Time dissolves, with the warmth of genuine connection. Today was such a moment sitting with my friend Agi -my very old friend, but still not so old. When met twenty-five years ago, she was still in her early twenties. Together we were part of the same cohort of fellows at the Melton center’s Senior Educators program at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Now, years later, here we are, together in the cafeteria of the Lauder school, a place that she referred to as an “island” – an island filled with the truly joyful atmosphere of children not only happy to be having lunch and sharing friendship but overall happy to be in school – a place of joy- a place of connection – a place of openness -a place of genuinely caring and engaged faculty. What could better, here in the heart of the “old world.”
Now let me recall the group discussion we began in a café and continued on the bus as we toured the city yesterday. I brought up the question of Jewish “renewal” in these lands that saw the destruction of most, almost all, of the Jewish inhabitants of these lands. Needless to remind, that this was done, not only by the Germans but with the help of or silence of the local populations – Hungarians, Poles, Ukrainians, etc.
Agi was the first person I ever met that was living in those lands and actively increasing her Jewish knowledge with the aim of contributing to the renewal of Jewish life there. While the collective memory of distrust, doubt and anger are real, Alan’s response stating the goal as been “renewal –not resurrection” is to the point. I do not believe in tribal mentality. I do believe that the “sins of the fathers are not the sins of the sons.”
And yes – time dissolves, with the warmth of genuine connection. Like meeting a friend after twenty-five years and picking up the friendship as if it were yesterday.
Or – times-past dissolve, with the warmth of genuine connection, like the “island” that is the Lauder school, which is producing citizens of change.
Our coming here from the new world city of Los Angeles to the old world city of Budapest inspired me to bring the form of a circle as a start to this week of teaching.
I brought that circle into the art room of my wonderful art teacher partner Ildiko Szarvas and today we began to fill that circle with the legendary image of the Leviathan – an ancient Jewish motif symbolizing the beginning and ending and beginning and ending …of all things….
To be continued in the next post.
