I was really passionate about. Now, in this moment, I was forced to truly think about my future and think about all that I wanted to accomplish in the next five months.
It was a really great experience for me to be able to sit quietly and process the whirlwind of the past week and really think about how I want the upcoming semester to go: what I want to learn, how I want to challenge myself, the places I want to see, the questions I want to answer, the ideas I want to explore. I actually thought about tangible goals for my Nachshon journey, and steps I could take to achieve them. This was a vital exercise not only in that it inspired me to put into words very abstract thoughts, but also in setting the tone for a semester that will be thought provoking, intellectually stimulating, and a journey of self-discovery. It is intimidating to look ahead to an uncertain future, but I am so glad that we were allotted the time to make concrete plans that we can hopefully fulfill.
