Shanna Orlik

רכזת הגשמה בתנועה העולמית


Hanuca for me is a time of reflection as it falls at the end of the "civilian year", at least in France, where I grew up. 
One week during which I systematically ask myself what a miracle truly is, what it represents in the story of Hanuca, and what it means today, in a world where people are so pessimistic and disillusioned that it even became a phrasing "we would need a miracle"... as if, to make a change and to fix the world, we needed a miracle because we feel helpless... as if it all was out of our hands.

For years now, my thoughts around the concept of miracle and the warm feelings surrounding the time of Hanuca are pretty much every year the same: it is not out of our hands. 
And as a member of Hashomer Hatzair and an educator and madricha I am very proud of having been raised and now educating a generation of young people who will never think or say "We would need a miracle" or the israeli version of it "Ein Ma Laasot". 
Why not? Because we, as shomrot and shomrim, educate ourselves and others to empower youth not only to believe they can fix themselves, their kvutza, their community, their country and even the world, but we educate ourselves and others to look critically at our society and at ourselves and act upon it to better it, to fix it, to make it grow and shine.

My chanichot and chanichim are my light, from the kvutzot in the underground ken of paris to the young leaders on Shnat Hachshara; those people who constitute Hashomer Hatzair today and pave the way for the movement of tomorrow are my light, our light, the light of the Jewish people and the world as a whole.

The light in our movement is the flame of the torch that is passed on from generations to generations, it's called "hemshechiut" or transmission.
I see no greater light, pride or accomplishment than seeing communities led by empowered youth caring for the future of our Nation and the world. 

These youngsters who are creating day after day a reality of autonomy, leadership, community, shomeric identity, solidarity, respect and peace all around the world, they are, to me, "the light at the end of the tunnel", the reason why we don't need to wait for a godly miracle: because the beauty of shomeric education and community is already happening for more than 100 years, and it's not going away anytime soon!

May this always be our light.
Chazak VeEmatz