My "To Do" List

By Richard S. Moline
KOACK Director

This is the time of year many of us face with some trepidation. Those long summer days are getting shorter. The summer routine (or lack thereof) gives way to a different kind of structure. A certain fear of the unknown seems to slowly creep upon us. What will this new year bring? How will my new living accommodations work out? Will I like my roommate? Will my classes meet my expectations? How can I possibly finish all I need to get done right now in order to be ready for the start of fall semester?

Similarly, we confront similar questions in the Jewish world. In addition to the physical preparation for the new year (and the seemingly endless string of holidays to follow), spiritual issues emerge – sometimes with little warning.

I know that many institutions provide you with a list of supplies to bring for your dorm and your overall college experience. I’d like to try to do the same for your spiritual needs, as well. I’d be interested in hearing what else you’d like to add to the list.

• Be prepared to find your community. It’s hard to do things alone. Check out Hillel. Find a mentor – a grad student, a professor, a Hillel or KOACH professional. People to hang with.
• Realize it won’t be perfect. You’re going to have to work at it. Those first high holiday services away from home may feel really uncomfortable. Not because they’re bad, but because they’re different. Even if you’re not a first year student, the campus dynamic will be different this year. Don’t write it off and say it used to be better. Make it yours.
• Do something meaningful. It’s easy to fall into a routine, especially when there’s a lot of coursework to deal with. Volunteer somewhere, even if it’s only for an hour a week. You have the skills to tutor, work in a soup kitchen, organize for social justice, visit people in a hospital or nursing home and so much more. You have the capacity to make others feel better – and in doing so, will make yourself feel good, as well.
• Don’t be busy all of the time. Find time to reflect – think about your day, how you feel about certain political or social issues.
• Keep the following in your heart and mind: Family. Friends. The Jewish People. Israel. Humankind. The Environment. Darfur.
• Add up the blessings in your life before Shabbat starts every week. It will make Shabbat even more relaxing than it might be for you.

Why such a list (and I know you can add a lot more)? We all get caught up in our daily lives. We are all constantly checking our e-mail, making sure our iPods are charged, making sure we are still getting a signal on our cell phones. Do we think about our elderly relatives as much as we check e-mail? Do we recharge ourselves as often as we recharge our MP3s? Do we think about the prerequisites we need to be content as much as we think about the prerequisites we need for our major?

In short, how do we connect with ourselves? My simplistic answer – by following elements of that checklist, we connect ourselves to God. And in doing so, we connect with ourselves.

The upcoming Days of Awe provide us with the opportunity to put such issues into perspective. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, first Chief Rabbi of Palestine after the British Mandate suggested:

Attachment to God, in its most exalted and pristine manner, does not stand in opposition, in any way, to the world or life in general. Rather, attachment to God serves to both prepare and expand the world, in all its aspects. (Orot HaKodesh)

As we enter into the introspective period on the Jewish calendar, NOW is the moment. We’re going to be arranging the furniture in our living spaces. We should arrange that internal furniture, as well.

The entire KOACH staff joins me in wishing you a wonderfully successful, fulfilling and productive year. May you find peace, contentment and personal growth. See you on campus!

[Posted 08/14/07]