Strengthening that sense of Jewish peoplehood continues to be a driver in our work at the Federation.  I was excited this week to receive an email from Israel.  It was a note letting us know that our 17 participants on Onward Israel (the internship program in Israel this summer I mentioned last week) had a request.  You see, the first weekend they arrived in Israel, they went to our Partnership 2Gether communities of Karmiel and Misgav.  When I saw them last week, to a person, they all said it had been a highlight.  They were connected with an adopted Israeli family and spent the weekend with them.  They had a real Israeli experience. 

The request I mentioned above was to return to Karmiel and Misgav this Shabbat.  They wanted to be in our beautiful Partnership region.  In fact, what I think they were all yearning for was a deeper connection to our Jewish people.  They realize that these Israelis are all part of our Jewish family and reconnecting with them brings each Onward participant closer in touch with their own feelings of Jewish peoplehood.

Last night, I participated in a wonderful parlor meeting about Birthright Israel.  A participant spoke about his experience and said that one of the highlights for him when he went in May was the Mifgash (Israeli soldiers join the Birthright bus and participate in the program).  Again, that sense of Jewish peoplehood came into play. 

My guess is that to some extent, all these young people touched by the programs we fund will have a heightened awareness of their own personal sense of Jewish peoplehood and will be as embarrassed by the Anthony Weiner’s and Ryan Braun’s in our world as I am.  I think that is a good thing.

Shabbat Shalom.