My Nonprofit Reviews

I do not remember who introduced me to RAJE but was told it would be a rewarding experience. I did some research into the organization to get a better understanding of what it was I would be committing myself to. I read that it was designed to bring together the areas Russian youth and educate them about their Jewish identity. That was a year ago this week. After spending every Sunday for ten weeks at the Schul on Ocean parkway listening to prominent members of the Jewish community and Rabbi’s speak about Jewish topics as well as mentors discuss ideas in the Torah I can say without a doubt that I have become better informed about the Jewish faith. While I was growing up I never had a formal Jewish education at a Yeshiva. Everything I knew about Judaism I learned from family, friends and Rabbi’s during visits to synagogue. I grew up in a predominantly Jewish community but it was not enough to fill-in the gaps of missing information. And so I grew up without religion being a central part of my life. But I was always curious about my Jewish roots; what is was and what it meant. Once I learned that there was an organization educating young Russian Jews about their religion I knew this was something I should consider. During the orientation I spoke with people I already knew and met many new people. We were introduced to the organization and were told what to expect during the semester. The program easily fell into routine and I began taking in this new source of Jewish education. Every week notable members from the Jewish community would speak about their experiences and the significance of being Jewish. Rabbi Goldshteyn would deliver a lecture packed with wisdom and his characteristic humor and whit. We would then be allowed to socialize with each other and discuss how great the food provided to us was. Then we would split up with our mentors and talk about a predetermined topic from the Torah. Debate happens to be an interest of mine and when a topic from the Torah is discussed a healthy thought provoking debate follows. Several weeks into the program I had grown accustomed to the Sundays in Brooklyn. I even looked forward to the whole experience. Coming to RAJE soon became an important part of my week, one that I looked forward to. When the semester drew to a close it was almost saddening. But the end of the semester meant that our trip to Israel and Europe was closer. The culmination of our studies ended up with a trip to Paris and all over Israel. I remember when we met our group for the first time. We had an orientation at the Schul. We sat in a circle and introduced ourselves. I remember being excited that the trip was upon us and that it was actually going to happen. In a few short weeks we were at JFK airport and off to Europe! There was so much to see it seemed that two weeks was not enough time to take it all in. We traveled to nearly every major city in the country except for Eilat. We went to holy sites and visited numerous towns. Jerusalem was the most important single city we visited. It was the city we spent the most time in. Judaism’s most important site is located in this ancient city. The Western Wall was the site of both the first and second Temple. Jews pilgrimage to the site and pray at its walls. Visiting the Old City where the wall is located transports you back in time. It has the same feel as it did over a millennia ago. I had never experienced anything like it before. We took tours and were educated about many of its features. We even had the opportunity to spend Shabbas in the Old City with families who live there. Even though it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime event, I hope I get to experience it again. We were often asked “what was the most memorable day of the trip”? It must be mentioned there were many gems during the trip. Each day, though hectic, was filled with fun and adventure. The most memorable day however was when we climbed Masada to watch the sunrise. On that day we repelled off ancient hills where the Dead Sea Scrolls were located. Even though the sun was baking and the drinking water was hot I still had an amazing experience. One thing I am particularly fortunate for is the new people that I have met during the trip. There were a total of thirty-five members in our group and there were at least two more groups with the same number of people. I have met people who I intend to stay in contact for a very long time from friends to mentors. Being surrounded by good people made the entire experience that much more rewarding. After completing a semester at RAJE and going on the trip which was generously sponsored by the organizations benefactors I have to say that participating in the program was the most important thing I have done this year. So rewarding is the experience that I intend to spend another semester at RAJE doing the Action program. I am looking forward to another semester filled with meeting new people learning about the Jewish faith and its history and becoming a better person in the process.

More Feedback