Bringing It Home
What is it?
USYers often notice something special about their conventions or experience on Wheels or
Pilgrimage. Something that goes beyond the good fun, good friends, good food and general goodwill
they experience at these programs. This “thing” is something else - a smell, a feeling, an
atmosphere; something that was both in the air and tangible. This something may have been a
feeling of liberation from a hard week of working at school, from touring long hours around the
U.S. or in Israel, or from their regular eating habits. This something may have been a feeling of
revelry in that they were able to spend hour after hour of unadulterated quality time with
special friends; or that they were able to think differently about what they put into their body.
This something may have been a feeling of spirituality in that what they were eating took on a
sense of holiness or that their time was being spent doing nothing but reflecting on themselves,
their friends, the experiences of the past week, and their relationship with God. These
“somethings” they experience on USY programs are known as Shabbat and Kashrut.
Regional and International USY program participants often have amazing experiences like these,
taking on new levels of Jewish observance. Oftentimes USYers would like to take those wonderful
Shabbat and Kashrut experiences they had on Wheels, Pilgrimage, or at a convention and further
their growth as a person and as a Jew at home. However, they must return home to an environment
that is strikingly different from what they had on a USY program - an environment in which
friends, family, and the secular world that do not observe or enjoy these Jewish traditions are
the norm. USYers feel alienated and get frustrated. They want to continue the great experiences
they’ve had with Jewish observance, but the dynamic in which they’ve enjoyed observing is
seemingly gone.
Difficult questions plague them: “How can I recreate a USY experience on my own at home? How
will I fit into a world that primarily does not understand the concept of Shabbat and Kashrut?
How will I be able to reconcile my differences and observe if my family does not observe Shabbat
or Kashrut? How will I be able to find the level of observance that’s truly right and comfortable
for me?” These are all valid questions and deserve answers in order to understand that Shabbat
and Kashrut are not only something for USY conventions and summer programs; they are for all Jews
at any given time.
Observant Jews will tell you that Shabbat and Kashrut are some of their greatest sources of
inspiration. And, paradoxically, Shabbat and Kashrut are often the greatest hurdles to those
testing the waters of Judaism. Therefore, we here at USY are glad to introduce “Bringing It
Home,” a guide for USYers to bring the Judaism they've enjoyed at USY programs home with
them; to help them on journey to a more meaningful and comfortable observance of Judaism.
The “Bringing It Home” pamphlets should be handed out to USYers at your regional
conventions/kinnusim/kallot and on your Pilgrimage groups and Wheels Busses in order for them to
take home the Judaism you’ve provided for them at conventions and summer programs. This means
that you now have two responsibilities: to distribute these pamphlets to USYers in your regions
and summer groups and also to ensure that you are taking the proper measures to prove meaningful
Shabbat and Kashrut experiences for your USYers.
Of course, “Bringing It Home” is not intended as the definitive answer to USYers’ questions.
Their Rabbis, Youth Directors/Advisors, and USY Regional Board members are probably the best
resource they have in being able to answer their questions about their path to a relationship
with God through Shabbat and Kashrut. It is our hope that USYers will utilize these pamphlets,
but we also hope USYers will utilize the resources available to them in their communities as
well.
We want USYers use these guides in good health, in good faith, and with good actions, and that
they continue going from strength to strength and sharing in the spiritual growth you provide for
them in USY.
How do you get it?
You can download copies of Bringing It Home by clicking on the links below. The copies are in
Adobe Acrobat .pdf format, and you will need the Acrobat Reader
to open these files.
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