Pontificating

At this point, I think the world is tired of hearing about how proud many Americans are about having elected Barack Obama. However, I feel that I have not adequately expressed my feelings, so I shall. The following are selections from my journal entries over the past week.

The United States of America has elected a black man to be their President. I have pride in my country stronger than I have ever felt before. Obama has inspired and motivated masses of people to care about their country, their futures, and their world. Inspiration. With this new face comes a new attitude. Frustration, anger, and lack of respect has turned into pride, inspiration, activism, and I daresay respect for a government that has gained only scorn for the past 8 years. Obama said in a speech that would even make Toby proud, "this victory alone is not the change we seek." This warning is key. We stand at the beginning of a long and possibly perilous era. We have not changed the world merely by electing Obama, but we have given ourselves the opportunity to. I am so proud to be an American. I really wish I could be with my country to celebrate this historic moment...
...At times I feel a bit "lost" in the poetic sense. An Israeli asked me what I was doing this year. I told him that I was volunteering in elementary schools and a non-profit, and learning at a Jewish organization. He said, "Oh! I understand, שרות לאומי (national service)." That is what I am doing, but at times, I feel like I am doing national service in a country that does not belong to me. Who am I to try to shape a small part of the national future? I don't fully understand the politics, the situations, and the emotions that are entrenched in this country and its culture. I feel constantly like an outsider. These feelings are even more difficult for me because they are connected with regret. I feel like I am obligated to be a part of this nation, and through this connection, I have a responsibility to Israel. I regret that I am unable to fully connect with Israeli culture and people-hood. On the other hand, I would not feel so strongly about this matter if I did not have some desire to be a part of it. It is, I feel, a timeless struggle.
...Back to Obama
"We done overcame."
Even days after the election, I still feel shivers and an excited warmth in my heart. THis triumph belongs to so many people, to so much time and dedication, I find it hard to believe that life continues as usual. It is easy for us to forget that we live in the midst of multiple crises. My excitement and joy comes from the fact that Obama has empowered a people. He has instilled a feeling and culture of activism that can not and will not die. The government is for our people, for the people of the US. We have a terrifyingly long way to go: fix health care, grant gays civil rights, allow all children to be educated...but we have put a man in the White House who understands the gravity of the situation and the difficulty of the years ahead. I am inspired because we are uniting. For the first time in a long while, people are excited about politics and about the prospect of a better future. Change comes when despair is replaced with hope. That, so far, is Obama's greatest accomplishment.

Shira Chadasha

An unusual but powerful feeling of joy enveloped the sancutary at Shira Chadasha. The energy was high, niguns went twice as long, and people's faces were lit up with an elation I had not seen at a regular Friday night service. I could hardly contain myself as we sang ana bkoach, thinking that I have such a concrete thing to pray for: strength for the repairing of our world. I'm still amazed that an election can cause so much excitement. Many people I've seen are still cynical and mock Obama's "yes we can," and his optimism. They don't understand that we aren't just changing national politics, we are changing the national culture. That, to me, is the energy that will sustain us through the next years. I am so proud to be a part of this generation.
At Friday night dinner this past week, I heard a midrash that is relevant to my life. Pliya's father discussed the parsha, lech lcha, and the reason G-d spoke to Abraham and told him to leave his home. Abraham, he said, is like a bottle of perfume. When the bottle is stationary and closed, no one can smell the beauty within. But when the bottle moves around, the particles of perfume spread around, mingling with the air, bringing something beautiful. I hope to be like Abraham. Moving around, I spread my knowledge, awareness, and hope. I wish that my time in Israel benefits more than just one person.