Giving thanks. It's a good thing.

        What a difference a year makes. In many ways, my life is completely different than the last time I wrote my thanksgiving thoughts; in many ways, it is very much the same. At this point last year, I was in the most serious relationship I have ever experienced, I was on NFTY board, the reality of the Bencher was a mere point in the future, I was barely involved with ASUCD and AEPi. While the venues of these commitments and involvements has changed, in a more general sense, the time that I dedicate to each has remained the same. While I am not in a romantic relationship, I have taken that time to make sure that I keep friends. I know, this seems obvious, but I am learning that keeping friends close is a difficult task even though it is one of the more important things in life. While I am no longer on NFTY board, I am still heavily involved with the Reform youth movement. I am constantly song leading and these opportunities have turned into a real job - a web site, business cards, a resume, compensation, and all. The Bencher was published. Now, I've taken it on myself to think of creative ways to market the book so that NFTY can get returns on their investment and, more importantly, the Bencher can be used for its intended purposes. While I was considering a Senate bid for a while, I have decided that two years will be a good amount of time to dedicate to ASUCD. This means that I will work my ass off for the commission, finish out the year as the External Affairs Commission chair, cut my losses, and run like hell. As you can see, I have a lot to be thankful for, and there are many people who deserve thanks.
        First, of course, my family. My family is in good health, and they're all happy. And there is nothing else I could ask for. My incredible sister has a great job that she really enjoys, she keeps getting more and more involved with the business side of things, and she has become (and I never thought I would actually say this) a true adult. But not one of those "I'm an adult so I'm better than you" kind of adults, Becky's one of those "I'm an adult which means I can do cool things, even though I know my responsibilities" kind of adults. She's a great person and is always willing to take the extra step to make me remember why she's the best sister in the whole entire universe.(Pause for the obligatory "aw"s) Becky is also very lucky. Almost two years ago, she met Eric. I am really thankful to have Eric in our family. Even though it's not official, he's always at family get-togethers in the bay area (which seem to happen more often than get-togethers in San Diego) so it pretty much seems like he's a MOG(member of the Gimbels). He's such a great guy, and I'm so glad that "Frank" and "Gimbel" are so close in the alphabet so it provided Becky and Eric to sit together on the flight to Israel. My parents. I am so thankful that so many great things happened to them in the last year. My dad's new business has finally taken off and he is able to sleep at night. I am also really thankful that my Dad and I are able to have more meaningful conversations about mutually interesting topics. One of my favorite days this past summer was when the two of us went guitar shopping. We must have spent a good six to eight hours together going from place to place. We had not had the time to bond like that in a very long time, and it was great to catch up with him on so many levels. I am so thankful that we have reconnected and now that the song leading gigs have picked up, he is always my first call before making a business decision. This was also a very big year for my mom. Though, I think every year after last year's birthday will be considered a "big year". I am so thankful that we have finally found a venue where I come to her for advise: food. It's so great that we're able to bond over simple things like how to boil water, and how Emril can kill a recipe with one ingredient. I am really thankful that we have a certain level of distance so that we actually appreciate the time we spend together.
        Second, I am very thankful for my friends. I lost contact with some friends, and others I reconnected with. Remaking connections is always something I really enjoy because I feel like it gives us another chance to keep in touch. I really hope that I keep those connections. Every time I get the chance to, I always thank my friends; however, like last year, I feel it necessary to mention a few people in particular: my board(NFTY Board and Soffer...they will always be "my board"), Arielle, and Sarah
        Soffer - In short, I could not have had this past year without you. Your support and guidance during our time on board was inspiring. I know I must sound like a broken record by now, but you really deserve a great deal of thanks for your help on the Bencher. And you should also know that every time I presented something in the Bencher during Biennial (at the PSW Council dinner doing candles and kiddush, and the HUC alumni breakfast doing Birkat Hamazon), I thanked you. I could really go on and on, but the truth is you embodied what a Rabbi should be: a mentor, a mensch, and a machor(macher? good person in yiddish...). I always look forward to our conversations about all things Jewish and secular, and I'm excited to continue our conversation on how for an american, going to Israel is kind of like going to Grandma's house. I am so thankful for you and Jen and I hope you both have continued happiness. You did it!
        My board - BASBHAT. 'Nuf said. No, not 'nuf said. You all made this past year so incredible for me, and I am so thankful that you are all a part of my life. I know that we are all going to stay close because every time we speak or meet up, it is as if no time has passed. We're still close, and I know that we will meet up on many future occasions. (Hopefully one this summer...) You all really mean so much to me, and I hope you all know that I will always be there for you.
        'Relle - Not gonna lie, we had an awkward moment this past June. But it made me realize that considering you a "good friend" wasn't enough. I realized that if I wanted to change our status from "good friend" to something more substantial, we actually would have to put the effort into keeping in touch. I am so glad that we have put the time in and reconnected. You helped me get through some trying times, and you were there during the times when all I could think of was track 1 on the new Jason Mraz album (it's "Life is Wonderful"). You helped me realize that what is important in life isn't the spur of the moment events in life, the important part is what you do after those moments. You mean so much to me, and I am so glad that our friendship has started to flourish, again. Some day, at some big life event, I'm going to get you a bottle of Jonnie Walker Blue with a note: "Bartlet for America".
        Sarah - I am so thankful we have remained close though all this time. You have been there for me when times were tough, when they were good, and when they just were. Even though we had some interesting events and situations during the summer, I never feared that our friendship would be affected. We really have gotten to that point in our relationship where I know that however our relationships change with others, ours will not. It's a comfortable place, and I am very thankful that you are such an influential part of my life. I hope you have a safe rest of your trip and I'm so excited to see you in December.
        Lastly, I want to apologize to those who I have hurt in the last year. I know this is something I should have done on Yom Kippur, but I believe that it is never a bad time to repent and forgive. I try to do my best to say I am sorry when it is necessary, but there are many times in life when your actions hurt others, even though you don't know their ramifications. So to those who are distressed because of my actions, I truly and sincerely apologize. I hope that you will bring this to my attention so that I don't make the same mistake twice. A person's friendship is something I truly treasure, and I hope I can help mend wounds.
        I'll conclude the same way I did last year. Not because I'm trying to be vain by quoting myself, but because I am still struggling with my questions: Something bothers me about Thanksgiving. I understand how one can be thankful, I can understand how one can be appreciative, but how does one give thanks? It is going up to someone and saying "thank you"? Is that giving thanks? Or maybe it derives from a sacrificial ritual from the early Temple days which would prove that Thanksgiving is REALLY a Jewish holiday. Maybe. It's something to ponder, and maybe there is no right answer. All I know is that life is good.

