Around third grade is when teachers start asking you what you want to be when you grow up. Typical third-graders would say that want to be an astronaut or an actor, something along those lines. Third-graders have
high aspirations for their future because they don’t know what lies ahead.
Then you grow up and do the things that your friends are doing. You join the same clubs and hang out at the same places. It is in high school when you see the path that lies ahead for yourself. You know what your interests are, and you aren’t afraid to meet new people. This is when I found myself.
I was in BBYO throughout high school, and that is where I discovered my passion for Judaism. I always sought to know more about everything we learned, but in high school I was still too shy to ask these kinds of questions. Fast forward to college.
As many of you may know, college is a place where you can join whatever club, do anything that you want, and go any direction you choose. I wanted to learn more about being Jewish. I immediately got very involved with Jewish life on campus. Among my many Jewish activities, I found myself in a program called Sinai Scholars. This semester-long discussion based class is offered through Chabad at KU, and it perfectly quenched my thirst for Judaic knowledge.
Every summer Sinai Scholars has a retreat for the participants of the program. A select group of 150 students are chosen from among hundreds who apply. This summer, I was honored to be chosen along with 11 of my peers from KU to attend the Sinai Retreat at the Palmer House in Chicago. It was the most phenomenal experience of my entire life. The kosher food was delectable. Words don’t even do it justice. The rabbis, rebbetzin and other speakers were some of the most profound people I have ever heard. They spoke of topics such as faith and belief, interfaith marriage and finding your beshert; your other half. We had the opportunity to meet various Jewish philanthropists and community leaders, among them George Rohr, the man behind the Sinai Scholars Society and its retreat. On top of all this, there were discussion panels where the students could ask any question imaginable. Finally, to close out every day, we had reflection sessions with a small group of students to discuss what we had learned. The point of these sessions was so we could actually retain the things we were hearing.
We were given plenty of time to go out and explore the city as well. We went on a late night boat cruise, spent an afternoon at Navy Pier, visited a local Chabad House, and took plenty of pictures at the bean. What’s at the bean?
I have returned with so much more knowledge. I was deeply impacted by the Sinai Scholars learning experience. I learned how to truly become the kind of driven leader that I have always wanted to be. In fact, I am coordinating the Sinai Scholars class on my campus this semester because I really feel that Sinai Scholars teaches such wonderful things. I hope to influence students, just as this phenomenal program influenced me.
The trip was life changing to say the least. I have never felt so inspired, so knowledgeable or so refreshed. Looking back to my younger self, I am glad I became the Jewish, independent woman that I am. I am no longer afraid to ask the questions that I want to. I see what lies ahead, and I envision exactly how I am going to get there. The Sinai Scholars Retreat helped me to think this way. To anyone out there who is interested in Sinai Scholars, I highly recommend it. I am thoroughly looking forward to the retreat next summer.
Rebeka Luttinger is a second year student at the University of Kansas studying Journalism.