Communication - Administration - Leadership; the big three of the Eimatai-Achshav fellowship program. They sound nice in theory, but where was a little eighteen year-old yeshiva boy able to demonstrate such skills that the program had so adamantly stressed through its workshops and assignments? Moreover, how would these seemingly cliché phrases presented in a classroom setting play into real-world practice? My answer, as I realized over this past year, lay within my passion: flying.
It’s hard to imagine that obtaining my FAA private pilot license would involve community. One would assume flying Cessna 172’s merely relates to the individual pilot. False, or as we airmen say, “Negative.” Nothing has been more rewarding than assisting the development of the aviation community within the yeshiva world.
Before graduating from North Shore Hebrew Academy this past May, I had not only taken it upon myself to complete four years of aviation training in aerodynamics, weather, communications and navigation, but I saw a new creed of self expression; giving back to the community that had embraced my own training.
And then reality struck - how?? What could I possibly do?
Having been involved with the North Shore Aviation Club ever since I was a freshman, I remember that as a new member I had to work my way up the ranks in order to gain recognition. Aside from demonstrating proficiency and deep commitment both in the skies and on the ground, speaking up and confronting club problems with my own solutions demanded a certain admiration, which was soon evident. Additionally, the club was still in the early years of its development, and my activism assisted with the standards that would soon be implemented for the next generation of student pilots.
It was this underlying principle of activism that helped to establish my impact, eventually acquiring the title of Head Club Executive as I quickly found myself deeply involved in the group. But it was not until I had taken on the fundamental values that Achshav had ingeniously re-wired into my cerebrum during my senior year that trained me into assisting the community’s growth wherever and however possible.
Dealing with real people, real scenarios, real problems - I had become a leader without even realizing it. And it wasn’t merely flying planes. It meant organizing field trips, arranging special public relation dinners to get our name heard, and running through the club’s accounting. My leadership was not only something that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but it also helped the club expand to its current status of 40 members, up from the original 15 back in 2003.
Admittedly, the workshops and catch phrases of Achshav had always seemed somewhat redundant and overplayed; however, once I had taken it upon myself to expose younger students to the thrills and excitement of the aviation community, I immediately recognized that the Achshav training was invaluable. It’s one thing to attend all the lectures, complete all the homework’s, and listen to the guest speakers, but it’s quite another to implement such skills and persuade real people, sparking an interest and relaying that passion for flying. These are the qualities leaders posses, and I have Achshav to thank for both my personal growth, and the club’s as it has not only helped me efficiently express myself as a leader, but has also given me the confidence and preparation for life where I can once again implement these cliché topics… or should I say, words of wisdom.
As I enter Brandeis University this fall, I will be instituting a new aviation club where I will introduce the same studies of ground school such as aerodynamics, weather, navigation, etc, for all students who wish to be exposed to the amazing world of flying. Hopefully a few pilots at a local airport just 8 miles south of the campus will provide rentals for actual flying time; however, using these field trips and group sessions is all geared to forming a strong sense of community. My ultimate goal is to spread the joy of flight to others as it was spread to me.
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