Bagels, Books, and Youth Camp

Jump to Comments

After another reasonably long wait, I finally have some good things to write about. So, I come to you from the Bagel Shop, in Pali Naka (which I can finally find without needing a compass, a map, a skilled rickshaw driver, and a trained hound). I’m happily munching on one of their not-quite-New York but overly sized bagels, spread with pesto and cream cheese and layered with lettuce, tomato, and mozzarella cheese. Not exactly what you imagined when thinking about India, hm? Me neither – but I’m certainly thankful for the brief fix of American food, a cold coffee, and wireless Internet!

Me enjoying my cold coffee at Bagel Shop

The past couple of weeks have been moderately busy and frought with some personal strife, primarily the continution of the visa struggle. I finally managed to coerce the Indian Consulate in NY into conversation with the FRRO in Mumbai, and the former sent the latter the requested letter of “no objection,” and I was granted my visa conversion, from an employment visa to a entry visa ‘X’ (normally reserved for the spouses of people working in India on employment visas – interesting, right?). Also, I discovered via the Indian immigration site that it is normally very difficult/impossible to transfer one visa to another, without leaving the country and just applying for a new one for re-entry. So, congrats to me for doing the near-impossible!

The office told me, though, that I can’t apply for a visa extension until 15 days prior to my visa’s expiry date. For me, this means I have to wait until the beginning of June to head back down to the FRRO to try my luck again. Story of life in India: sit tight, wait, and be prepared to wait some more. Wouldn’t you think I’d be used to life being out of my control at this point? That I might sit back and relax and surrender to the fact that things are just out of my hands? That I might go about my regular life, trying to enjoy everything as best as I can and not waste my time with worry?

Well, if you’re thinking that, I guess you don’t know me very well!

I am trying to adjust, though, and enjoy my time to the max. But there is a part of my mind that’s always musing over the problem and attempting to discern alternative routes to the desired end.

My work life has picked up a bit, mostly because we just finished youth camp, and now we’re working toward day camp. As previously mentioned, I’m mentoring/overseeing the peulot (activity) planning of the 7 youth who went to Szarvas, Hungary last July. We all worked really hard, and we put together an incredibly successful and enjoyable youth camp, which took place over April 30-May 3. Starting Thursday morning at 7 a.m., about 30 of us (25 or so youth, plus a few staff members) boarded a bus (sans a/c) to the Konkan coast, just outside of Mumbai, where the Jews supposedly first landed when they arrived in India a couple thousand years ago.

En route to seaside Alibaug, we stopped over at synagogues in Panvel, Pen, and Poynad. We learned a little about each site, and we had the opportunity to take pictures, make donations, and light candles, which, in India, go hand-in-hand with saying a prayer when visiting a synagogue. When we reached Alibaug, we checked into our hotel, and then we started our programming. Over the course of the weekend, the Szarvas youth, who were our madrichim (“counselors” or Jewish leaders), guided the rest of the youth in learning and thinking deeply about Bene Israeli traditions, making aliyah, anti-Semitism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and living as Jews in a non-Jewish world. The programming went very smoothly, and it was a special time for me, seeing the youth step up to their podiums, really taking the job seriously and confidently, and having an impact on their peers.

Youth enjoying the programming

More youth, more programming

Friday morning, we headed to Revdanda for another synagogue and to see one of the few oil-presses still in existence from when the Jews first came to India and employed themselves in the oil-pressing industry. David Waskar, the man who runs this oil press, is 78 years old, and the press used to operate with two bullocks; a few years back, the JDC funded  the installation of a mechanically operated press to modernize and assist his business.

Revdanda oil press: David Waskar is crouched on the floor; his wife sits next to the press

We also visited the Borle synagogue and the old Jewish cemetary near Navgaon.

Sarah and me at the Borle synagogue

Jerusalem Gate, entryway to the Navgaon cemetary

In the evenings, the youth participated in activities that Sarah and I had planned for them. Thursday night, they played a three-round dance/talent competition (somewhere between “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Britain’s Got Talent” – but JYP’s Got Dance Skills/Talent!). Sarah and I judged, along with our friend Eli, who had injured himself and wasn’t up to his usual dancing capabilities.

JYP's Got Talent judges

On Friday night, we played a boys vs. girls version of Family Feud, and on Saturday night, we had an Israeli disco, complete with Israeli folkdance and hip hop, Bollywood music, and even some popular American and British pop and rap tunes.

We celebrated a really nice, relaxing Shabbat together, carrying out some Shabbat-friendly programming, but mostly just enjoying each others’ company.

Room 203 dressed for Shabbat: Natasha, Meirah, Sarah, and me

Altogether, the camp went really well, both in terms of its success an informal Jewish education venture and as an opportunity to get to know the youth better.

About a week after our return from youth camp, we gathered at the JCC on a Sunday for Sarah’s and my session in the Leadership Series. Through May and June, the JCC holds Sunday Leadership Series sessions, in which we have members of the community speak on various topics, anything from “how to give a speech” to networking and career moves. Sarah and I chose to teach about creative programming, since that is our speciality – but we focused our class on goal-setting and planning, so that the topic could apply to informal Jewish education at the JCC… or to deciding on a career path, or putting together a paper for college or a project/presentation at work. We had about 20 youth show up for our 2-hour course, and while some of the material seemed a little rote for us, everyone appeared to be interested and engaged, and we got some great feedback afterward.

Then, a little later that evening, we had some guests from Young Judea come to visit the JCC at the end of their week-long trip to India. Young Judea is a pluralistic Jewish youth group based out of the United States, but they have a year course in Israel, and they take a few short trips to other countries during that year. About 50 Young Judea kids came to the JCC for some low-key programming, a meet-and-greet with some of the JYP youth, and dinner, before their flight back to Israel.

Dancing to Bollywood hits

Impromptu limbo

Almost a week later, the energy at the JCC is still pretty high. We’re at a good time in the year, when the children have off from school, and the college students are on their “summer” break from classes, awaiting exam results and the start of the next term. Pretty soon, the temperatures will rise again, and it will be time for day camp (our theme is “The Jewish Time Machine”!), and then… hopefully, a trip to Nepal! I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll be able to get my visa extended and then to go enjoy a little vacation in Nepal before coming back to finish my job with the JDC. If that goes as planned, I’ll be able to hang out in Bombay with another college friend, Kristin Wall (who’s currently working for Teach for America in St. Louis, Missouri), and then to visit her in Thailand in July, before coming home in early August. If not… I’ll be back in the U.S. in just a few weeks.

I’m not looking to rush anything along at this point. I know I gripe about India a lot, and there are certainly some parts to living and working here that are indescribably (at least, in a public forum… and without the use of several foul words) awful, irritating, and stress-inducing. I have some really terrible days, but I also have some fantastic ones. But ultimately, the experience has been a positive, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I have not once taken for granted. I’m not ready to end this sooner than I have to (despite what I might say in my worst moods on the worst days!).

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized