Coming Back From Israel Yeshiva, and the Whole New World
This is my first blogging post, so scuse me if i'm a little nervous. So im back from my year in Israel (woulda been two if not for the fact that my parents are Israeli, and I wouldve been drafted), and course, i feel like I know everything! Well, not really...
The trend of recent years for high school kids in Modern Orthodox society, has been to ship off once graduating and spend a year or two in Israel "flipping out". Boy, I really dislike that term.
Another trend has been the return from Israel, to a society that is unwilling to accept the changes made in Israel, so the person bounces back to his original, or maybe a litter frummer than his original self. But what I find unfortunate and hypocritical is jewish society's unopen arms.
The year in Israel is a time of reflection, of discovering one's self, away from society, away from a past life. It is the optimal time and place for inner growth. In Israel, one doesnt grow just spiritually, its so much more than that.
Disconnecting from your previous life allows you to look at it in a whole new light. To view your acheivements, and to discover your failures. When being plopped down in a new atmosphere, with totally new friends, your flaws come out as do your strengths.
So here is the issue: The Parents of these kids think that they are coming home brainwashed! Yeah, ill admit, the Rabbeim there do try to push their own ideals at the kids, but the kids arent any more willing to accept these ideals than they were in high school! Parents should perhaps credit their kids more, with a discovery of truth, as opposed to attachment to a "holier than thou" doctrine. I'll be the first to admit, many kids do come home attached to such a doctrine, and it can really bother the family, but many do not. Many have discovered truth, and come home to an unwelcoming family.
What I've learned in Israel is that there is a lot more to something than you think. Thats why I feel like I came back a bigger ignoramus than when I left. But thats a good thing, our life is about learning, and I mean seriously learning. More often than not, we define good as "what we do" and bad as "what others do". It is important for us to step back from our lives, and re-analyze, and allow for change. I think these Israel kids can really affect the Jewish community in America, if only we'd let them.
Many people resist to these Israel kids because they dont want their lives to change. If you arent open to change, you are stagnant, and cannot grow. Always assume you are flawed, and not complete, so lets embrace these Israel kids and incorporate them into our communities to create a better future for klal Yisroel.
The trend of recent years for high school kids in Modern Orthodox society, has been to ship off once graduating and spend a year or two in Israel "flipping out". Boy, I really dislike that term.
Another trend has been the return from Israel, to a society that is unwilling to accept the changes made in Israel, so the person bounces back to his original, or maybe a litter frummer than his original self. But what I find unfortunate and hypocritical is jewish society's unopen arms.
The year in Israel is a time of reflection, of discovering one's self, away from society, away from a past life. It is the optimal time and place for inner growth. In Israel, one doesnt grow just spiritually, its so much more than that.
Disconnecting from your previous life allows you to look at it in a whole new light. To view your acheivements, and to discover your failures. When being plopped down in a new atmosphere, with totally new friends, your flaws come out as do your strengths.
So here is the issue: The Parents of these kids think that they are coming home brainwashed! Yeah, ill admit, the Rabbeim there do try to push their own ideals at the kids, but the kids arent any more willing to accept these ideals than they were in high school! Parents should perhaps credit their kids more, with a discovery of truth, as opposed to attachment to a "holier than thou" doctrine. I'll be the first to admit, many kids do come home attached to such a doctrine, and it can really bother the family, but many do not. Many have discovered truth, and come home to an unwelcoming family.
What I've learned in Israel is that there is a lot more to something than you think. Thats why I feel like I came back a bigger ignoramus than when I left. But thats a good thing, our life is about learning, and I mean seriously learning. More often than not, we define good as "what we do" and bad as "what others do". It is important for us to step back from our lives, and re-analyze, and allow for change. I think these Israel kids can really affect the Jewish community in America, if only we'd let them.
Many people resist to these Israel kids because they dont want their lives to change. If you arent open to change, you are stagnant, and cannot grow. Always assume you are flawed, and not complete, so lets embrace these Israel kids and incorporate them into our communities to create a better future for klal Yisroel.
posted by Armoth at 2:30 PM
10 Comments:
Wow-Nice intial post. Are you sure you are just back from Israel? Good thoughts, I agee with you completely.
Good luck in the blogosphere.
Thanks for the encouragement! Now if only I could get some more traffic. :-)
very thoughtful post.
But similar to the way you want to be accepted back home,you want that traffic.Give it time.Give the people around you time to get to know you again.
BTW, there are people who could probably keep you in Israel for Shana Bet.
TRK
Yeah, my Dad agreed to a shana bet, but on a straightforward way. He was once in the Israeli gov, and he doesnt like the backdoor method. Ive made peace with the decision, and I'm totally excited to continue college and Yeshiva back here.
where will you be going to college? (If I may ask)
Yeshiva University - Why do you ask?
i place part of the blame for the parents unwillingness to accept their newly religous children to the fact that too many of them come back preaching to their parents and not as yet religous freinds how everything they do is wrong, as if eveyrhitng hteir parents gave them growing up and al the hashkafas they tried to pass down to them areent good enough anymore. if we could only just accept everyone for who they are at that moment and only hope for natural upward growth.
I agree, but not everyone is like that. I know many kids who wish to continue on their derech independantly, without being pushy, and yet parents look for ways to be offended and for argument.
Of course we have to realize that there is no party completely to blame, i suggest both parties realize that they must keep the goal in mind if we are to acheive any growth.
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