Dan Nichols, one of the most powerful artists in Jewish music today wrote these words as the chorus to his very popular song, Kehillah Kedosha. “If you are atem, then we're nitzavim. We stand here today and remember the dream. Kehilla Kedosha. . .”
Kehillah Kedosha, or sacred community, is what I experienced this last weekend in Los Angeles, at the LAX Hilton.
Yes, I did experience holiness at a hotel at the LA airport. It's true. NFTY, or the North American Federation of Temple Youth, convened almost 2,000 people at this hotel for a long weekend-Friday to Tuesday morning. NFTY, the Jewish youth group for Reform high school students from the United States and Canada, is comprised of 19 regions, and serves over 450 congregational youth groups. Its' biennial meetings are the only time that the entire youth movement comes together to learn, pray, play, meet and greet.
Let me share with you what Kehillah Kedosha, holy community, looked like at the LAX Hilton:
First, you have to get a feel for just how many people this is. To do this, I invite you to look around the Sanctuary. The floor seats 725, approximately. To get a sense of how many people, you need to multiply this space times 3. Make sure you picture most of those people as teenagers. Now understand that many of them know each other and are looking for each other. Now imagine that number of people, not sitting in seats in the Sanctuary, but moving from room to room. Learning in one room; singing in another. Hugging in the hallways. Talking in corners, running to greet friends, across rooms. Clogging the stairways, the hallways, and especially the elevators. . . David Kolovson said, “The best thing about NFTY convention is it's the only place where you can walk into an elevator and have an instant connection with everyone in it.”
Let me share with you what Kehillah Kedosha felt like at the LAX Hilton: excited energy, happily buzzing, spilling over into every crevice of the hotel and corner of any room. Marc Shutzbank described the energy in this way: “Convention was like walking into a room with one of those bug zappers in the background. There was this energy that was everywhere at once, both beautiful and exceedingly powerful.”
At a convention like this, each student realizes that that they matter. That they, as a group and individually, help create and shape NFTY. It felt like the joy of seeing kids from Texas realize that kids from San Francisco are “just like me.” David Gross wrote: “NFTY convention felt like a break from the real world; it was a place where I was part of something bigger, that there are Jewish teens like me across the globe.”
For me, it was to watch kids rediscover what they love about being Jewish. It reawakened me to the amazing challenge of working with youth. It reminded me of the importance of my role, as their rabbi and advisor. It kindled in me the importance of the work that we do, locally and regionally: that we create sacred communities that make all the difference for our kids, over and over again. We give the kids the tools to create magic. And they do.
A snapshot: Friday night, after services and the opening program. The NFTY board, the North American board jumps onto the stage, after a very cute video. They erupt into the NFTY cheer. Mind you: this cheer has been around for at least 30 years!
SAFTY kids: hold yourself back, for a moment, while I give some of the words: say what's your name? Say NFTY! Repeating. . Gonna live and die for NFTY! Now, imagine all 2,000 of us-adults, teenagers, etc-joined in clapping, stomping, screaming this cheer. At that moment, as no other that evening, the group was one.
We've all cheered for things before-at sporting events, for a school alma mater. But for a group of Jewish kids, from Canada, the United States, and even some from England, to all know the same thing, do the same hand motions. . .how empowering! Kehillah kedosha. A holy community, united in purpose and belief.
Another snapshot: On Saturday morning, I led one of the 5 simultaneous services for the students. I led a service geared for women. It was truly kehillah kedosha to listen to almost 200 voices raised in song, praying together; experiencing Judaism together. Their sweet, beautiful voices truly lifted to God.
We did not have an ark in the room. Instead, they were the ark: their arms, lovingly embraced the Torah, created individual arks, individual sacred spaces for the Torah. I was surprised to learn how many had never physically embraced Torah; and how unwilling they were to pass it along. Kehillah Kedosha.
Caitlin Smith, who was involved in the choir at convention, said this: "During services, I was on the bimah looking out on everyone. During the prayers I would look out and see everyone in unison. Standing, bowing, going on their toes. It was as if they had one mind, one heart all knowing in the end that their goal was to become a better Jewish Teen just by praying together.”
Sunday night, watching the students as they got off the bus from Universal Studios, sopping, soaking, dripping wet, I overheard the same conversation, as they dragged themselves to bed: Did you see everyone dancing in the rain? How cool was that! That was so much fun! The shared memories only fate could create. . . kehillah kedosha.
