Reflections on Year 11 Tikkun Leil Shavu’ot

Ashne Amoils

Sonia Redman

The Tikkun Leil Shavuot was a night of fun and laughter as well as intense discussion and profound ideation; the perfect way to celebrate Shavu’ot. The novel experience of staying overnight at school combined with the introspective atmosphere only night can bring, facilitated a safe environment where we could voice our innermost beliefs and ideas without fear of ridicule.

Throughout the course of the night, we each attended four learning sessions, with small breaks between, where discussions were run about a variety of topics.

I, Ashne, attended the sessions about ‘What is God to you?’, Women of the Wall, Judaism and the Environment and Revelations in 2017. All my sessions were incredibly reflective and confusing; my ideas and beliefs were challenged, I was introduced to new concepts which I had to make sense of and as a result, I learnt more about myself and what Judaism and God means to me; an incredibly empowering experience. In contrast to the contemplative atmosphere, the sleepover was also a time of relaxation and fun, where our year group was given a chance to bond and just enjoy each other’s company. Overall, I applaud the teachers for constructing a beautiful experience, one that I am extremely glad and proud to have been involved in.

I, Sonia, attended ‘What is God to You?’, Women of the Wall, Judaism and the Environment, Syrian Refugees and the Far Right sessions. I was blown away by the dedication of each guest speaker to their respective fields, and their knowledge and passion on the subjects. I found myself challenged to think in new ways, having to even argue against women’s right to pray at the wall in a debate, forcing me to consider new aspects of the issue. My favourite session was run by Sam Koslowski, an Emanuel Graduate, who spoke about the Syrian Refugee crisis and the Holocaust. His passion for journalism and delivering counter-perspectives gave me insight into the truth behind today’s reality and encouraged us all to think of these events more humanely, rather than politically, by considering the individuals involved. This broadening of my mindset, coupled with the energy of singing around a makeshift bonfire, made this night unique and special to me.

We both think that Shavu’ot is about deconstructing Judaism and its texts in new and innovative ways, and we feel lucky to have had this privilege to do so with the rest of our cohort. Our year group learnt how to value opposing opinions, and how to challenge perceived norms without disrespecting those opinions. It was an enriching experience and we thank Mr Bloom, Morah Gaida, Ms Harvey, Ms Lauren Satill, Ms Levin-Kahn, Mr Daniel Sammowitz, Rabbi Siegel and all the guest speakers for bringing such insight into our lives on this incredible night.