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UN 324-BORE

Farmington Hills

PROFESSIONAL UNISEX HA.IiilitillOVAL BY EPILIGHTrm

34 Detroit Jewish News

page 30

other trips staying at the luxurious
Goldstein Youth Village and unimag-
inable culinary experiences in what
was, for us, the only Chinese restau-
rant in all of Israel. The climb up
Masada was preceded by a poetry
reading, the climb down by a water
fight. My personal quest for a summer
of discovery seemed overrun by a
demanding drive within the group to
have fun. One can only imagine my
disappointment when, during the first
night in New York, I realized I was
surrounded by people who saw mid-
night song sessions as being more
valuable than sleep.
Looking back on the diary that I
kept oh-so-diligently, I am not sur-
prised to see that the few entries I
did make were not concentrated on
incredible events, but on incred.ible
people. From discussions about goat
cheese to horrifying middle school
experiences to (surprise) religion, the
insight, wisdom and humor of the
people I was fortunate enough to
spend this summer with never
ceased to amaze me. Not only was
this the most jarringly intelligent
group of people I 'had ever known, it
was also the most surprisingly hum-
ble.
No one had all the answers and,
thankfully, no one pretended to.
Every thought or idea, as absurd as
it may have been, was examined as
thoroughly as if it had come from
one of our rabbis. And when a dis-
cussion, in shiur at least, was thrown
way off track, a rabbi could always
be counted on to straighten things
out. Not every discussion was a
wealth of insight; an entire shiur was
devoted to conning one of our
beloved rabbis into saying "clay" or
"rock," however even that lesson
found us voluntarily forgetting our
scheme in order to discuss the sub-
tleties of fruit trees and classic rock.
Through the warmth, strength
and compelling nature of my teach-
ers and friends, I managed to learn
more about Judaism, relationships
and myself, all while having a great
time. Quite an unbelievable feat for
six-week summer program. Maybe
it should be included in the mission
statement.
I am always surprised when some-
one asked me whether or not my
summer as a Bronfman Fellow
changed me. The alterations within
me, which seem so subtle to others,
have drastically altered the way that
I interact with those around me.
What I used to consider admirable

— ambition, creativity and the
slightest hint of sarcasm — now
seem trivial (all right, I still kind of
enjoy the sarcasm). Curiosity, toler-
ance and respect, which I now rec-
ognize to be the true measures of a
successful person, have become the
characteristics that I look for in my
friends and family. That small shift
in focus has sent a domino reaction
of changes within me, one so huge
that when people ask me to look
back on myself, I don't really under-
stand who I used to be.
The quest for some kind of reli-
gious reconciliation within myself
has remained a search, rather than a
goal reached. However, my ideas of
personal hypocrisy have disappeared,
as I realized that the simple act of
looking was more enlightening than
any solution could be. The people
and experiences I encountered this
summer helped me see that there is
nothing wrong in not knowing the
answer, and something beautiful in
trying to find one together.

❑

LETTERS

PATH

To

DESTRUCTION

from page 32

from the ancient lands of Israel
(Netanyahu). Peace is nice, but first
Jews must secure all lands of Israel so
that no Arab or Jew should ever
think that control can be wrested
away. If not, then property in Tel
Aviv, Ramat-Gan, Beersheva and
Haifa will be next. "Good fences
make good neighbors"; but no fence
should ever run down the middle of
Israel. Every military, religious and
secular person knows that it is the
recipe for surrender and defeat.
Even if Yassir Arafat were to give
his hekhsher and declare a guaranteed
peace, Israel could never surrender
the land because of what will happen
most assuredly. It was God who said,
"If the Jews invite their (Arab)
neighbors to share the land with
them, the Jews will be thrown from
the land and left to wander among
the nations, unable to understand."
There is the ultimate future. Not
from an editorial but from the
Almighty. Know whose direction we
Jews should be taking.

Michael Drissman
Executive Director
Committee for the Jewish Idea