It is a great honor for me to be the newest member of the Buxton Initiative as the liaison to the Jewish Community. While I can share a great deal of insight about Judaism and the experiences I’ve had, I am very excited to learn much more about my religion and also educate myself on the other religions around the world. I believe that the foundation of the Buxton Initiative lies upon this notion of teaching others and introducing others to new ideas and different faiths.
Just yesterday, I attended the Rosh Hashanah Services at Washington Hebrew Congregation in Washington, DC. While I always look forward to attending services, especially at this particular synagogue, this year’s ceremony proved to be especially enlightening. Rabbi Lustig delivered an incredible sermon about the importance of staying in the present, because if you fail to, you will take for granted the common normalcy of everyday life. He stressed that one must appreciate every day as if it were your last and that we all have a responsible to reach out, as there are always others worse off than ourselves.
The discussion lead me to examine my own life and determine if I was indeed living everyday to the fullest extent possible, with an appreciation for life and the others around me. I decided that at times I tend to look too far down the road without truly appreciating my everyday existence. I hope this will motivate me to be a better individual and leader.
I am very excited about the upcoming year with the Buxton Initiative and having the ability to have an impact on the Washington, DC community. This will definitely be one of the most fulfilling periods of my life and I plan to make the most out of this extraordinary opportunity.
