By Barbara Shuman

It's 7:30 am and (at last!) I am on the plane, en route from Pittsburgh to sunny San Diego. In 7 hours, after a brief stop in Phoenix I will be there. One thing I already know: I have over-packed. Looking at the schedule online I note that there will be no time to change clothes before dinner. In fact, there may be no time to change clothes until Shabbat! I even threw in exercise gear at the last minute. Who am I kidding? The only exercise I may get is walking back and forth to, and within the Convention Center, jogging to workshops, sprinting through the Judaica stalls, and stretching as I look at the URJ Press books and CDs.

To prepare for the busy times ahead, while in flight I am reading Handbook for the Soul, an anthology that supports my desire to bring a sense of the sacred into the coming days, to experience holiness in every moment. Will I be able to find deeper meanings and connections in the midst of the noise, the inevitable assault on the senses? So much to see, hear and do... can I find time to BE? I ask myself how I will nourish my spirit while expanding my mind with new information and ideas. Will I be able to meet people at a soul level and be truly present to them?

Even though it means getting up very early each morning, I intend to get to schacharit services in order to experience the joy of being with others who are seeking connection with something greater than themselves. I want to experience the beauty of sacred song, to inhabit a space to center and tune myself before the business of the day, a place to express my gratitude for the wonders that the day may bring. Paying attention to the needs of my soul prepares me to be awake and aware throughout the day, to connect more clearly and deeply with whatever and whomever I meet, and to more fully appreciate the blessings of this incredible gathering.

My hope is that this biennial will bring many insights. There will be too much information for the mind to absorb. But I am also eager to discover that which will cause my soul to grow. I am challenging myself (and perhaps some of you) to be open to that which may rekindle our connection to spirit, to rediscover the sense of our hearts being touched.

I pray that all who journey to the 2007 Biennial will travel safely, and when you arrive that your journey of spirit will continue with joy, insight, surprise, gratitude and peace. Shalom - see you there!