Sitting in the airport on Monday afternoon, leaving the convention early so 3 of our students could take TAKS, we spent a long time talking-our plane was late. They, to a one, spoke of the relationships that were created. The people who they spent a few minutes with and who were fun and silly; the people who they spent significant time getting to know, and with whom they learned and shared. The people with whom, in this day and age of instant messenger and text messaging, they are sure to keep in touch with. And even if they don't, as Caitlin Smith wrote to me in an email: “The best part of NFTY convention was creating Kehillah Kedosha with new people. The bond between Jewish teens is so great that if I did not know the person next to me, I knew that they were a Jew and had something in common with me. The people I met this past weekend will stay with me forever, even if we do not speak for another 20 years.” Kehillah Kedosha.
We should be proud, that, as a congregation, we have succeeded beautifully in creating Kehillah Kedosha. We don't wait for NFTY convention to come along to embrace the moments and opportunities. Our students are involved as SAFTY members; as regional officers in NFTY-TOR, as ma'aseh, teachers assistants; as members of our college preparatory class, called Packing for College, as campers and counselors at Greene Family Camp. Our teens come to Temple. In fact, a number of them are present tonight, and I want to introduce them. ( introduce all of them)
We should also be proud that we have a growing junior youth group. Beginning last year, our dedicated junior youth group advisors Mark Ingram and Hillary Bergman, have successfully created a growing youth group for 6-8 graders. They have successfully created a culture of caring and fun. Additionally, they have nurtured good relationships with the students. As a testament to that, Hillary will be offering Michael's Sisterhood presentation tomorrow at his Bar Mitzvah.
We are what is called a youth friendly congregation. We make teenagers feel welcome, and that they have a place here. I cannot underestimate the importance of that accomplishment.
But Dan Nichols' song continues: “If you are atem, then we're nitzavim, we stand here today and remember the dream”.
Atem Nitzavim-these are words from Deuteronomy. They mean: And you all - in Texas: y'all stand. But the simple translation does not convey the full meaning. A better way to understand it would be translate it with intended nuance: Y'all stand, at the ready, prepared to present yourself before God. One commentary teaches that “atem” the plural you, or y'all, is there to teach us that no one should say: it is not my responsibility. We must all do our share. The word nitzavim is a specific word, denoting standing at the ready, as if ready to jump into action.
We must be ready. It is our responsibility to continue to build on our successes. It our responsibility to stand ready, alert, aware, so that we can meet the needs of our students, and their ever changing lives. It would be so easy to rest on our laurels, to be proud of what we created and strive for no more. But we would not be “atem nitzavim.” We would not be standing, at the ready, to be more and do more for our students.
The chorus to Dan Nichols' song, again: If you are atem, then we're nitzavim, we stand here today and remember the dream.
What dream do I bring with me from NFTY convention? I am reconsecrated to the dreams that Mary Levy and I created when we envisioned the youth program. I know our work and our vision, now shared with Jean Kolovson and the youth committee, that is not yet done. While the congregation is incredibly supportive, sending Mary, and now Jean to conferences and conventions to grow, we must invest more in the development of our advisors.
As youth workers, our dream is to have every student in this congregation feel that Temple Beth-El is their Temple. Our dream is make sure that this is a congregation that meets their needs educationally, spiritually, socially. Our students must know that there is a rabbi and an advisor available to them to support them on their journeys to adulthood. My dream is to know that when students have doubts, concerns, thoughts about anything, that they can come and talk to me, or to Jean and Mary. My dream is to know that when they want to attend a conference, but it costs too much money, that they will know that Temple will make sure that they can go.
SAFTY was given a challenge at this conference by the leader of our movement, Rabbi Eric Yoffie: to never be complacent. He challenged our students to always learn and grow, to push the envelope and ensure that our movement remains strong and vibrant.
Rabbi Yoffie's challenge did not fall on deaf ears. In fact, some of it is already happening. For example, it is no surprise to me that Dan Nichols is the musical voice of this generation. Not only do his songs inspire and excite, but Dan and a few others have created a new venue of Jewish music, Jewish rock, unheard of just a few years before. As Dan helps us to move outside our comfort zone, and explore new territory, so, too, is that the job of our students. My dream is that they head the call of Rabbi Yoffie, of Dan Nichols, and that our students push us to move forward in our growth as Reform Jews.
Ultimately, my dream is that we are standing at the ready, in the presence of God, and that we are unafraid and willing to say, “Atem Nitzavim”: We are standing, ready to be responsible to the challenges and needs our youth. Then will this kehillah, Temple Beth-El, truly be kedosha.
E-mail Rabbi Bergman Vann
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