Alef: The NEXT Conversation

1Q + 1Q + 1Q… What we learned from 10Q

As you may recall, for the past 10 days Alef has been pretty excited about a program put on by our good friends over at Reboot called 10Q. During the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, 10Q emailed thought-provoking questions designed to get users into the contemplative mood of the High Holidays.  Participants submitted their responses, and in a year from now these responses will be emailed back to everyone to show them just how far they have (or haven’t) come over the past year. 

Whether you went to synagogue or the movies on Yom Kippur, ate apples & honey or chugged appletinis, 10Q was designed to be meaningful to everyone who participated, regardless of how else they may have celebrated.

“Sure,” you may say to yourself. “Sounds fun, but how ‘thought-provoking’ could it really be?“

Answers to questions ranged from “pithy” to “profound”, but it’s clear that people took the opportunity to reflect on their lives over the past year.   Most answers were deeply personal, and refreshingly thoughtful.  Day after day, people demonstrated how friends and family, world events such as the 2008 U.S. elections, and personal connections to the State of Israel helped shape who they were.

On day 3, 10Q asked:

Think about a major milestone that happened with your family from 2009. How has this affected you?

-My brother was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident when he was 18 years old. He met me in NYC for the first time and took a ferry to Staten Island to see the Statue of Liberty. He also went to Jewish services and wore talit. I have never seen him so happy…

On day 5, 10Q asked:

Have you had any particularly spiritual experiences this past year?

-I want to be more religious or spiritual but I feel alone. My parents don’t support it and I think the only way I will keep Judaism around in my life is if I find someone Jewish to date/marry.”

-I began wearing my grandma’s jewelry and feel a desire to visit her grave. I am hoping to make this possible in the near future and connect with her again.

-I lost God, and I couldn’t be happier.

This round of 10Q is over, and like the High Holidays themselves, the question shifts from “”What has brought you to this point in your life?” to “What are you going to do over the next year?”  Understandably, a lot of the momentum we build during the High Holidays tends to slip away as we reenter our every day lives.  Fortunately, there’s a great new initiative that helps keep the introspection, the thoughtfulness, and the significance of the last 10 days fresh, as we head into a new Jewish year, and toward the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot.  Birthright Israel NEXT’s “Harvest to Harvest” helps connect anyone with volunteer opportunities right in their own community.  Know you want to do something to help out, but aren’t sure what you can do?  Let Harvest to Harvest help you find the right opportunity near you.  Harvest to Harvest even lets you and your friends sign up as a team, so all of you (and your friends) can start the new year by making a difference, together.

We’d love to hear what you thought of 10Q, and how you plan to start the Jewish year of 5770.  Post your ideas, thoughts, and stories below!

From all of us at Alef:  have a happy and healthy 5770.  Shanah tovah!

Image provided by Striatic, in accordance with Creative Commons licensing.

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