Dear Wonderful 66ers,
Wow! I can't believe this time has come! The time when my own chanichim have the opportunity to apply to Workshop! And here it is: my Workshop blog! This is the space where I recorded Workshop activities, complete with catchy titles and fun pictures. Workshop 62 will look very different from Workshop 66. If you attend Workshop, you'll have different kvutzamates, madrichim, places you'll live, structures in the program, etc. I'm offering this blog to you as a space to get a taste of one person's Workshop experience, with the knowledge that no other person's has been or will be identical to it.
Wow! I can't believe this time has come! The time when my own chanichim have the opportunity to apply to Workshop! And here it is: my Workshop blog! This is the space where I recorded Workshop activities, complete with catchy titles and fun pictures. Workshop 62 will look very different from Workshop 66. If you attend Workshop, you'll have different kvutzamates, madrichim, places you'll live, structures in the program, etc. I'm offering this blog to you as a space to get a taste of one person's Workshop experience, with the knowledge that no other person's has been or will be identical to it.
My decision to go on Workshop was a challenging one. I knew by the end of Madatz that movement values were the values I held close and wanted to explore more. That kvutza was an intense, meaningful structure I believed in, that communal living seemed both practical and important, that the movement had been a space in my lofe that had positively shaped me into the person I had become. While doing Madatz, being at Galil for six years, and interacting with other movement members at HDNA seminars were important, I felt there was so much more to explore. What would it mean to live in kvutza for nine months instead of a summer? What would it mean to actually share my life, self, and belongings with people, rather than talk about doing this hypothetically during peulot and only engage with it by sharing snacks stored in travel trunks? What did the movement mean beyond Galil, what relevance did it hold in the world?
While this was all important to me, I also really wanted to start college. I felt that college would be my haven from high school. My parents weren't fans of Workshop either. They felt I was spending more money to extend my adolescence. I decided to write a Pro/Cons list to help me decide (which I just found!). Some of the pros included "Habos rock," "challenging myself a lot," "really practicing socialism," and "making/strengthening incredible, unique partnerships." The cons side included "this is a lot of money," "too much discussion?" "socialism might not work out" and "i really like personal space."
In the end, I prioritized the pros on my list and decided to work as best as possible to overcome the cons both before Workshop (such as by looking for scholarships) and during Workshop (such as by journaling and taking walks to be by myself). I would be lying if I said the year wasn't hard. This blog doesn't show the hard times--difficult asefor, some tough social dynamics, even homesickness. At many instances, I struggled a lot on Workshop, but to be honest, it would not have been a real, authentic experience if I had not both struggled and had a fantastic time. This is not different from college. This is not different from Madatz. When I think about Workshop, I think of these challenges.
But I also think about how much I grew and changed. About how Workshop shaped my future involvement in the movement, the ways in which I approach pursuing social justice in the world, and my relationships with everyone around me. It lead to meaningful friendships and partnerships, strong devotion towards all of Jewish society, and a whole lot of fun memories. I can say with confidence that Workshop has shaped many of my decisions in the years following it--including becoming your Madatz madricha--and was an experience that largely contributed to me being the person that i am today.
I firmly believe that every person who goes on Workshop needs to choose it for themself. This must be active choice, rather than a passive one or a reaction to pressure. I believe any person can be challenged on their decision to go or not, but at the end of the day, only you know what questions you want to explore in life, what inhibitions you have at home, where the weight on your own Pros/Cons list lies. Workshop is not the right experience for everybody, and not going on Workshop does not mean leaving the movement. Movement status is rarely made based on a member's involvement in one experience (just as not doing Madatz doesn't mean a person can't be involved at Galil). I think that Workshop often strengthens members' ties to the movement significantly (there's a reason why its the longest movement program), but a decision to go on Workshop or not isn't all or nothing.
So think about it. If, like me, Madatz made you engage critically with the values we cherish in the movement, then consideration is worth it. Do your research and check out resources--like this blog and others that movement members have written. Reach out to friends and hadracha figures. Maybe shoot a message to me, Lia, or Cooper. We are more than happy to discuss Workshop, senior year, and anything and everything. Although we are no longer your Madatz madrichim (cause you're on tzevet now, crazzzzzzy!), we still care deeply about you and are dedicated to being a part of your lives and movement process if you want us to be.
So think about it. If, like me, Madatz made you engage critically with the values we cherish in the movement, then consideration is worth it. Do your research and check out resources--like this blog and others that movement members have written. Reach out to friends and hadracha figures. Maybe shoot a message to me, Lia, or Cooper. We are more than happy to discuss Workshop, senior year, and anything and everything. Although we are no longer your Madatz madrichim (cause you're on tzevet now, crazzzzzzy!), we still care deeply about you and are dedicated to being a part of your lives and movement process if you want us to be.
I'm so happy to have created beautiful relationships with each of you this summer, and I would love to continue strengthening those relationships and supporting you in your life decisions, regardless of the outcomes that you choose.
With love & passion!
Aleh V' Hagshem,
Rachel
