Inspiration and Leadership at OSRUI Can Emanate from Many Places.

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“So, for the first t’filot [worship service] we have, these are the songs and these are the meditations that we thought we’d do…” These words greeted us faculty members when we arrived at Tiferet Bet last week. Those words were inspiring because they represented the amazing leadership initiatives from the song-leading staff at Tiferet. They are indicative of the successful laboratory OSRUI has become for inspiring future Jewish leaders.

Taking responsibility for the worship life of Reform Jewish campers is an awesome responsibility. And the song-leading staff at Tiferet has been exceptional, and I know – and the reader should be assured – that such inspiration, exuberance, and excellence is the hallmark of each unit at OSRUI.

Our Tiferet song-leaders Alek, Cameron, Leah, and Maya, lead the chanichim [campers] in an inspiring music and worship program: at one moment leading the eidah [unit] in deeply moving prayers, and another offering Hebrew songs, meal-time chants teaching Hebrew vocabulary, and the importance of cleaning their tables after meals.

Their energy is infectious, and they can be creatively flexible with a moment’s notice. Their curiosity and expertise regarding Jewish texts is clear, as the take the words of our ancestors and infuse them with new meaning through the chords of current melodies. They are intimately familiar with the flow of Reform Jewish worship, and make the whole eidah feel comfortable and at home.

And here is the kicker: By virtue of the past and present experiences of our song-leaders at Camp, OSRUI’s professional leadership has empowered these song-leaders – as well as each staff person with whom our children relate – to expand the boundaries of their craft, and take appropriate risks in order to energize our prayer and spiritual life. Their innate abilities to properly push the envelope allows them to succeed in leading our children in their time at OSRUI.

This laboratory for our positive Reform Jewish future is a well-toned music and worship machine. Thank you to those with the insight to hire and inspire all these tremendous young people we have at OSRUI, and thanks to those who inspire our movement’s children for observing Jewish culture and religion with such excitement and passion!

Submitted by Rabbi Johnathan Biatch of Temple Beth El in Madison, WI and Tiferet Bet faculty member.