But more important is engagement with L'Taken. Our 15 teens are having a great experience, both within the program and asserting their personal independence.
Friday night after services and dinner the kids heard from presenters who spoke about their experiences with homelessness. They were very moving talks and change the way we look at the people we pass on the streets.
Shabbat morning was a program in which the kids experienced the entire process of lobbying - from meeting with senators to producing TV spots. This year RAC added a New Media component - with kids writing tweets and facebook posts. One of the LAs retweeted some the kid's tweets. They were great.
Afternoon was a visit to the Holocaust museum. No matter how many times I go there, I am caught by surprise - especially when I hear my mother's voice in the witness audio.
Outside were a pair of protesters linking Shoah to Gaza. I couldn't have been more offended. It took me some time to stop running an imagined confrontation with them through my head. My concern, though, was for our kids who were very affected by the Holocaust Museum and were about to go out for dinner. I gave a brief talk on the bus to help them transition - with a focus on life and remberance.
After free time in Georgetown, we gathered together, all 400 of us, for havdalah at the Jefferson Memorial. This is always one of my favorite moments. Public Judaism in our nation's capital. How rare that had been in Jewish history! We are spending a lot of time studying about the problems in our country. But we start with love and appreciation for all that America stands for.
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