A Shabbaton Retrospective

While in the process of writing up some of my own thoughts on the Shabbaton, I saw Eliezer Orenstein online, and asked him if perhaps he'd write up his own. In typical Lander fashion, his first response was:

I'll give a testimonial:

"It didn't stink!"
~ Eliezer Orenstein ('07)

A minute later, he wrote up a few quick thoughts, which he asked me to "uncheese", but I decided to leave as is:

I honestly didn't know what to expect going into this past Shabbos; after all, whatever good times we may or may not have had, many of us seemed to be in a big rush to be done with the institution as students. But when I found myself making the familiar walk to that familiar building erev shabbos slightly late (some things remain constant) and settling into the very seat where I spent so many sedarim and minyanim... I felt something. Without sounding horribly cliche`, the Lander experience of my past was suddenly very much in my present, as I exchanged smiling nods with many friends; while some are close, with the others, it was feeling the connection that one achieves through shared experience.

While I have kept in touch with many good friends I went together through Lander with, I found myself almost overwhelmed - unable to walk through the room without finding someone to catch up and share a laugh with, over and over.

Or, more simply put, there's no great way to explain nostalgia and connectivity. If I did have to "uncheese" it, though, this is about what I'd say:

When people think about their past schools, friends, and the like, they often figure "Well, anyone who I really want to be in touch with I am". And while this is largely true, there's still something not quite quantifiable about coming back with those friends, seeing others, and reliving to some extent the memories that were formed and friendships that were forged in that place. Yair Daar spoke at lunch about na'aseh v'nishma and how the B'nei Yisroel would have had a hard time explaining rationally why they felt to do such a thing; but their experiences had led them to understand that this was what they should be doing. That same concept is applicable to our experiences in Lander: Certainly in the early years, it was easier to define Lander by what it was not than what it was. But even so, we're able to understand, even if we cannot quantify, why it is Lander was the place for us; how our experiences there helped shape our lives, from friends to faculty, from education to learning to life.

The Shabbaton was a really great reminder of this. If you would have asked anyone on their way out after the meals or the melave malka how it had been (and I asked a number of people), you'd see their eyes light up as they would say with that slight raise in pitch "It was really nice!" If you'd try to pin them down and ask what about it was so nice, they'd probably have had a harder time trying to define just what it was that really made them feel good about being there and what let them have such an enjoyable Shabbos. But they knew from that experience - however unquantifiable it may be - that they'd had a good time, and that was all that mattered.

We're glad that it was such a wonderful experience for everyone, and it gives us great encouragement for the future in both having more such events and in terms of the growth of the Lander Alumni and our continuing relationship with Lander. Thanks to all who joined us, and we look forward to continuing to keep in touch with everyone.