Week 181

3 Elul 5768

Bay Area Mitzvah Corps... A Spiritual Experience
By Samantha Gordon

No one necessarily needs to find his or her connection with God in a conventional prayer setting; that feeling can come anywhere, with anyone, at any time.

Bay Area Mitzvah Corps was an unconventional look at how Judaism affects the everyday lives of many. Throughout my summer in San Francisco, spent with 14 other Reform Jewish teens, the most spiritual experiences came not from visiting Reform congregations in the area, but from being able to reflect on the beauty that surrounded us. The first weekend we were there was the first time that spirituality struck us all - by having erev Shabbat t'filah  on the beach while watching the sun set. This one experience of reflecting either during silent prayer or while softly chanting, created a backdrop for the experiences that would follow. They're relevant to North American teens overall because, honestly, you can find God anywhere that you try. It can be on the beach, it can be at work, it can be in synagogue - there are no limits on what defines one's spirituality.

How is this possible?

Bay Area Mitzvah Corps taught me there are no boundaries on where to find what one person believes in. There are no concrete words of Tanach that influenced the ideas that I brought home. More than four weeks of working toward tikkun olam inspired us all to see the good in the world.

• My experience also has taught me that there are no risks in trying to find a spiritual moment. It has allowed me to embrace creative prayer even more, now seeing it differently outside my NFTY region.  Try doing minchah (afternoon) services while doing yoga, or have shacharit or ma'ariv t'filah in an unconventional place, like the beach or even take your TYG to experience havdalah in the bleachers at a football stadium in the area; it's possible, we did. Don't try and force a spiritual experience on anyone however; it will come when it is ready.
  

What was the first time that in an unconventional setting you found God, through prayer or not?
Or if you haven't tried different styles of prayer, do you think they can be effective?

Samantha Gordon is originally from Chestnut Hill, MA and was active in NFTY-NE. A recent graduate of Newton South High School, she now attends the University of Hartford. Her home congregation is Temple Beth Avodah in Newton, MA, where she was an active member of BAYGL.

Copyright 2008 Union for Reform Judaism
Produced by the URJ Department of Lifelong Jewish Learning and Youth Division.