Biennial Plog Post #2

Thursday, Nov. 17, 2005 - 1:08AM(CST)

Biennial has been a unique experience for me. For the first time in a VERY long time, I actually get to participate in an event. I know, shocking. I'm only responsible for a few things, and the rest of the time, I have the incredible opportunity to take advantage of everything Biennial offers. That is the best way I can describe the past day.
I woke up this morning, had breakfast with Allison L., and went across to the Convention center. I didn't really have anything to do until the workshop I was co-leading at 1:30PM, so I had the morning to myself. After wandering around the halls for a while(the exhibit halls weren't open before noon), I called my old Rabbi (Rabbi Jon Stein) to find out where he was and when he was coming in. Curiously enough, he was just pulling up to the convention center. We met up and grabbed Starbucks. It was so great to catch up with him. I caught him up on everything in life - family members, how each is doing, and what they're up to; music stuff; his super-cool Treo; friends; college life; everything. In my Jewish upbringing, I've found that I identify Rabbi Stein as "my rabbi." After some good chatting, we shopped at the bookstore and the exhibition booth. And yes, we got matching yarmulkes.
Then, I had my workshop. The title of the workshop was "Blogs, Chatrooms, and LiveJournal: What the E-generation is Doing Online," and I taught it with Rabbi Koppel. The workshop was basically on how kids put WAY too much information out on the open internet and how to make sure that kids are safe online. A few notes about the meeting I found amusing:
*We were talking about how technology has changed over the last 30 years(1975 - First home computer; This year's senior class started kindergarten when the first widely-used web brower, Mosaic, was introduced), and there was a woman knitting. I found that amusing.
*New term I didn't know for AIM: POS - Parent over shoulder
*www.blackjew.com. 'Nuf said.
*Rachel G: Change your myspace. I used it as a REALLY bad example of a myspace, and everyone gasped when I showed it to them. You put yourself WAY out there. Take some of the info down. Your myspace is WAY high-risk. Just wanted to give you a heads-up.
After the very successful workshop, I had some time to chill with Andy S. It's so great that even though he's in a position that could go straight to his head, he's still a really good guy. We sat for a while, then met up with Dr. Soffer(Matt's dad), talked to Matt in the Holy Land, met up with Sarah R. and Rabbi Laura, and talked about responsible sexual behavior for about 45 minutes. It was pretty intense. Although, I did want to go to the workshop Craig Taubman, Cantor Lisa Levine, and Rabbi Billy Dreskin were leading: "Klezfusion, Country, and Hip Hop: the next wave of liturgical music?" But alas, I did not.
We came back to the hotel, tried to go out for dinner, but had some difficulties navigating downtown Houston, and ended up ordering in Papa Johns. Then, we went to the first big Plenary session. After a brief welcome by Chairman Bob Heller, there was a beautiful and moving presentation about the URJ's response to Hurricane Katrina. As the video presentation ended, the VOG(Voice of God - Paul) announced that everyone should rise as the Torahs from the affected Congregations, which had all been saved, were entering the room. The scrolls were carried by the Clergy of the synagogues. The emotions in the room ran very high. Feelings of sorrow for those who had lost their homes, hope for the future, and pride in the fact that the scrolls were saved filled the room instantaneously. It was a beautiful moment.
Then, it was off to networking:-). One of the things I love about my summer job is that it gives me a legitimate opportunity to go up to people like Beth Schafer and say "Hey, can Camp Newman steal you for a week this summer?" Then we trade business cards. It's so sweet. I'm so excited for this next summer. It really looks like the music program will finally have a great structure again. I just love walking into the hotel lobby and running into people, like The Cantor. It was great to meet up with her and find out when her service will be. I'll be there, for sure.
Until a few lines down,
jg

