Shalom Namaste
Reflecting on an experience is difficult. I feel that impactful experiences — whether travels, connections, relationships, or any alike — garner and grow their effects over time. Oftentimes, their effects don’t even begin to surface until after an experience is over, through reflection or nostalgia.
My experience on the JDC Entwine Insider Trip to India has been different though. The conversations I engaged in, our group discussions, the sights I saw, and the culture we were immersed in, were all truly incredible experieinces. I felt something shifting in my mindset as a myriad of diverse, new experiences transpired. The trip was focused on connecting with and learning about the historical Bene Israel Indian Jewish Community (yeah, Indian Jews! who knew?!) and gaining a first-hand understanding of the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s rescue, relief, and renewal work in India and all over the world. I truly feel that my Jewish identity and my connection to spirituality and community in general will be directly affected in a tangible and lasting manner because of this trip. Immersing myself into the culture of like-minded peers in a historical Jewish community in India has altered my perception about the strength of religion and its capacity to create cross-cultural connections and global unity. Seeing how Judaism plays an active role in the Indian community right alongside the Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim communities has been truly eye opening, and the connections I made with people from all over the world has been life-changing. I hope some of the pictures I share will do my experiences justice. And I hope they inspire others to think a little deeper and get involved in all the incredible and diverse communities that seem to be at our fingertips.
This is Zainab.
She’s a woman with special needs who lives in Mumbai and is part of an amazing community called Om Creations. Om Creations is “a non-profit training project for holistic and educational rehabilitation of the mentally challenged women. They assist differently-abled women with opportunities that help them lead a meaningful life of dignity and self-worth.” The women who work at Om Creations spend their days making beautiful artwork and baking chocolates and pastries, which are all sold in the community to economically and emotionally empower them. I spent my time there with the amazingly warm Zainab, a woman who loves drawing colorful flowers and making friends. She’s worked at Om Creations — a place that has given her a home, family, and lifestyle — for ten years. She didn’t stop smiling for even a second while we were visiting with each other. I asked her if she liked working at Om Creations and her smile immediately broadened as she excitedly said yes while looking toward her friend Faiza. As she shook her head looking deep into my eyes, she said, “we are all friends here. All friends.”
This is Keren.
Keren is the daughter of our incredible tour guide and friend, Joshua, and a big part of the Jewish community in Mumbai. She loves cooking and singing, and she has this really smiley, quiet persona that made me want to just stare at her and wonder about the things that were going through her mind. On the last day of our trip she sang songs while I strummed along on my ukulele, and it was really wonderful.
This is Annabel.
She’s a girl from Miami with a big heart and a beautiful soul. She’s a pre-med student at Oberlin College and came on the Entwine trip to re-discover her Jewish identity. We spent a lot of time talking about why being Jewish, or affiliated with any religion, rather, is important, and how spirituality and community can positively affect lives. We also delved head-first into the topic of personal relationships (the theme of the Indian youth camp we participated in) and ended up staring at each other in contemplative wonder as we found endless similarities and connections with each other. Within a couple days of knowing each other we discovered that we were soulmate friends. I know our paths will cross again soon, and that path will be pervasive with the aroma of burnt sage.
This is Pradip.
Pradip lives in a slum in Mumbai overlooking a water reservoir. Her family of thirteen lives in a home that is smaller than an American dorm room, yet she seems more genuinely happy than most Americans I know who occupy an exponentially larger space and have countless more possessions. When I asked her (with the translating help of an Indian friend) about herself, she told me her favorite thing to do is cook and then admitted that she always has to be doing something. We both laughed as I motioned to her that I shared the sentiment, and for a fleeting moment we overcame a language barrier that I realized isn’t as powerful as it often seems to be.
This is Shamir.
Shamir’s a really cool guy who seems to be able to perfectly merge his Indian culture and Jewish heritage into a really mindful, spiritual life. I throuroughly enjoyed all our times together — from having mind-blowing conversations about meditation, to being unable to control our laughter as we told stories during a typical lunch of Indian dhal. Our conversations are still making my mind tick, and I’ll always remember the blessing he recited on his new friendships with our friend, Elan, and me.
And this is me.
I’m the one in all black, leading my first yoga class. It was an amazing experience to get to lead new American and Indian friends in a spontaneous gentle vinyasa practice overlooking the Arabian Sea. It was a chilly Saturday morning and the vibes wafting around in the air were blissful and noticeably mindful. We closed our practice by quietly reciting the mantra , “Om Shanti Shanti, Shanti,” a Buddhist invocation of peace… looking forward to deepening my practice and learning how to be a better teacher through the next adventure I’m about to embark on. After heading to Nepal for a visa run, I’m off to the coast of India for a 200-hr yoga teacher training in Goa. Couldn’t be more excited to learn and grow as a person even more as my wanderlusting feet keep taking strides through the world.
