I have never been a blogger prior to my trip to Budapest. Blogging is for people who are convinced that others are interested in their thoughts and perspective. However, I am now so thankful for being asked to write a blog. For it has forced me to reflect upon my experiences in Budapest and to extract important messages. If no one reads the blog, it was still a worthwhile exercise for me. (And thank you Glynis, because I know that you will surely read it!)
Tonight, motzei Shabbat, as the American and Hungarian students sit around a bonfire embracing each other and singing songs together, willing time to stay still so that they don’t have to say goodbye, I will attempt to find a message from the most incredible Shabbat that I just experienced.
Unfortunately, there are no words that can truly describe my emotions at this moment.
Is it possible to put into words, the feeling and emotion that everyone felt when Daniel, a senior at SSG stood up at seuda shlishit and proudly told everyone that that morning he got an aliyah for the first time in his life? Is it possible to recapture the beautiful sentiments that were expressed by both the American and Hungarian students in the DMC on Friday night? Is it possible to articulate the sheer joy that the students felt while dancing during Kabbalat Shabbat? Is it possible to express the emotions that one feels when giving a bracha to the Hungarian students on Friday night? Is it possible to convey the way that every participant on the Shabbaton felt like they were part of something extraordinary and that we were all BFFs?
There is nothing in the world that can possibly be more meaningful than having an authentic Jewish experience. Such experiences make philosophical questions moot and break down barriers between Jews. Shabbat was such an experience.
It was mentioned during davening on Friday night that when one observes Shabbat they are declaring that G-d created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th day; they are shouting out to the world, “Yesh Elokim! (There is a G-d!)” To think that we did this in a place where in the not so distant past, there was the epitome of godlessness makes the experience even more powerful.
Our great Rabbis taught us that on Shabbat, our neshama (soul) becomes bigger and when Shabbat departs, the neshama contracts back to its pre-Shabbat size. This is true under ordinary circumstances. However, the effects of this extraordinary Shabbat will undoubtedly leave an indelible impression on each participant’s neshama.
Thank you Hashem for granting me this experience!
Shavua Tov,
Rabbi Furman
