Pride: a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired
The past ten days have been filled with pride. As Co-Religious chair for Hillel, I have worked tirelessly with my co-chair to put together High Holiday services here at Penn State. This started in April, after Passover, when we decided we wanted to find a new rabbinical student to lead services for us. We wanted something different, something more musical and that created a better sense of community. We put together a job description and some qualifications we were looking for. The summer was spent interviewing potential candidates and gathering students to participate by reading Torah and haftarah on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.
Once school actually began, there was more stress as the students we were working with changed--it was too much work to learn the Torah portion or they didn't have enough time to dedicate to it. All fair responses, just more stress for the two of us. We started working with our rabbinical students, a married couple from Hebrew College in Boston. They were wonderful--she had been leading High Holiday services for many years and had the experience necessary to lead Penn State Hillel--diverse group of students who were away from home for the holidays with a variety of backgrounds and traditions--and he had the musical background we had been hoping for in our services. Working with them was a great experience. They were very organized and willing to jump in when students were confused or too sick to come to services.
But back to pride. It's exciting to see your hard work pay off. It's thrilling to watch others succeed--the vocal performance major singing Kol Nidre, the almost operatic prayer that begins the evening service for Yom Kippur, for example. And it's really nice to be recognized for your hard work. Not publicly, but when you're having that one on one conversation to thank someone for their hard work and they turn around and tell you congratulations on the wonderful service you helped put together. At the conclusion of Yom Kippur services, I felt prideful. I just accomplished organizing High Holidays for 300+ people. I watched my friends and peers chant Torah, sing Kol Nidre, light candles, read dramatically about the ritual sacrifices of the high priests, and participate in making their own Jewish life away from home. These students came out to services. They could have gone to class. They could have stayed in bed. But they came to services--they chose to participate in a Jewish custom. And that makes me proud. My role as a Hillel board member is to spread Jewish life on campus. And I see that accomplished when students decided to participate in Jewish life in whatever way they choose.
Pride is praying Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father, Our King, a traditional High Holidays song that asks G-d to pardon us and forgive our sins) with many students, and hearing the congregation come together in the crescendo so that the huge room that is the worship hall at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center just feels like home.
The past ten days have been filled with pride. As Co-Religious chair for Hillel, I have worked tirelessly with my co-chair to put together High Holiday services here at Penn State. This started in April, after Passover, when we decided we wanted to find a new rabbinical student to lead services for us. We wanted something different, something more musical and that created a better sense of community. We put together a job description and some qualifications we were looking for. The summer was spent interviewing potential candidates and gathering students to participate by reading Torah and haftarah on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.
Once school actually began, there was more stress as the students we were working with changed--it was too much work to learn the Torah portion or they didn't have enough time to dedicate to it. All fair responses, just more stress for the two of us. We started working with our rabbinical students, a married couple from Hebrew College in Boston. They were wonderful--she had been leading High Holiday services for many years and had the experience necessary to lead Penn State Hillel--diverse group of students who were away from home for the holidays with a variety of backgrounds and traditions--and he had the musical background we had been hoping for in our services. Working with them was a great experience. They were very organized and willing to jump in when students were confused or too sick to come to services.
But back to pride. It's exciting to see your hard work pay off. It's thrilling to watch others succeed--the vocal performance major singing Kol Nidre, the almost operatic prayer that begins the evening service for Yom Kippur, for example. And it's really nice to be recognized for your hard work. Not publicly, but when you're having that one on one conversation to thank someone for their hard work and they turn around and tell you congratulations on the wonderful service you helped put together. At the conclusion of Yom Kippur services, I felt prideful. I just accomplished organizing High Holidays for 300+ people. I watched my friends and peers chant Torah, sing Kol Nidre, light candles, read dramatically about the ritual sacrifices of the high priests, and participate in making their own Jewish life away from home. These students came out to services. They could have gone to class. They could have stayed in bed. But they came to services--they chose to participate in a Jewish custom. And that makes me proud. My role as a Hillel board member is to spread Jewish life on campus. And I see that accomplished when students decided to participate in Jewish life in whatever way they choose.
Pride is praying Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father, Our King, a traditional High Holidays song that asks G-d to pardon us and forgive our sins) with many students, and hearing the congregation come together in the crescendo so that the huge room that is the worship hall at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center just feels like home.
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