| For the last five years I have attended a very different kind of Hebrew school. Every class gave me a reason to want to attend each week. We have brilliant teachers, interested students, and a fascinating curriculum, designed for teenagers. Students expressed opinions and concerns, and the teachers never hesitated to discuss a topic of importance. Shoresh helped me fully realize my Jewish identity by providing me with an interactive Jewish learning experience, which was enhanced by my teachers and peers. CL-(Temple) |
| Shoresh prepares us for the challenges of Jewish leadership. Leadership means having the conscience to know the right decision and the courage to follow through on that decision — even when others do not want to, or when others do not like it, or when it is hard. King David had such courage and sometimes had such conscience. King Saul rarely had either. Shoresh teaches us to have both. IA-(Yale) |
| In my high school IB [International Baccalaureate] class discussion about language and its contributions to culture, I wanted to talk about the revitalization of the Hebrew language as a modern language, and its religious connotations. In the IB ethics in government dialogue about the way the fundamental rules of a society are formed, I wanted to talk about Israel and the role of religion in the formation of the Jewish State, and the political and ethical implications of a secular Jewish State. In our IB discussion about the importance of a collective history for a country and for a group of people, I wanted to talk about the Jews and how our collective history is vast and different and yet Jews have come from all over the world to be Jews together in Israel. I wanted to talk about these issues, but Judaism and Israel were simply not part of the collective knowledge and cultural literacy of the students in my IB classes. It is important for every Jew to have an outlet for conversation about Judaism in a Jewish context, and that is what Shoresh provides. Shoresh has been my Jewish outlet, my time to talk about Israel, Judaism and politics without having to explain my terms. Shoresh gave me the opportunity once a week to talk about Judaism. EJ-(Haverford) |
| In Shoresh, I learned about the history of a people, a people who have overcome many hardships and have triumphed. What I learned in Shoresh has given me a backbone to be a better person. The texts, both traditional and modern, have helped me to understand about morals, human interaction and leadership. JG-(Wash U St Louis) |
| The Class of 5767/2007 Speaks About The Shoresh Experience |
| Is it the challah, rugaluch, matzah ball soup, and schnitzel which keep us Jewish? Is it our favorite Hebrew and Yiddish mannerisms like sababa and oy vey? Why is it that when we meet Jews, we feel more comfortable around them and easily connect to them? Many nations have fascinating cultures and a sense of community. Why do we choose to be a part of Judaism when we could find those two things in other cultures? Shoresh has given me the means of discovering what it is about Judaism that makes me want to stay Jewish. I now constantly think about and question Judaism in ways I never did before. NK-(Brandeis) |
| Shoresh made me look at my own identity, and how I see myself. How religious am I? Am I a Jewish American, American Jew, or simply an American who happens to be Jewish? What are my ties to Israel? The class discussions in Shoresh helped me learn more about myself and what it means to be Jewish. NR-(Wash U St Louis) |
| I was taken aback a while ago when my piano teacher said: "I noticed that most Hebrew songs are in minor keys. I suppose this is the case because Jewish history is such a sad one." Before Shoresh, I would have agreed with my piano teacher. But for me, being Jewish is not a burden, but utterly a privilege. We outlasted the Greek Empire, and the Roman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. We lived through the Inquisition and pogroms and the Holocaust. To others it might look like a drag to be Jewish, but can you blame them? They did not attend Shoresh. LR-(Young Judaea Year Course) |
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