First Week Reflections, by Ariel A.

Posted on 07/18/2011 @ 07:00 AM

Hanging out in the pool, sans water.

Shalom! As we reflect on the first week of Kallah, we think of great memories, new friends and a variety of new Jewish understandings. On the first day of Kallah, we jumped right into programming. The first program was focused around how we define ourselves as Jews, a program which we all were able to gain something from. Through out the week, leading up to Shabbat we've been studying hard in our 101 classes. We've learned about traditions, holidays, the Jewish life cycle, Israel, relationships, community involvement and several other topics. After the hard work throught the week, we had a peaceful Shabbat service which everyone dressed in their best for. Saturday, we prayed and had a well deserved four hour chofesh (free time), where we were able to spend time with our newly made friends here at Perlman. About half way through chofesh, a staff vs. participant water fight broke out, leaving several people soaked from head to toe. It was also a great time for self reflections as well. We ended the week with a large Havdallah as a whole community, which really signified the way we had all bonded together as a group.

This week has been amazing, full of learning, fun, and friendships, and I look forward to what the next two have in store!

By Ariel A., Central Region West