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| At the Shravabelagola, 900-year old Jain temple. |
But one thing was on my mind. As an observant Jew committed to the rituals of my faith, I have certain limitations prescribed by the Torah, our sacred divine text. For example, I maintain a strictly kosher diet which prohibits me from eating various foods and I further observe the Jewish Sabbath known as Shabbat which forbids certain types of conduct, including using technology such as my phone and computer or engaging in travel from Friday evening through Saturday night. To many, this seems unusually challenging and burdensome but it is something I’ve been doing my entire life and have come to greatly appreciate. Throughout my time at Cornell, my goal has been to maintain my religious commitment while simultaneously participating in all of the unique opportunities offered by our Cornell education.
I knew that this India trip would present a host of challenges in adherence to my religious faith and I was uncertain how I would navigate all of this during my stay. First, I would be residing in a country where there are only a handful of Jewish people among the broader Indian population which meant no access to synagogues or any kosher food products. Furthermore, I would have to explain to my cohort, program director and the SVYM staff my practices and explore ways to accommodate my faith within the structure of the program. It would mean that on Saturday, I would have to sit alone in the hostel without the use of any technology while the rest of the cohort traveled and conducted their normal activities. To make matters a bit more challenging, the two day holiday of Shavuot, which has similar restrictions as Shabbat, fell out during the first week of the program and started Saturday night which would mean I would be spending Friday night to Monday night alone in my room which I thought would drive me stir crazy. As I boarded my flight from JFK Airport in New York, I could feel pangs of anxiety wondering whether I could survive this anticipated challenge.
But to my surprise, this unique experience turned out to be particularly meaningful in ways that I could never anticipate. In particular, it forced me to reflect on a deeper level the meaning and reasons for my Sabbath observance and explain its significance to my cohort and others who had little familiarity with the details of my custom. When I first informed Donna Ramil, our program director, she embraced me with open arms and had me share with the entire cohort my practices and the significance of the Shabbat and the Shavuot holiday I was celebrating that day. I was expecting people to think my practices were somewhat bizarre but instead people had questions and I had deep discussions with cohort members and SVYM staff about the laws of Sabbath, a highly complex topic that even many observant Jews struggle to understand. The members of my cohort also demonstrated tremendous compassion and began helping me out without my knowledge or me even asking. My roommate would say “Hey Liana, it’s way too dark in the room. I’ll turn on the light for you!” and another cohort member said “Liana, I’ll hold your key when we go on a walk so you don’t have to carry it” because I had briefly explained to her that I am not supposed to carry on the Shabbat and to my surprise, she remembered. Another cohort member lent me a book that she thought I may like to read during my alone time which I greatly appreciated.
Thus, while there were certainly many aspects that were quite challenging about keeping Shabbat alone in India, I feel that I grew tremendously from dealing with the challenge in a meaningful fashion and through sharing my cultural traditions with those around me. I could honestly say that while my observance of the Shabbat in India was certainly different from my regular traditional observance which includes synagogue attendance and communal festive meals, it did ultimately provide me with a heightened appreciation of this weekly ritual and a new way to enjoy my religious day of rest. Sometimes appreciation comes from a place you least expect. SVYM was not only an amazing opportunity to learn about the culture and healthcare system in India but it turns out for me, also a place where I could renew and appreciate my understanding and observance of the Jewish biblical commandment of observance of the Shabbat. The incredible sensitivity and respect my cohort and others had for my cultural beliefs and practices also affirmed for me my decision to attend Cornell for my college education as it provides an environment of tolerance and respect for all those who make up our diverse student body.
