Today, the first full day of the 2017 AWB trip to Charleston, we volunteered at a party open to anyone inside the community who wished to come. This party was run by an organization called Without Walls. This is a Christian based organization that holds this event every year for Christmas. At the event, volunteers give out presents to kids in need and some general necessities such as: blankets, pillows, and just anything that someone who can’t maybe afford could use. Since the event took place on a football field, it seemed natural to also play football. This is where my experience takes place.

Personally, I felt uncomfortable with the power dynamic involved in giving out presents. This is why I chose to do my service on the playing field. Sports is a place of community. When you are on the field, no one cares about the color of your skin or what culture you were brought up with. Instead, the focus is strictly based on how to stop the opponent in front of you. The sports field is the one of the few places in the world where everyone is on the same playing field.

Before I went to the carnival, I never could have imagined the connection that can be made just by throwing a ball to a stranger. After a couple of passes to each other, we made two randomly selected teams to play a football game. It was amazing how good of a time we were all having. It was crazy how much of a bond you can create with people that you just met.

At this event,  I learned that the best present you can give to someone is just a good time. The people that were playing on that football field seemed so happy and carefree. This experience that I had today is something that I will take with me forever.

~ Ari Kantorowitz; 10th grade, Jericho, New York

This morning, AWB split up and ventured to three different volunteer locations, followed by a tour of an historic slave plantation in the afternoon with all of AWB. My group went to the Sherman House, a subsidized independent living facility for seniors. A friend of mine and I were paired with a lady who was probably in her early seventies, and still seemed to be very much with it. We helped her with household chores in her apartment, mainly tasks that she’s unable to do on her own. Although we found the physical tasks extremely rewarding and fulfilling, I personally found the substantive conversation that we had to have the biggest impact. We mainly discussed politics and Judaism, really connecting on both and intellectual and personal level. Rather than feeling like I was talking to her to just be nice, I found myself really enjoying our time together, and I felt as if she could have been my own grandmother by the end. We dove into the complexities of American and Israeli politics, gossiped about the various other old ladies in the facility, conversed about her children and grandchildren and our own families, discussed the history of the U.S. Constitution, and learned about her rescued cat. Yet one of the highlights of that activity wasn’t even with her. What I enjoyed most was when she took me to meet her 92-year-old neighbor who, at my age, had been on the run from the pogroms in her Ukrainian shtetl, and to taste her strudel. I just found her stories remarkable. It was hard for me to imagine everything that she had been through, even when she was younger than I am today.

The plantation, on the other hand, provided a much different experience. This was a much more informative activity, in which the tour guide brought us through what it was like on a South Carolina plantation in the Antebellum South. We learned about the slave conditions, the life of the masters, and even the different crops that were grown. What he really emphasized, though, was how the antebellum system has contributed to what racism is even today. He described it as a linear path, an idea which was interesting, but was also challenged by some of us. We really took a lot out of that tour. We learned the history of the plantation and systems of the time, but we also learned about and discussed the much longer lasting implications these facts, ideas met with both consensus and disagreement.

~ Ezra Meyer; 12th grade, Chevy Chase, Maryland

My biggest regret as Young Judaean is not attending Alternative Winter Break when I was in Young Judaea. However, being able to see the work our teens are doing this week surely makes up for it. On the second full day of our program the teens  split up to head to different volunteer opportunities. Our first group went to East Cooper Community outreach where they spent their time sorting clothing, shoes, and other supplies for those in need. Our second group landed at Eagle Harbor Ranch where they had the opportunity to work with kids who  come from backgrounds where they were either orphaned, abused, and/or abandoned. Last but not least our third group went to The Sherman house, which is assisted independent living for the elderly community run by the Jewish Federation of Charleston. There they spent their time with residents helping them clean their apartments. While our options all seem very different all of our teens spent their days in some ways helping others who might not be able to help themselves.

Our second half of the day was just as if not more emotionally intense.  Following our morning activities, our participants had the chance to explore the history of slavery at Mcleod Plantation. Paul, our tour guide, did a wonderful job of leading an insightful discussion of how the affects of slavery are still seen today and why things have and haven’t changed. The night continued with a activity run by an organization called the Transformative Teaching Collective. The two hours were spent discussing how our different social identities are perceived by ourselves and others and the role that race plays in our personal lives. On a personal level, as a Jewish educator who grew up in South Carolina, it is really inspiring to see our teens spending their time helping others and tackling incredibly difficult issues.

