FEBRUARY 15 • 2024 | 57
J
N
T
he Byron and Dorothy
Gerson Emerging
Leaders Retreat was an
unforgettable experience that
left a lasting impact on all who
attended. The retreat aimed to
cultivate the leadership skills
of Hillel students from across
Michigan including Hillel of
Metro Detroit, MSU Hillel,
Hillel Campus Alliance of
Michigan, and Michigan Hillel.
It certainly did so. With a raging
blizzard outside, we gathered to
welcome our first guest speaker,
writer-performer and teacher
Stacie Chaiken.
Stacie, known for her exper-
tise in performance and sto-
rytelling, held a session that
went beyond the conventional
practices of leadership train-
ing. First, we were tasked with
recalling significant stories in
developing our Jewish identities.
Being strangers upon arrival,
there was a natural hesitancy to
share our stories aloud.
As Stacie navigated through
her session, the lights began
flickering, soon losing power.
Instead of allowing the dark-
ness to dampen the spirit of
the lecture, Stacie encouraged
us to embrace the discussion
differently. In the dark and
unplugged from the world, a
sense of comfort to share our
stories came over us.
Stacie’s insights into storytell-
ing, asking powerful questions,
and using meaningful feedback
were eye-opening to better
understand the potency and
nuance of our personal stories.
The power outage, rather
than disrupting the retreat,
became the catalyst for a
memorable Shabbat. The
most impactful part of this
weekend occurred after the
programming had concluded
for the day. Following Stacie’s
session, we returned to our
cabins and huddled around
the fire. We soon found
ourselves storytelling once
again. We were intrigued by one
another because of the Jewish
experiences we shared and
those we did not. We compared
stories of antisemitism on
our campuses, growing up
in densely populated Jewish
areas and the triumphs of our
communities coming together
in times of need.
All the stories contributed
to the proud Jewish young
adults we are. For hours, the
conversations continued.
Eventually, many of my
cabinmates brought their
mattresses into the common
area to stay warm by the
fire and keep the positive
communal atmosphere alive.
The next morning, still
without power, we woke to
a renewed sense of comfort-
ability —no longer strangers.
After breakfast, we welcomed
our second guest, Samantha
Mee, a certified Ayurvedic
practitioner, yoga instructor,
intuitive astrologer and spiritual
counselor. She taught us that
a crucial part of leadership is
recognizing when to take time
for yourself.
Surrounded by newfound
friends, we took solace in the
calm of Samantha’s session to
individually reflect and unwind.
Following Samantha’s session,
we learned we would be sent
home that evening due to
the outage and related safety
concerns. Although saddened
by the news, this announcement
brought us closer, as we
understood our time together
was ending more quickly than
initially planned.
We participates in
programs that challenged our
communication. These sessions
forced us to look within and
identify the beliefs that make up
our Jewish identities.
The Byron and Dorothy
Gerson Emerging Leaders
Retreat became more than a
training opportunity for future
Jewish leaders. It became a
testament to the power of
adaptation and connection in
moments of unexpected dark-
ness — a lesson particularly
pertinent to the world today. @
Tessa Hewitson Gerson is a
sophomore at Wayne State.
Conversations
in the Dark
Power outage at the Byron and Dorothy Gerson
Emerging Leaders Retreat led to sharing stories.
Tessa Hewitson Gerson } jewish@edu writer
for college students
by college students
Tessa Hewitson Gerson
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