Flatmates again, 53 years later
We recently spoke with Cyndi Schoenbrun and Chanale Hidegkuti (Lipsky), lifelong Young Judaeans and alumni of Year Course 1971-1972. Cyndi and Chana are now flatmates in Israel following Cyndi’s recent Aliyah! The two had a lot to say on growing up in the movement, memories of Year Course, recent reunions, and what it means to live in Israel now.
Watch a video of Cyndi and Chana reuniting at the airport when Cyndi made Aliyah!
Tell us a bit about your YJ history.
Cyndi: I was active in my region in Eastern Pennsylvania and Philadelphia as a teen. I went to camp Tel Yehudah only in 10th and 11th grade before going on Year Course. After Year Course I went away to a small town college in the middle of PA with barely any Jews, let alone Young Judaeans, and after I graduated and returned to the Philadelphia area, the first thing I wanted to do was get a job in my profession and get involved with YJ in some capacity. A friend of ours from Year Course was the Senior Advisor and I got a job running a club. Two years later I got married to the EPA Regional Director!
Chana: I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio originally. And I was in the Cincinnati chug. We were so lucky we had HUC there. So we had a continual, contingent of well educated folks. And then I went to Camp Tel Yehudah I went for regular and I went for MA, and then we went on Year Course, which was THE bomb. We loved it! I worked for the movement before and after as a chug leader, and I was on the International Executive Board for programming, I was in Hamagshimim, and I worked at camp.
When did you start having Year Course reunions?
Cyndi: Chana and I were friendly on Year Course, there were 80 of us, but nothing really happened until we had our first reunion outside of Washington D.C.
Chana: I used to fly to California for work, and one time instead of staying in a hotel I stayed with a friend from our Year Course. We decided to try and find every person from our Year Course, and we did. We found all but one. Some are in Israel, some in America, but it was wonderful (that first reunion we had).
Cyndi: That was when people started getting more in touch with each other on a wide ranging basis. and then it came time to begin planning our 50th reunion. And that was when you and I (Cyndi and Chana) started to work together. We planned the reunion along with eight people. It was originally supposed to be in Israel, but because of COVID was on Zoom. We ended up having two reunions that way.
Tell us about Aliyah.
Chana: I made Aliyah in 2019. And, that was, an experience. I learned a lot. And then just about the time that Cyndi was thinking of coming, I was finding an apartment for two. And the intention was, when you come, we’ll be the two. We have a little two bedroom apartment, very cozy, very nice. On a clear day, you can see the Dead Sea and Jordan, we are on the Green Line. Since Cyndi came in and from that point on, it’s been a matter of accommodating to being Israeli.
We’re learning a lot and we’re getting around. We’re being part of the community. Life is good!
Impact of YJ
Chana: We are still in contact with our chevrei and we’re old. Did we mention we’re really old? But, you know, we visit Young Judeans who have been here (in Israel) forever, our madrichim and our chevrei, and our life is involved in part, with people who have been Young Judeans, in other years.
I’ll tell you one cute story. The first week I got here Friday night, we went to a new shul, I asked someone, “שהוא בית הכנסת האמריקאי” And finally I get to this, big shul and there’s stairways up and there was a greeter at the door, and he looks at me and he says, “Hillary Lipsky, Young Judaea Year Course ’71-’72!” I said, how could you possibly know that? He said, “Kobi Ableman, Young Judaea Year Course ‘74-’75 come inside and meet your chevrei!”
So at that moment we were connected with, at least a decade of olim from Young Judaea.
Chana: We are your we are your quintessential Young Judaean chevrei. We have Young Judaeans living all around us (in Israel).
Chana: Let me clarify. Young Judaea was the most consequential, important moment of my entire life.
Cyndi: Me too.
Chana: Mel Reisfield would speak at camp. You know, you would measure your development in the movement by how many times you had heard his sicha. He got up one time in the moadon and he said, “There has not been a time in history where Jewish people could live three generations, in a civilized society. For those of you in the room who are Ashkenazi, do the math. It’s you.”
So when you see that ugly anti-Semitism pop up, do not tarry. It didn’t work so well the last time. Soon as you see it, if you’re not already in Israel, get up and get yourself to Israel. So, for me, it’s like a an electrode in the brain. And then I’m looking around in my world and I saw it, and that electrode came alive. And I reached out to Nefesh B’Nefesh I did everything I needed to do so we could be here.
Both: It’s really okay with us specifically if you find a Young Judaean and who’s questioning how their life could be in Israel. Please, connect them with us.
What’s a memory that sticks out from your time on Year Course?
Cyndi: We were the last full Year Course before it split up into different sections. We had ulpan each day for about four hours. I still didn’t speak a comprehensible Hebrew but one of the things that amazed me was how I still was able to get around. And it was because of Young Judaea that I felt comfortable being in Israel. I didn’t feel that it was going to take me seven out of the ten months to acclimate to the country. And, I remember getting a really bad sunburn when we were at Caesarea on the beach area.
Chana: In those days, we couldn’t pack suitcases and take them. We were allowed one suitcase so most of our clothing and all came in trunks and on a ship. Trunks, trunks, can you imagine that? It was delayed and two months later it finally arrived. And that night you would thought everybody was going for their senior prom.
We were all dressed and I remember that first Friday night…I always had this background of connecting to Judaism. And they took us that Friday night to the Kotel. Even now, I’m still getting choked up just remembering it. It was like the culmination of everything that we had experienced through Young Judaea, through being in camp, and, I won’t say that was the only big memory, but it was just really incredible.
Chana: You got to know people from everywhere on Year Course. And we all had the same thing at the core. And that’s what made it a cohesive group. You didn’t necessarily hang around with all 73 or 78 other people, but there was a something of a cohesiveness. Young Judaea gave us that reason and purpose and that mission.
