Over the last week, I have been traveling to each of our three groups, spending a few days at each site.  Beyond the tremendous work that  has completed in their respective projects, I have been touched by the communities that have been built.  Each group considers itself to be a family; a diverse spectrum of young leaders that have come together to support one another, help each other grow and build bridges between themselves and their Native American hosts. 

As the groups depart the Reservation today, there is deep sense of accomplished, as well as sadness, leaving their host families. 

All participants are healthy and happy.  Stay in touch for more pictures upon our return to base camp later today.

Andy---Cleveland, OH (PanimWorks Lead Educator)

It's our last day on the Navajo Reservation and it is incredible to look back on my experiences.  I have made such great friends on this trip and our group has truly bonded over everything we've been through.  We began spending our days at a nearby veterans memorial where we worked alongside our hosts and their family members.  I helped dig holes, build fences, mix concrete, hoe a cornfield, and paint a Hogan, a traditional Navajo dwelling.   

One of my favorite parts of the trip occurred two days ago on Shabbat.  We were told to bring only a water bottle, sunscreen, and a rain jacket, and were placed in a secluded area in the forest, nearby our campsite for a little over an hour.  Through this experience I ended up learning about myself and my surroundings.  I entertained myself by singing songs and dancing alone.  I learned that I don't need to be thinking or contemplating life to have a spiritual experience, rather focusing on being in the moment and appreciating my surroundings. 

I have learned and experienced so much these past 8 days, and it feels like I have been here forever.  I will remember my time on the Reservation and will miss all of the new friends I have made.

Allison--Portland, OR

Today is July the 7th and we just got out of a sweat lodge.

We left camp in the late morning and went to our Navajo friend Patrick's house. There, the seven men of the group made an enormous fire, heating up stones. Patrick then took the stones and placed them in the sweat lodge, a small underground mud "cave".  We took 4 turns inside the sweat lodge, soaking up the heat from the stones and cleansing our bodies and minds...The sweat lodge was by far the most intense experience of my life. Our chanting, yelling, praying, and meditating invigorated me, shaking my emotions and strengthening my spiritual beliefs.

Noam--Upper Montclair, NJ

This past Thursday was one of my favorite days on the Reservation. Work was so fun and I was able to paint part of a Hogan,, a traditional Navajo dwelling. Later in the day we drove to a gorgeous canyon with beautiful colored stones, trees, and wild horses. We collected rocks for a garden and when we came back to the Veterans Memorial Park, where we worked, unloading the rocks. Suddenly, a cool, cleaning rain  began and it rejuvenated everyone and made the work so much more fun. The rain felt so great that  we all danced and sang until it stopped.  It was such an amazing experience and was probably one of my favorite days.

Heidi--Shaker Heights, OH

Walking onto the reservation was like walking onto a different planet.  The air was so hot and dry, the landscape was overwhelming, and the people seemed to be so different from us.  Then I got the chance to talk to some of our Hopi hosts.  Courtney, one of the daughters in our host family, loves volleyball and was tons of fun to hang out with.  Kenny, our host, talked about his hopes and efforts to help Hotevilla survive its never ending water shortage, a local issue that I have immersed myself in.  I even learned about similarities between Hopi and Jewish traditions.  For example, Hope children are given both  English and Hopi names just like we receive our Hebrew names.  Hopi boys also have a coming of age ceremony at 12 and 13, similar to bar and bat mitzvah in Jewish tradition.  I've taken a lot from this trip that I never expected to, and I am looking forward to the rest of the week.

Haley--Richmond, VA

As someone with limited knowledge of Jewish faith and values, this experience has not only opened my eyes to the breadth of Jewish traditon, but also the wealth of its practice.  Leading a PanimWorks group has been an amazing opportunity, mostly because of the strong, capable and mature participants involved.  They are the reason the trip has been so successful; success measured in a strong group dynamic, individual leadership, and perhaps most critically, the enthusiasm that has been generated in our cultural exchange.  Learning on this trip has been mutual for group leaders, the facilitators, participants and our generous hosts.

