B'nei Israel Congregation - San José, Costa Rica |
I think we always worry about material things; whenever we have an idea we complain about how much it will cost, how long will it take, who will participate. Aspects which do have a great influence in all our projects, but which I don’t consider as obstacles for their fulfillment. Sometimes I think that only persistence, willingness, and enthusiasm are needed to go a long way. Money is not needed in all projects, and if we wait to see who is interested in participating, we never achieve anything. I think we have to start by ourselves. Ideas are always good and always helpful.
As teenagers of the Jewish community, I think we should compromise, persist, and strive to achieve our goals. One meeting is not enough. Dialogue is helpful, but not when it does not lead anywhere.
I would like to create a group of young people who act, a group for which there is no obstacle we cannot overcome, a group in which we can express our perseverance and our desire to become a united community, valuing how fortunate we are, and helping those in need of love and the values taught to us by our parents.
We will begin with a Project for the Hospicio de Huérfanos (orphanage) in Desamparados, alongside the Centro Israelita. We have come together as two Jewish communities, not as an Orthodox community and a Reform community but as one, for we are all Jews, and we cherish the same values.
Seeing as some members have already donated gifts, we will be in charge of organizing a Christmas party for these 145 kids, on December 22. We want to collaborate with food, sweets, music… whatever is necessary to offer this children a different environment, full of love and happiness. Unfortunately, these children haven't had the same opportunities we have. They don’t have loving parents. I don’t want to be over dramatic, but many of us aren't aware of this reality and take our blessings for granted.
We are just a few, but we will be calling you in the next few weeks. But please, if we don’t get in touch with you, and you learn about this event, we would be very grateful if you could cooperate with something sweet, leaving it at the synagogue with Mayra (our secretary) or Leo, telling them clearly that what you are leaving there is for the orphanage project. From December 17 on we will be receiving your donations, and we will remain very grateful to all of you.
Thanks to the support on the part of various members of our congregation, we have been able to attend different seminaries abroad. The last one was organized by the Joint Distribution Committee in Antigua, Guatemala. As always, it was a wonderful experience. I think that it gets better each time. Personally, this one has been the best. The organization was excellent, the people were all very nice, and we were treated as if we were part of the nobility, always trying to give us the best. But there was a transitional factor: in this Seminary, teenagers and young adults of university age attended the same lectures, which meant we were treated as adults, and had adult discussions. They spoke to us in equal terms, telling us their personal experiences and giving us advise on how to go on as a unified community.
We also spoke about the guettos that we make in our synagogues – we often exclude those who do not share our same ideology. We try to fight against world discrimination, but we are blind to the reality that surrounds us. I do not understand the idea of creating a better world, where there is no racism, if we are not even able to build equality in our own house, our own temple, and in ourselves. There will always be different trends and traditions in Judaism, the need to be a good Jew, but we have to be open to new possibilities, always respecting our traditions and culture, our millenary culture that has grown and flourished until this day.
The participation of Latin American countries in the seminary served to unite us more as a Jewish community. All the people from different backgrounds and cultures, but with the same Jewish essence. We made new friendships, which we hope will last against all odds and distances, and which will also enrich our lives as human beings.
- Erika Keibel
Address:
700 meters West of Pops in the Sabana, on the old road to Escazu, corner building at your left.
KOLEINU, December 2003
Tel. 231-5243 / Fax: 231-5787
/ E-mail:
congbnei@racsa.co.cr
Inés Gutiérrez
baumgut@racsa.co.cr
Last updated: December 5, 2003