Biennial Blog Post #1

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005 - 12:58PM(PST)

My Biennial experience started this morning with something I had been looking forward to since June: voting in the WZO elections. I got the e-mail this morning, right before the SuperShuttle came, and I cast my vote for the ARZA slate. After voting for the second time in two weeks, (at least, for something that matters; ASUCD meeting votes don't count) I realized that voting is one of my favorite things to do. I know, I am a dork. I might even go so far to call myself a nerd. It still doesn't change the fact that I always feel so empowered after voting. It's so simple, yet it is the easiest way to make change happen. If you havn't already registered and/or voted, PLEASE register and vote at www.votereformjudaism.com.
After a pretty easy SuperShuttle ride to the airport, I checked in and sat down at my gate, A2. I was about an hour and a half early, so I just started working on some GarageBand projects. A guy walked by, sat down near me, and pulled out a guitar. It was a beautiful guitar - a custom made Larveiee D-series. He started to play some riffs, and I got really intimidated by his abilities. He mostly played bluegrass, but we were able to find some songs that we both knew (ie: "Man of Constant Sorrow," "Long Black Veil," and a jam in A). His name was Chad, he had just finished doing some session work for Dreamworks, and was flying to Detroit to audition for one of the "biggest bluegrass bands in the country." This guy was awesome. We talked about guitars, playing style (he had played with John Mayer at a festival, the 2nd guitarist for Cream at a random bar, Jean Larveiee - ie: the maker of Larveiee guitars), and other music items of interest. Something he mentioned, which I had never heard before, was that it is actually bad for the guitar to de-tune before going on a plane. This was contradictory to what I had been taught, as it would seem that the strings could break as the altitude gets higher and the strings contract. He said Jean Larveiee had taught him that you need to keep constant pressure on the strings so that you don't wear out and warp the neck and head. From this day on, I won't detune when going on planes. If there's someone I will trust on this subject, it's someone who makes guitars for a living.
Now I am just chilling on the plane, REALLY enjoying the fact that NFTY travel got me elite status on America West, and hoping that the flight doesn't get delayed so that I miss my connection to Houston.
Until a few lines down,
jg

Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2005 - 1:21AM(CST)

It really is amazing. Every time I come home from an event such as this, my parents always ask "So, do you still want to be a Rabbi?" My answer is always yes; if anything, the event only strengthened my want to get into the Rabbinate. I can tell that even though I've only been in Houston for a few hours, this will be that kind of event.
Those who have been to a NFTY event or Kesher Convention will understand the following: You know when you arrive at an event and you find that it takes you far longer than it should to do a simple task, such as checking in, because you keep running into people you know? That's what Biennial has been for me so far. After arriving at the hotel, I kept seeing people from past experiences, beit NFTY Board(staff members, mentors, commission members, etc.), friends, camp, random past Jewish experiences. I'll give you an example. (And no, I'm not just naming these people to name-drop them, this story actually happened.) I was talking with a rabbi about Friday night's dinner service, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Craig Taubman walking past. I had never met Craig, but I had wanted to, so I quickly got out of the conversation with the rabbi, and I met Craig while we were walking across the sky-bridge that connects the hotel and the convention center. The conversation lasted maybe 45 seconds, but it was awesome. 2 minutes before that, I had never met the man, and because of the greatness that is Biennial, I had the opportunity to meet so many incredible people.
Until a few lines down,
jg