| Shabbaton 2003 Recap
 Over
the weekend of November 7-8, we held in our 15th Annual Shabbaton Israel. Over
130 college students, faculty and Hillel professionals from over 10 Bay Area colleges
and universities attended, making this year’s Shabbaton our largest ever.
Here are some of the other highlights: - Highest
number ever of student-led programs and workshops. We were very blessed to have
students from a variety of campuses lead an array of workshops/activities: Icebreakers,
prayer services, and workshops including Jewish Media and Israeli Culture, just
to name a few. All of these activities in past years have been lead by Jewish
community professionals and paid speakers. Many of these student leaders have
attended our Shabbaton in previous years.
- Highest involvement and attendance
of Hillel professionals. Based upon on-going enhancement in working relations
with local Hillels we were delighted to incorporate many excellent Hillel professionals
into leadership positions in our program.
- Israel 20/20--- For the first
time ever and based upon careful assessment of last year’s feedback, we
developed a new and exciting student and Hillel professional led program. Students
were divided into discussion groups by campuses and were asked to envision the
Jewish State in the year 2020. After much ado, students then presented their collective
vision to the entire assembly in quite a charming and humorous way.
- Our
Keynote speaker insisted to come the next day to answer students’ questions
again. This is indeed unprecedented in my professional career, believe me I was
there! Professor Moshe Maoz surprised some students with his dovish and conciliatory
tone by suggesting (among other things) that Israel should withdraw immediately
from the Gaza Strip. Regardless of their own opinion on this subject, the students
were grateful that this approach sparked debate and discussion. The students were
glued to the professor, the hour became late, and he asked us to arrange a ride
for him the following day to continue these conversations with the students free
of charge and on his own time.
- Diversity of Participants--- Attendees
included Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist and secular students,
Jews and non-Jews alike, women and men, Americans, Israelis and Russians, queers
and straights from an array of Bay Area campus communities.
- Scholar in
Residence--- It was the FIRST Shabbaton Israel with a scholar-in-residence-Mr.
Mark Lazar who did a superb job enhancing knowledge and emotional attachment to
the Jewish State.
- Diversity of speakers--- Our speakers included representatives
from the African-American and Queer communities, Jewish refugees from Arab countries;
Palestinians and Jews in dialogue, AIPAC, ADL, and East Bay Jewish Federation
in addition to representatives from national organizations like International
Hillel and USD Hagshama.
The retreat has historically been a jumping-off
point for potential student Israel activists, as well as a forum for more veteran
campus organizers to network with new students, and share their ideas and experiences.
Those who attended will impart their newfound knowledge onto more students at
their home campuses - the retreat is thus an example of capacity building on a
massive scale. Avner Even-Zohar, MA
Director of Campus Division
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