Amanda--Connecticut (Deer Hill Staff)

When I got to Deer Hill, I had no idea of the friends that I was about to make and all of the experiences that I would gain from the PanimWorks trip.  I learned so much about the Hopi tribe, but I also learned a lot about myself and the world I live in.  The work we have done has been very hard but deeply rewarding.  It helped me to relate to Torah and Judaism in many ways.  The Shabbat that I spent with the group is not one I will soon forget.  It was not only a day of rest, but a day of contemplation and an opportunity for me to take a step back from my normal life.

Spencer--Potomac, MD

In very few places in the United States is it as easy to relate to our roots as human beings and as Jewish people as it has been on this trip.  Being set in a desert context, we have been able to tangibly understand the value of water and working in unison with ecological patterns.

Tuesday afternoon we were given a deep history of both the Hopi people and the depletion of their main source of water.  Having a strong sense of history and tradition of the Hopi Nation, our PanimWorks participants, steeped in the value of our responsibility to be stewards of our environment began a week-long project to rebuild the depleted Hopi aquifer.

Anna--Washington DC (PanimWorks Staff)

PanimWorks has been an excellent environment for us to open up, form a cooperative community, dive into the unknown, break outside of our comfort zone and have a rich cross-cultural exchange.

Here on the Hopi Reservation, we have all been able to gain a more comprehensive view of the value of individual tasks, initiative and roles within a community.  We have been collecting quarry stone and pulling weeds to prepare the renovation project for the Hopi village spring.  This has been an awesome learning experience for all parties involved.  I believe that we will be able to take away a permanent resource to reflect on and continually learn and grow.

Seth-- Upstate New York (Deer Hill Staff)

On Thursday morning, during the morning kavannah, an activity that helps frame the day, our group in Cove, AZ created the following two poems.  The exercise is called a fold-over poem, where a piece of paper is passed around in a circle for everyone to add an entry.  However, each participant can only view only what the preceding person has written.  The result is a creative, flowing reflection of some the group's experiences with each participant's voice represented.

Group Service

This group is fun to work with
We have created a family from the Four Corners
Inseparable
Family
Trustworthy
Respect
Hardworking
Compassion
Enthusiasm
Diligent
All of these words cannot truly describe this amazing program
However, the feeling we have all felt after helping someone the way we have cannot be put into words
We are creating something extraordinary

Nature

Since the birth of PanimWorks Group 3 there have been many scenes
Each place we come to there is a dramatic change in the scenery
Vastly surrounded by mountains in every direction
The Southwestern gusts create mini tornadoes from the blood-red dirt
It attacks our kitchen, tents and eyes
But the stunning view makes up for the flies
Even though there are bugs in our tents, it feels great to sleep outside
The stars are worth seeing
Dry in the desert it is, but the view is magnificent
As the sun, Eye of the desert
Beauty takes over

PanimWorks Group 3  Cove, AZ

Awake with a daze

And cold

To be greeted by harsh night,

Bugs and bodies beside.

The silence is broken

By the Rooster

To call on the coming morn

And then the day all day.

Outside is cold

The mountains and grasses all cold

The sun is warm,

The coming morn.

 

 

Encountering the Dine

There is no harsh greeting

Or tension in greeting

As some may think.

Instead

Warm hands and eyes

And smiles.

 

Matt-- Long Island, NY  2 July 2008

On the first day of the program, we sat under a tarp in a light mountain rain shower and talked about being awake to all the miraculous things in our lives. Over the past four days, we have had the chance to witness many miracles together-- unbelievably starry night skies that stretch from horizon to horizon, close encounters with deer and red tailed hawks, a landscape of enormous red rock cliffs that turn purple at sunset, and the opportunity interact with and serve a community that has shown us great hospitality and warmth.

 

For me; however, the most miraculous thing of all is how these participants have come together as a community. They honor each other's strengths, listen to each other's stories, share the work, and make each other laugh constantly. Yesterday we spoke about Martin Buber's concept of I-Thou relationships-- interactions that are based not on getting something from another person, but rather are about appreciating and accepting others for just who they are. All the participants agreed that not a day has gone by on this program when they didn't feel like they had experienced that kind of accepting, deep interaction.

 

What a miracle that is!

 

-- Adam

PANIM Group Leader, Group C