Havdalah at the Lincoln Memorial

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Havdalah at the Lincoln Memorial

I just returned from a long weekend in Washington, D.C. where I accompanied two TE teens (Noah Simon and Anne Ryack) who attended the L’taken seminar of the Religious Action Center (RAC) of the Reform Movement. They were part of a 12-strong group from New Haven area, bringing together teens from Temple Emanuel, Congregation Mishkan Israel and Temple Beth David. I have asked Noah and Anne to share some of their thoughts about the experience with you all, and they have provided a wonderful report below. All I can add is how much I was impressed with our kids, their incredible ability to discern important issues, their passion for justice and their grasp of what matters in this world. It made me truly proud of our kids and of the life lessons they are able to draw from their heritage and Jewish identity. My heart was filled with pride as I ‘kvelled’ at the way they presented themselves and the issues they felt passionate about: gun control, stem cell research, LGBT rights and protection for people with disabilities. The response of congressional staffers and Rep. Rosa DeLauro was a great testament to the work that went into the visits.

As part of the weekend, we got a chance to have Havdalah ceremony with 300 other Jewish teens, rabbis and educators at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In the heart of the capital, with the Lincoln Monument behind us and Washington Monument and the Capitol building ahead of us, we celebrated the end of Shabbat and the transition from sacred to ordinary. It was an amazing opportunity to acknowledge the blessings bestowed upon us all – a simple act, unthinkable in virtually any other place in the world. The words of Rabbi Michael Namath of the RAC rang so true that night, as he reminded us that while we work to make our country a better place, we show tremendous gratitude for all the wonderful freedoms and opportunities that we get to enjoy every single day.

The teenagers left Washington, D.C. with a renewed sense of commitment to making our country better for all its citizens. I leave humbled by their talents and their passion for justice – and awed by the Havdalah lights at the Lincoln Memorial… Until next year.

Rabbi Farbman

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Visiting the office of Rep. Rosa DeLauro

In our opinion, it is not unfair to be skeptical about the L’taken seminar when you are first told about it. It wasn’t until the program actually started that we realized the power that it can offer for us and for our Jewish peers. The program is run by the Religious Action Center, a Union of Reform Jews determined to fight for what they believe in, and incorporates numerous workshops to inform you about various issues such as gun violence prevention and LGBT equality while also connecting it to Jewish values. With all the new information you accumulate over the weekend, you have the opportunity to write a speech on a topic of your choice and walk up Capitol Hill to lobby about it. Even in our packed schedule, we still had time to go to the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of American, walk around Georgetown, see the MLK, Jr. Memorial, as well as have Havdallah at the Lincoln Memorial. And on top of that, we had the privilege of staying and hanging out with 10 other great kids and meeting a ton more. We highly encourage anybody that is thinking about taking the seminar when it is available to do so. It was an unexpected, though pleasant, surprise that turned out to be much more than just a trip to D.C. We were able to connect to our religion as well as learn about Congress. Learning all the Jewish perspectives on the different policies we thought we knew so well was a truly new and wonderful treat. But we both agree, meeting and bonding with hundreds of other Jewish teens was the greatest part of the trip and is something that we could do more often. 

-Noah Simon and Anna Ryack