On June 12, a bright summer morning and the first full day of our program, Adamah leader Sarah Chandler brought
us up to the top of the Overlook. We were blindfolded, and after given
instruction, we removed the covering from our eyes, and yelled out “Pokeach
Ivrim!” gazing out in silence at the view of the trees and nature below. Little did I
know it would indeed be a summer of Pokeach Ivrim (generally a traditional
section of the morning prayer thanking G-d for “opening the eyes of the blind,”
and giving us the ability to see).
“Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, Who opens the
eyes of the blind.” Of the legally blind. Of the visually impaired. Of those
whose sight is blinded by our own experiences, our own sheltered lives. Of
those who embark on a summer expecting to live and work within the realms of
our upbringing and traditions, and leave with a totally different picture.
Recognizing the world is a rainbow of human beings, trying to create something
together despite, or as a result of our differences.
Reciting the blessing of “Pokeach Ivrim,” it no longer has the same
meaning it did when I first opened up a siddur at age 5 in my beginning stages
of prayer. In my early childhood years, giving someone the gift of sight was a foreign concept, one that didn't involve me. Now, we all need the gift of sight on some level, at some point in our lives.
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| Siddur Shiloh, the first prayer book I had used at the age of 5. |
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