A few words of (last week's) Torah

Written for the Cornell Hillel Weekend Update last week.

From what I gather from the internet, this week’s Torah portion is Vayigash. This is a packed portion, telling the story of Benjamin’s release and Joseph’s reunion with his family. Benjamin is freed when his brother Judah offers to be taken as a slave in his brother’s place. At this point, the truth comes out as Joseph reveals his identity and learns that his father is still alive. The brothers are remorseful about selling Joseph into slavery. Ultimately, seventy of Joseph’s relations make their way down to Egypt, including his father, Jacob.

While Joseph’s family starts off pretty dysfunctional, they get it right by the end. The family comes together after some self-sacrifice and amends are made. The big happy family thrives in Egypt, where Joseph provides for them during the famine.

While I am sure many of you reading this can relate to the lessons we learn here about our immediate families, I would like to challenge you to think of Joseph’s family as a metaphor for a larger community. That may be the world community, the Jewish community, the Cornell community, the Jewish community at Cornell, or your home community. Whatever community you most strongly identify with, picture that in your mind. Right now. After you finish reading this sentence, close your eyes, picture your community, and then open them soon to keep reading the rest.

Now, my question for you is, how will you give of yourself to better your community? What would you sacrifice part of yourself for, as Judah did when he offered himself as a slave in place of his brother to protect his father from heartbreak? How will you plan for and protect members of your community, as Joseph did when he fed his extended family throughout the famine?

As my time as Hillel President draws to a close, I can’t help but reflect on what the past three years on Hillel board have meant to me and how I have served my communities.

I think that my “Aha” moment about service came this past summer when I was volunteering in Israel. I was on a service-learning trip through Repair the World/Onward Israel (you should apply this spring!) and living in Be’er Sheva, the desert city. There, my small cohort volunteered during the day and learned about service in the evenings. I learned about upstream/downstream interventions, about empowerment, about sustainability, about the importance of being a part of the community which you are helping.

These ideas are eloquently summed up by Lilla Watson, an Australian aboriginal leader: “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting our time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”  This has become the guiding principle of my life.

Many of you reading this know me as “Jordana Gilman, Student President of Cornell Hillel.” But I am writing this dvar torah about service to share with you an important part of me that you may not know about, my experience working with victims of domestic violence and their children.

Seeing the reality on domestic abuse on a daily basis completely changed the way I see the world. I began to see these victims of domestic abuse as victims of societies that prioritize honor over everything--including life itself. I saw how common domestic abuse is across cultures and countries.

I befriended many of the women and I adored the children. Because of the nature of the shelter, though, the families came and left unexpectedly. I never knew if my favorite women would be there the next day. I began to understand what it must be like for the ~40 children who spend months of their lives in that shelter.

Working with three 15 year old girls from Ethiopian families had the biggest impact on me, however. We talked about race, racism, Ethiopia, Israel, President Obama, relationships, and regular teenage girl things like The Vampire Diaries. These young women taught me so much about strength and overcoming adversity. Their mothers were victims of domestic abuse, and that is why they were living in the shelter. However, they were determined to not experience the same cycle of abuse. They worked diligently on their English and other skills so they would be able to be financially independent as adults. It was an honor for me to know them and for me to help them for a summer.

The girls have since moved out of the shelter and I keep in touch with them by facebook. My summer of service is over, but it has opened my eyes to service as a way of life. It is a lifestyle that requires sensitivity, humility (not my strong suit, for those of you who know me, but certainly a goal), compassion, and sacrifice to your community.

Now that I am back on the hill, I have turned my attention to what I can give to Cornell, and what I have given over the past three and a half years. I challenge you to reflect as well.

What will be your service to Cornell? What can you offer of yourself that will leave this place a little bit better than you found it?

And for the Jews in the room, how have you contributed to the Jewish community at Cornell? Have you graced us with your presence at events, have you joined a Jewish Student Group, have you served in a leadership position? Are you a regular at Shabbat, did you light the Hannukah candles in your dorm? Have you led a Super Seder, or hosted a holiday meal at your house through Shabbat Across Cornell? Do you serve as a Hillel Big and mentor Jewish freshmen?

Find a service that speaks to you, and live it.

It has been my honor to serve Cornell Hillel for three years, and I thank you all for supporting me and being a part of that incredible journey.