rest

This past weekend, Caroline and I decided to explore spirituality.  Well, we are always exploring our spirituality on our weekly shabbat walks to the Kaminezki family, but this weekend Caroline requested to be "shomer."  Now, the last time I can remember not turning a light on during Shabbat dates back to a completely different time in Muth family life.


I remember going to my savta's house with Daniel and Gilad and waking up really early in the morning with no lights on in the house, except in the kitchen and bathroom.  There would be tea on the table with a yellow sponge cake.  I could smell chulent in the crockpot.  My brothers would be on their way to the small synagogue down the block with my grandfather, and I would make my way down later with Savta.  We'd sit in this tiny room behind the main room, with all these old books that had these cool designs on the pages' edges.  The only sounds from the other room we could hear were through this tiny little window up top on the wall.  We'd usually go back and eat lunch, and then enjoy time together.  I can't even remember what we did, but nothing about those moments seem difficult.


It's all kind of hazy now, and I haven't thought of keeping Shabbat like that in years.  In Binghamton, it was a tradition to go eat breakfast at Cracker Barrel.  In high school, I'd sleep in, then go downstairs and drink tea with my mom.  We'd probably talk for a bit, and then make our way to lunch somewhere else, but then spend the rest of the day talking about what I'd be doing at night.  In Ukraine, I travel, work, go out, talk on the phone, watch movies, cook, skype.


This past Thursday and Friday, I prepared all that I needed for Shabbat.  Chocolate cake, egg salad, eggplants, yogurt, cereal, hot water.  I switched on all the necessary lights and turned off the ones that would prevent us from sleep, shut my phone, made my call to America, prepared my bed, found reading material... Caroline and I were ready to stop moving and start examining because all that we needed had already been taken care of earlier.


All week, we prepare our mental state for Shabbat.  Now, I know that in the past I hadn't kept this tradition alive in practice, but technically, Saturdays have always been a rest from the constant purpose search.  On all the other days, we are constantly trying to find completion to our being.  6 days dedicated to "what am I doing here?" and "how do I make me better?" and "what do I need to do to get these kids to stop talking?" and "when am I going to get to Lviv already?" and "why does the bus always run late on days that I need to print?" and "where is my flash drive?" and "who is going to come to my seminar?" and "if I travel this weekend and spend money, will I be able to enjoy myself the weekend after?" and "am I ever going to stop this and...?" then Shabbat sneaks up while I'm mid-question, and I have to let go of all of those questions and be settled with my answers.


On Shabbat, I have reached my potential being and I need to look inside at what that currently means.  There is no more building.  I can't answer anymore questions about how to grow higher or wider or better or deeper.  I have to stop construction and start examining and scaling all the walls.  


All that I know about me can only be found within and I should not be working anymore to continue the search.  Shabbat, according to tradition, sustains us.  We have already found a purpose and we don't need to ask any questions to make us complete.

Camp MAKE 2012 - PLEASE DONATE

Dear friends and family,

Almost 17 months ago, I came to Ukraine with a group of American volunteers to help the Ukrainian people, specifically youth, to learn English, develop certain skills and communicate effectively in another language.  During my experience here, I have achieved some personal goals, such as language expansion, friendship building/making, and have even begun to narrow down my own future plans post service.  All of these things seemed incapable of achieving, but with your support and the American government, I was able to grow positively.  In Ukraine, the youth are not as lucky.

Ukraine, as a young country, has grown tremendously in the past twenty years. However, looks don't mean everything. Behind the curtain of development, deep cultural attitudes and a legacy of Soviet leadership lessen people's ability to organize themselves and improve their country. In a society where individuality was discouraged, few people are creative enough to solve problems.  In a country where native leadership was destroyed, too few Ukrainians have the skills to change and develop their country.

This summer I will be working at Camp MAKE, a Peace Corps ran camp dedicated to leadership development and Ukrainian youth.  Our goal at Camp MAKE is to develop homegrown Ukrainian leaders by teaching youth about project management, teamwork, and multiculturalism. Camp MAKE motivates, encourages, and opens the minds of youth to new ideas. 

Ukraine needs of lot to meet the challenges of the 21st century: clean water, medicine, safe transportation, paved roads and more. This project is designed to correct the underlying challenges that keep Ukrainians from solving their own problems: a wholesale lack of native leadership and innovation. Camp MAKE aims to create a generation of curious, creative, compassionate Ukrainian leaders. MAKE stands for Multiculturalism, Action, Knowledge, and Empowerment, but it means much more.

Camp makes change. Camp makes waves. Camp makes a difference.

To read more and consider supporting our chance to make change, please visit our website at: campmake.wordpress.com, or go directly to the Peace Corps donation website at: https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=343-295. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email (campmake@gmail.com).

I appreciate any help you can give. Donating to Camp MAKE 2012 will help make the possibility of a better future for the promising Ukrainian youth.

Thank you,

Avital Muth

veneer

I just feel like I need to post something, so here goes...


I've been kind of bored and the weather got the best of me for the past two weeks.  Not necessarily as bad as last year, but definitely felt quite contained inside the apartment, and as a result, stuck inside my head.  Lately, I've been hearing about truth.  It is so easy to believe whatever is said to me, but am I at fault if I do not question what I hear?  Maybe even questioning it adds to the fire.  I decided that the best way to fix what I need is to get out of my head and into "now."


I haven't been traveling much since I got back from Israel.  I'm quite happy about that decision because I had not been at site for a while, and wanted to spend time here relaxing, working and focusing back on school.


I am proud to announce that I have begun two major projects, one more justice focused and the other cultural focused.  The first (click the link to see it on my school's website!) teaches students at my school about the power of one and the power of many - while individually we can make small changes, when we combine our forces and have the same goal, we can make a real difference.  We are collecting coins (just) and at the end of the month, all of this money will be donated to an organization of the students' choice.  The second is a chance for 8th form students at the school to learn about different countries around the world through various English discussion topics.  They will learn about different countries around the world, and I will be the "American in Residence" and teach them about American culture.  Both projects will last until the end of the school year.


пока.