Daniel (Sammo) Samowitz

Year 10 Ayekah

Last week, our Informal Jewish Life team and the Israeli madrichim, with the support of our Emanuel faculty, ran Machaneh (camp) Ayekah for Year 10 students, and it was incredibly powerful. The name of camp was changed from Zionist Seminar to Ayekah?, which is the first question God asks of the first human, Adam: “Where are you?”. This was our frame for camp. We related to questions like: “Where are you in life? Whom do you choose to surround yourself with? What do you believe in? Do you live your life according to what you believe? Ayekah?”

I really loved camp, it’s the place I love myself the most. I love being that weird 30 year old dude who’s dancing like a seven year old and having so much fun, I love talking to the students about things like the world is theirs to create and find meaning in, because it is – to create whatever they choose. I was able to understand that while talking about Judaism, Israel, Zionism and responsibility for the Jewish people and our community, all topics I love, Machaneh Ayekah and Judaism in the Emanuel school are about learning to “love thyself and learning to love thy neighbour”. Ayekah to me is to choose to believe in yourself, to improve your individual and self-worth, to make you feel unique, special and loved.  I’m sad that sometimes it takes a camp to remember how special our students, our community and our school is.

Rabbi Siegel instilled in us a quote that I cannot stop thinking about and I know I’m not alone.

It’s from the Kotzker Rebbe: “If I am I because I am I and you are you because you are you then I am I and you are you but if I am I because you are you and you are you because I am I then I am not I and you are not you”.  

The quote to me is the need to believe in oneself, the need to connect to others, to love; but first of all to be an individual at peace with who you are, to be authentic and be able to bring that authentic self to others.

I saw in your children life, I saw creativity, love, solidarity and freedom. I am proud to be a part of this community, I am proud to be a partner in educating our students about the values and the ethos of Emanuel School. I hope one day I will have the opportunity to send my children to Emanuel School. The Madrichim’s (Guides) role wasn’t that difficult because it was the students themselves who chose to believe in themselves.

Ayeka