Dayenu: It Would Have Been Enough

By Adam Nachman, Class of 2017

Adam Nachman '17, Julia Motis ’17, Marlee Waldman ’19, Ben Kern '18 and Paulee Manich ’18 at URJ Biennial in November 2015

Adam Nachman ’17, Julia Motis ’17, Marlee Waldman ’19, Ben Kern ’18 and Paulee Manich ’18 at URJ Biennial in November 2015

Adam Nachman was one of six Rutgers students who attended the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) Biennial last month, along with Rutgers Hillel staff member Sarah Magida, our Reform Community Educator.

If we only went to Orlando for four days to escape the unpredictable weather of New Jersey, Dayenu.

If our flight only got delayed once instead of twice, Dayenu.

If we only went to URJ Biennial to hear Rabbi Rick Jacobs, URJ’s president, speak once, Dayenu.

If we only heard Ari Shavit speak instead of getting to meet him, Dayenu.

If we only went to Orlando to meet other Reform Jewish students and discuss Jewish life at our college campuses, Dayenu.

If we only had an hour-long lunch with Rabbi Rick Jacobs, Dayenu.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs with all college students at URJ Biennial in November 2015

Rabbi Rick Jacobs with all college students at URJ Biennial in November 2015

If we only had Friday night Shabbat services with 5,000 Reform Jews complete with Broadway-style renditions of prayers and Shabbat songs and 7 huge video screens, Dayenu.

If we only went to Biennial to have a Shabbat dinner with said 5,000 Reform Jews, Dayenu. (Rutgers Hillel’s FREE Shabbat Dinners are every Friday for the rest of the semester at 6:30pm!)

If we only had a post-dinner song session followed by a concert by Dan Nichols, Dayenu.

If we only went to Orlando to have Saturday morning services and chant an aliyah with 5,000 other Reform Jews, Dayenu.

If we only had a conversation with Rabbi Jonah Pesner, the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Dayenu.

If we only went to dinner as a group and laughed about the inside jokes that were created during the time in Orlando, Dayenu.

If we only got to hear Rabbi David Saperstein, the United States’ Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, speak and be honored for his achievements, Dayenu.

If we only traveled to Orlando to have the privilege of being addressed by Vice President Joe Biden, Dayenu.

If every Reform Jew could experience this and be proud of their beliefs, it would be enough!

Julia Motis ’17, Paulee Manich ’18, Sarah Magida, Benjamin Bass '19, Ben Kern '18, Marlee Waldman ’19, and Adam Nachman '17 at URJ Biennial in November 2015

Julia Motis ’17, Paulee Manich ’18, Sarah Magida, Benjamin Bass ’19, Ben Kern ’18, Marlee Waldman ’19, and Adam Nachman ’17 at URJ Biennial in November 2015

Rutgers Hillel developed the Reform Outreach Initiative, the first program on any campus dedicated to the Reform Movement. With a full-time Reform Educator, a cadre of student leaders, and support for programming, the Reform Movement now has a voice on the campus with the largest Jewish undergraduate population in the country, to complement our staff’s Orthodox Rabbinic couple and Conservative Rabbi.

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