The last dance

As our last day in Argentina has arrived, it is now somewhere between 1:30 and 2:30 in the morning (daylight savings has just kicked in here), we have been able to see how far we've come. The afternoon following our first day painting the Marc Chagall school we questioned whether or not our painting murals and refurbishing gyms was in fact serving the Argentine Jewish community to the best of our abilities. A few nights later, a couple of us spoke with Nick, one of the Hillel Argentina peers about what he thought of what we were doing. Specifically what we were doing versus what we could or should be doing. In Nick´s mind we were exactly where we were supposed to be. He said that it's true we could have been handing out food to needy people, however those people would still need food beyond the week that we were visiting. The work that we were doing at Marc Chagall was something lasting, and something we could accomplish in a week. Another, and probably the most important aspect to Nick's answer, was that the work we were doing gives us the ability to go home and talk about the Argentine Jewish community with people in the United States. He said that this was the most valuable aspect of our trip here, and I completely agree.

Two days ago our group met with a delegation of Jews from Dallas whose donations helped fund our trip. I was incredibly thankful to meet them, because they are the reason I am able to work on a project like this one, as my capacity to be philanthropic is limited at this point in my life.

So yes, while painting the school may not have been the best use of our time, it was still a worthwhile project that hundreds of kids will be able to enjoy for years to come. However another very important aspect of our trip is what we take away from it.

It's sort of like seeing to believe; if we hadn't come here to experience the toll the economic collapse of seven years ago took on the community, then none of us would have thought twice about it. However by visiting and sharing our capacity for understanding our willingness to help has broadened considerably.

In 7-8 hours given wherever daylight savings has put us, we will wake up, spend our last little time in a city we have come to love, and return home; in our suitcases: laundry, trinkets, and a renewed desire for giving.