Nathan is Young Judaea’s Senior Advisor and National Program Coordinator

This is my first experience in the South, a completely different atmosphere and historically filled past than my native Seattle, Washington. So going to a plantation brought my dreams from US history class, of visiting American historical landmarks, to fruition. We walked through the McLeod plantation led by our knowledgeable tour guide, Paul. We learned about the slaves who worked the cotton, corn, hay, and other crops on the 37 acres of property. I found inspiration from each word that Paul said. He took us from place to place sharing about how bricks were made, lives were impacted, and dreams were crushed. Furthermore, he took my experience further when he took one of my madrichim (counselors) and me to the recently planted cotton field and talked to us about what the plantation teaches us. He spoke on the unbroken line he found from slavery to now of institutional incarceration and voter suppression. This drew a line for me between the present and the past, Paul gave me the needed call to action and recognition that the past is repeating itself, that we need to work harder to create a broken link.

This is the purpose of Young Judaea’s Alternative Winter Break; it gives us opportunity to find injustice and gives us the tools to approach it.

The tools that we are given to explore injustice are created in Peulot (Activities), and this particular peulah came from an outside organization. The Transformative Teaching Collective is a group of individuals that give education social justice talks to groups. In our session, we discussed social identity and its effect on how we perceive the world. In the other part of the programming, we experienced a social barometer, a method often used in Young Judaea, where we were given statements and stood in a corner of the room that described how much we agreed or disagreed with the statement. I pulled inspiration from the perspectives that we discussed with the barometer, seeing how different members of our movement and other outside community members experience race. Each time I heard a new person talk I had an opinion on what they said and found myself finding their justifications relevant and valid. The moment that stood out to me was when we discussed the statement on: People of color self-segregate and therefore don’t allow diversification and continues the racism in the country. I heard different people give their perspectives on how their reality is shaped by race. I responded with an idea about how I don’t fully agree with the statement because America is focused on assimilation and how that isn’t always the answer. I learned the value of perspective and the activity gave me the tools to take back to my community.

~ Raviv Cohen; 12th grade, Sammamish, Washington

Today, at the Sherman House, an independent living residence, we were tasked with helping the residents clean their apartments, but our purpose there went deeper than that. It seemed at first as if the woman I was helping didn’t need my assistance, but after talking to her for a few minutes, I realized that I was really there to be with her and connect with her. I learned that she grew up in Charleston, was involved with the hippie movement, adopted her daughter from China and unfortunately separated from her husband soon after.  She moved in to the Sherman House a few years prior, had attended a Christmas party the day before I had met her, and suffered physically from arthritis flare-ups that prohibit her from doing the things she loved. Sadly, as she showed me around her unit and told me about some photos and objects there, I learned about the hardships of losing friends and the constant reminder of them that remains in one’s everyday life. I realized that today’s service wasn’t necessarily about cleaning apartments, but rather about being open and available to talk to someone who may not have the opportunity to interact and engage with others as often as one might need.

Later at the hotel, a group called the Transformative Teaching Collective led an activity focused on identifying aspects of one’s social identity and opening up about racial issues and injustices in one’s life. From the start they set a comfortable atmosphere by instructing us to be vulnerable and open about ourselves. I found it very easy to share my experiences and opinions and even form and modify my own opinions based on insight I had gained from hearing others speak. The facilitators ended the session by reminding us that New Year’s was coming up and asked how we want to face ourselves and social justice differently in the New Year. I shared that I wanted to keep in mind that when interacting with others, people should always remember that they don’t know someone’s complete backstory. From there, one should be aware of how and what they say to others and to treat everyone with the respect they deserve.

 ~ Evan Ressel; 11th grade, Plainview, New York

This evening we participated in a social action workshop led by members of the Transformative Teaching Collective. This organization encourages people to explore their social identities through group activities and discussions. Within  these discussions, we were able to  share our experiences, thoughts, and opinions on the subject of racism and oppression. The conversation itself was fascinating to witness in the sense that although we are a fairly homogeneous group (in terms of race, class, religion), each person had their own unique background which helped establish their relationship with diversity. The beauty of this workshop lies in the ability of the participants to share their experiences and explore the discomfort, curiosity, or emotions the they evoke and to then utilize them as educational tools. Thus creating a new form of intellectual power from their vulnerability.

~ Marili Ressel; 12th Grade, Plainview, New York

I was assigned to the second house and met an 8 year old boy named Tyler.

The house mom at the Eagle Harbor Ranch spoke about how he enjoys the simple things in life, and is really intellectual. During lunch, I was sitting with him and he started to open up to me about his life. He brought a picture frame of him, his mom, his dad, and Santa Claus from 2011. He pointed out who everyone in the picture was, and made a point to say that he really misses his mom.

He talked to me while we were playing about simple things like school and his likes and dislikes. Although he was so young, I could tell he was wise beyond his years. He would ask questions about my experiences to learn more about the places and things I was talking about. He would randomly open up to me about specific experiences at Eagle Harbor Ranch. He mentioned that he liked that they had Minecraft, but didn’t like that the other kids were mean. He believed that he didn’t live at the Ranch; I felt heartbroken that he was uncomfortable and was unhappy with the way he was living and his situation.

