Opinion
R VIE
A Life-Changing Experience
Ann Arbor
ust over a year ago, when dis-
cussing my Jewish identity, I
would have defensively listed
how I went to Hebrew school and had a
bar mitzvah. How I stuck with religious
school and was confirmed. How I had even
made the ultimate sacrifice of skipping
Michigan football games to go to services
on the High Holidays.
Since my Birthright trip through the
University of Michigan Hillel last May, my
sense of Jewish identity has changed and
I have begun to solidify what being Jewish
means to me. It was a 10-day trip to Israel,
during which a bus of 40 U-M students
and eight Israeli Soldiers got to experience
everything from the Negev to Tel Aviv to
the Golan Heights — and from the reli-
gious, to the cultural to the historical.
Every person on that bus was touched
and made some type of a connection with
Israel. For some, it was the Western Wall
and celebrating Shabbat in Jerusalem; for
others, watching the sunrise at Masada.
Some loved learning all about Israel's his-
tory at Mt. Herzl while others were simply
taken by how beautiful the country was.
For me, it was Yad Vashem, the
Holocaust museum in Jerusalem. We
spent two hours winding through such a
tragic part of our history. The museum
is designed so the exhibits
covery reformed my motivation
are actually built under-
for working with Darfur advocacy
ground into the Mount of
and fundraising groups and has
Remembrance. You must
inspired me to become even more
walk up a slight incline as
committed.
you make your way through
I am now a co-chair of a new
the exhibit, each one remem-
Darfur relief initiative, Will
bering a different part of
Work For Food, and I am more
the Holocaust. After such
assured than ever that the work
Steven Weinberg I am doing is the right thing, the
a moving experience, I so
Community View Jewish thing, to do.
perfectly remember exiting
the museum out onto a can-
Before my Birthright orien-
tilever platform suspended
tation meeting at Hillel, I had
over trees and wild flowers looking out
actually never stepped foot in the building.
onto Jerusalem. Our bus leader made one
But the trip motivated me get involved
simple comment that will stay with me
with Hillel over the last year. After return-
forever: "This is Israel. This is yours. This
ing home, my busmates from the trip
will always be here for you:'
and I planned a follow-up program for
The safety and pride that I felt was
Birthright alumni. It has helped to deepen
quickly replaced by thoughts of the nearly
the bonds we formed with Israel on our
500,000 deaths and 2.5-million people dis-
trip.
placed in Darfur. People that are suffering
We have hosted guest lecturers, Israeli
without a homeland like Israel, which is for cooking nights and sent care packages to the
all of us. I had been involved with Darfur
soldiers we became so close with during our
awareness groups and community service
travels.
on campus before my trip but never with
In addition, throughout the school year,
the connection to the concept of tikkun
some of my friends from the trip and I alter-
olam, healing the world, that I discovered
nated hosting Shabbat dinners — a practice
that moment staring out at Jerusalem.
I never would have sought out without hav-
I returned home understanding that my ing experienced the sanctity of Shabbat in
being Jewish isn't determined solely by
Jerusalem during the trip.
how I observe the religion, but also how I
Last November, I was fortunate enou
relate to Jewish morals and values. This dis- to attend the United Jewish Communities
General Assembly in Nashville, during
which I learned about and admired the
work of Jewish federations and foundations
around the world. In the year to come, I will
also be serving as one of six national Hillel
ambassadors, helping to fundraise so other
students can have the same great experi-
ences I've been blessed with.
My story of Birthright helping find my.
Jewish identity is by no means an excep-
tion. Others from my trip came back and
started to work closely with the American
Movement for Israel, some began to serve
on the Jewish Fraternity and Sorority
Council, and many have since sought
out Middle Eastern political science or
Hebrew classes.
Birthright helped us all realize that
Jewish identity is not something that can
just be painted on by parents and teachers,
but it is rather a personal journey in which
one discovery builds on the next.
I am excited to see just how great of
an impact the Birthright experience will
have on young adult Jews in the years to
come. ❑
Steven Weinberg, 21, of Ann Arbor is a senior
economics major at the University of Michigan.
This commentary is adapted from a speech
given at the Jewish Community Relations
Council's annual meeting on May 22 at the
West Bloomfield JCC.
Observations On Leadership
F
ollowing the March fire at
Hechtman Jewish Apartments,
I have reflected on the strong
leadership of the Jewish Apartments &
Services staff. I am extremely proud of
the way in which the management team,
staff and volunteers handled the situa-
tion calmly, systematically and compas-
sionately. I have witnessed firsthand the
role that strong leadership has in times
of critical incidents and the way in which
leadership behavior cascades throughout
the organization.
I have had the pleasure of working with
and learning from successful leaders over
the years, and I have observed that they
all share several core leadership qualities.
I believe that the Jewish Apartments &
Services staff's ability to maintain control
during the fire is a direct result of their
embodying these very qualities. I would
like to share a few of these qualities with
you.
A26
June 12 2008
First, a good leader is con-
of the box. A good leader is
fident and self-assured. This
willing to take new perspec-
confidence allows a leader to
tives, think differently with an
assess a situation and make
open mind, find new ways of
decisions on the fly — often
doing things and be open to
without having as much infor-
others' ideas.
mation as they would like or
Next, a good leader is calm
need. Based on the informa-
and poised, prepared and
tion available, a strong leader
Marsha
works well under pressure. A
draws upon past experiences,
Goldsmith Kamin potential crisis or bad situa-
training and instinct to make a Community View tion is bound to happen in any
decision.
organization and a
A good leader rec-
good leader is always
ognizes that he or
prepared for this pos-
she is not an expert
sibility.
in all areas and
Finally, a good
looks to others for
leader is involved in
expert advice and
continuous training
insight, relying on the
and improvement.
strengths and experi-
There are always new
ence of others.
skills to learn and old skills to refine.
I have observed that a good leader is a
The successful blend of the organiza-
creative visionary that can think outside
tion's leadership qualities proved to be
The best leader
sets an example for
others to follow.
critical during the fire at Hechtman Jewish
Apartments. While it was a tragic event in
many ways, it was not a tragedy. The situ-
ation could have gotten out of hand, but it
didn't.
We had a disaster preparedness plan
and emergency procedures in place that
we followed closely and, because of that,
we managed to avert disaster. Our staff
was prepared to do all of the things we
hoped we'd never have to do and we
achieved them, without a single panic or
misstep.
The best leader sets an example for oth-
ers to follow. Having quality staff is essen-
tial for an organization's success; after all,
while the executive director manages an
organization, it is run by its staff. ❑
Marsha Goldsmith Kamin is executive direc-
tor of Oak Park-based Jewish Apartments &
Services and a nationally recognized leader in
the eldercare field.