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Connection by Nolina Siegal Doud May,2010

Expanding one's world view is the first, and most important, step toward tolerance and understanding. Actively experiencing another culture effectively dissipates prejudice; one cannot trust his prejudice after interacting on a personal level with people from a different culture. I speak from personal experienced, gleaned from home-stays in Costa Rica, Japarl and Croatia. My preconceived notions melted away in the face of undeniably human traits like affection, shyness, and familial love. Even in a language I did not understand, among customs I was not used to, and eating food I had never seen before, there were so many enduringly human qualities around me that soon Macha, Ruriko, and Adriana were no longer nationalities to me, but simply friends. These travel experiences have allowed me to examine my culture more objectively, effectively dissolving my idea that geo-political boundaries define a person. I consider my nationality as just one aspect of mysel{ and I feel the same way about others. Our countries are simply one more community of which we are apart, but the community does not end there. We are part of a greater community, a global community, joined together by the universal experiences of humanity. Although not everybody has the same travel opportunities I have had, there are so many ways to bridge the gaps between people that it is something my generation simply cannot pass up. The internet has opened the world to more democratic, direct communication. It provides a medium for individuals to talk one-on-one, through technologies like instant messaging and e-mail, and also for larger forums and social networks, like facebook or twitter. Also, it is a teeming vault of multi-cultural knowledge,

which comes in many forms.In my own experience, it was Japanese cartoons, called anime, that first piqued my interest and developed my knowledge of Japanese culture. It is up to us to delve into the vast global community available to us through the internet, and chip away the preconceptions that breed intolerance. While considering this essay, I was reminded of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front. In it, the main character, Paul, stabs his French opponent and realizes that, up close, the French man, the enemy, was really just a boy, with as much in common with Paul as any German. The idea here is the tenet of understanding and tolerance; we are all part of a great community of humanity. The easiest way to realize this, much easier than Paul's, is to take advantage of our technology and either travel to or communicate with those one perceives to be vastly different from herself In the interest of global stability and human evolutiorq becoming a cross-cultural conduit is an individual responsibility and a privilege. Personally, I have planned my future education around strengthening the global bridge by attending a college that prioritizes scholarship in a richly diverse international community. In deepening our understanding of other cultures, it becomes clear that we are all bonded through universal experiences, the experiences of a man or woman, or just plain human being.

The SYVJC Board of Trustees is thrilled to announce the engagement of our new Rabbi. After interviewing six wonderful candidates, the Board unanimously and enthusiastically approved the hiring of Rabbi Pearl Barlev. Rabbi Barlev met the Santa Ynez Valley Jewish Community at its Community Shabbat on March 5, 2010, 6 p.m. at Maidy Dreyfuss' D Ranch.

Rabbi Barlev is the Jewish Chaplain at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, and has held positions as Spiritual Leader, Cantorial Soloist and Jewish Educator. She received her Masters degree in Hebrew Letters, and her Rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College, where she won awards for Chaplaincy and for Outstanding Female Rabbinical Student. Her Rabbinic Thesis was an in-depth Talmudic study on dreams, prayer and the afterlife. Rabbi Barlev received her Clinical Pastoral Education training as a resident at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Spiritual Care Department. She is a member of the Steering Committee of The Kalsman Institute and IJSO at Hebrew Union College. Rabbi Barlev sits on the Ethics Committee of the Resnick Neuro Psychiatric Hospital at UCLA, and on the Professional Consultation Committee for Clinical Pastoral Education at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. She teaches and mentors rabbinic students, hospital volunteers, interfaith clergy, medical and other students in the UCLA Health Care System.

Rabbi Barlev consults privately with individuals and families. She draws on Jewish spiritual traditions and practices, and on the wisdom of ancient Jewish sacred texts to assist clients in navigating challenges and approaching wholeness. She is featured in the PBS documentary Where the Ocean Meets the Sky, which is a hopeful exploration of grief and loss, and the use of ritual in the healing process. She speaks on Jewish views of spirituality, and on finding personal meaning.

As Congregational Rabbi to SYVJC, Rabbi Barlev brings a wealth of rabbinic, musical and life experience. As a rabbinic leader, teacher and pastoral presence, she brings her vision of partnering with a sacred and caring community that learns Torah, prays and does acts of loving kindness. She welcomes those who seek shelter and Jewish growth. Like the Jewish ancestors, Abraham and Sara, she strives to create an open tent to welcome those who seek life there.

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