When I left, he gave me a hug and said “I love you” and wished that I would come back soon. It was hard to tell him that I was simply there for the day and that I was not another staff member at the organization.

Later in the day, I was told that that his parents are divorced; his dad is out of the picture, and his mom was stabbed a few weeks ago. I was told that her condition wasn’t stable and that it does not seem to be getting better.

It was a very eye opening experience and it wasn’t easy for me to sort through my emotions. On the one hand I was heartbroken by the difficulties that Tyler faced and that he was unhappy with his situation, but on the other hand I was was blown away by Tyler’s perseverance and his willingness to adjust and adapt to the situation.

Today we were volunteering at a carnival to celebrate Christmas for those who may not have a home to celebrate it in or had the materials to celebrate it as richly as we often do. During the several hours that we were working in the carnival, I felt bad not giving them an even better experience than they already were having, because some of the kids coming to play at the baseball station I helped run were frustrated because we were outdoors and the wind was not helping the air current flowing out of the cone help the ball stay in the air.

During carnival, I met a young boy maybe 5, 6 years old who was by himself and participating in the Spongebob Bouncehouse as well as the baseball station I was running, during the second time he was visiting my station he said he was lost and looking for someone. I asked him what she looked like, and of course being young he was, was bad at remembering what she looked like, he also wasn’t acting like the fact that he was looking for her was urgent so I didn’t know what to do in the situation. So I sent him back to the bounce house to play some more and keeping an eye on him all the same to see if someone was coming for him. At the end of the carnival I saw what looked like an older sibling call out his name and the boy came sliding down to join him to go what I assumed to be home. I had never felt quite as relieved as I did, but I was glad that I remembered that an adult always says “If you are lost, stay where you are and we’ll find you” because the boy stayed in that general vicinity for the duration of his stay and I believe the fact that he didn’t wander off made sure that he was easy to find. However I do wish that I had been a little more proactive and had told someone with more power than me that he might have been lost, maybe then I would not have been so freaked out when I should have been focused on helping more kids have a very Merry Christmas.

~ Nava Sherman; 9th grade, Queens, New York

Today, we went to the Citadel Football stadium where an organization called “Without Walls Ministry hosted an event for disadvanted children and families from the local community. There, they distributed groceries, gave gifts to kids, and offered a variety of activities and services including haircuts, a carnival for the children and sports activities. They were also able to distribute over 200 bicycles to children. It really brought together a community and gave people something to celebrate for Christmas.

My “job” was to play football. Doesn’t sound like a job really, nor did it feel like one. It really fascinated me how a simple game of football could actually “make” a kid’s Christmas. We had about 30 kidssplit between two teams. Even though I had never met these kids or visited Charleston as a city, I felt instantly accepted as a part of their community. There was this little boy named “D” that I really liked. We would so special plays I set up for him so he could get the ball. No matter if he missed the catch or got tackled, he always got up with a smile on his face, ready for the next play. the level of joy I felt making that kid’s Christmas is something I will never forget.

~ Michael Lewinbuk; 9th grade, Houston, Texas

After an early start this morning, I watched as our teens pushed past the exhaustion and cold weather to reach out to and engage with children who attended Without Walls’ “Happy Birthday Jesus” Christmas party. Whether it was tossing a football, helping children out of a deflating balloon house, or picking up trash; our teens were always “on” and ready to give the kids a Christmas to remember. I watched as our teens thought up and initiated activities with children regardless of their age, ability or gender. It was inspiring to watch them bring smiles and warmth to these children’s day. And it wasn’t just the children and their families that AWB participants touched, but volunteers and leaders of the event were also touched by the commitment of our teens to help others. They were thankful for the extra hands, the young faces and the high energy spirit that our teens brought to the different stations at the event.

As a current staff member and a past participant of AWB, I am inspired to have the opportunity to hear about how our teens choose to engage with and act upon the issues of racism and social injustices. It is exciting for me to hear how the conversations between AWB participants are similar to the conversations I participated in while in New Orleans. During my group’s sikkum yom (reflection discussion of the day), I felt a sense of pride hearing my group speak passionately and eloquently about moments during the day when they struggled with and/or felt uncomfortable by racially charged comments and actions made by other volunteers, and when they helped bring smiles and happiness to a child and their family. Listening to them speak about the moments that stuck out to them reminded me of moments when I was a participant sitting with my group reflecting on the day. I recall fond memories of bonding with my peers and diving into deep discussions surrounding race, injustices, and education. The opportunity to listen to AWB participants discussions tonight, and for the rest of week makes me feel refreshed, energized and ready to see what this week has to offer.

~ Stephanie Blitzer: recent graduate, American University – New Jersey