While presenting what is usually Rabbi Daniel’s Rockoff’s monthly lunch-and-learn in Village Shalom Monday, June 3, I was reminded why I decided to return to Kansas City. I entered the room to speak to a group of elderly women and one gentleman expecting to be teaching what I had prepared. When I left, I had learned as much, if not more, from their wisdom and warmth and had gained a new understanding of the material for myself.
For the fourth consecutive summer, Congregation Beth Israel Abraham & Voliner has hosted a group of interns from Yeshiva University so that they “will become part of the K.C. BIAV community for the month, spending their days working at a variety of exciting internships, and dedicating their nights to energizing and learning Torah to the Jewish community.” Now that I’m in my second year in the program, I can testify that this description is only half of the story.
For instance Ora Laufer, a 20-year-old participant from Monsey, N.Y., explained her experience, this way: “It may be cliché, but we are getting way more than we are giving. To see lay-leaders step up to service the community’s needs is inspiring to us as a group.”
This attitude has pervaded the trip, with all the interns immediately seeing what they could learn from the community. David Muller, a 22-year-old participant from Cleveland, felt that this was “the perfect transition from college to the real-world.” “While at Yeshiva University, we learned a lot about being in the workplace while living a life of service to one’s community. This is the perfect chance to see it firsthand.”
Muller continued to discuss how impressed he was at the seamless teamwork that allowed the community to operate smoothly.
