Extraordinary Even in his Youth

In 1987 the JYSG {Jewish Youth Study Groups - a British youth movement)'s Israel trip had the good fortune of having Daniel (Rabbi Beller) as their Madrich alongside Judy Cohen as Madricha Although I was not on that trip, I was still involved and followed developments with interest.

At the reunion weekend following this particular trip everyone was surprised to see how bonded the group was. The secret- Daniel. At the outset of the trip there were two distinct groups and neither one was talking to the other. Daniel wasn't having it. He made it his mission to bring the groups together. He used his immense talent to parody the groups and the way they interacted with each other. Apparently it took less than a week to break down the barriers. Though I did not witness this directly, the results were clear seeing the group together afterwards. It was truly amazing and legendary. This was a valuable lesson that status quo doesn't have to be accepted and that creation of community is worth fighting for.

Warmly,

Sarah

(Sarah Porten nee Orenstein)