By David A.M. Wilensky
As readers of Reform Judaism magazine will recall, the RJ Magazine's summer 2008 issue included a series of important questions regarding the Reform Movement and their answers as given by 30 adult members of the Reform Movement.

I'm currently at the URJ Kutz Camp with a group of people who will be the future lay and professional leadership of the Reform movement in North America. I'll be featuring many of them as well as many of the younger Kutz staff members this summer in a series of posts here on the RJ.org blog, in which I will be asking Reform high school and college students (and perhaps a few 20-somethings) for their take on Reform Judaism via questions similar to those used in the Magazine.

Tyler Benjamin is a 16-year-old rower/ultimate Frisbee player from Tampa, Florida. He is in love with the opportunities that are afforded him via NFTY, especially as the President of the Southern Tropical Region, and overall his life as a Reform Jew in America.

What has belonging to a congregation (or a Temple Youth Group or a Kesher group or going to a URJ camp etc.) that is part of the larger Reform Movement meant to you?
For a long time, my only memorable Jewish experiences were in NFTY and at URJ Camp Coleman. The few times during the year my family and I went to Temple were not exciting; not captivating. Camp and youth group completely revolutionized Judaism for me. I began to toy with the idea of Am Yisrael and the importance of community in my Jewish life. If it weren't for the Jewish undertones in almost all camp activities during my pre-teen years, I am certain I would never have taken the steps that have led me to where I am today.

What has been your most meaningful (or least meaningful) Jewish holiday experience?
Yom Kippur in 2007 (5767) was different than any Jewish experience I have ever participated in, including Yom Kippurim of the past. My experience at the URJ Kutz Camp the summer prior to the holiday most directly caused the difference in my experience. For the first time in my life, I chose to go to services on my own, and elected to stay the entire day for each service. Having learned about the Jewish prayer service at Kutz, I had a new appreciation for observance. The knowledge I gained at camp helped me choose to more fully participate in my Judaism.

What has been your most meaningful (or least meaningful) lifecycle experience?
I cannot recall a most or least meaningful lifecycle experience (especially since I have a few to choose from. I must say, however that my grandfather's death has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. He passed away just before I traveled to Israel and participated in my first summer at Kutz.

I always knew he was heavily involved in American Reform Jewry and had only begun to truly understand how much he loved it. At his memorial service, I was faced with the inspiring depth and breadth of his work. A few hundred people, all from different periods of his life, gathered to retell stories of a wonderfully dedicated Jewish man. From that point on, I have only been sad about one thing regarding his death: that I never had the chance to show him my newfound passion for Reform Judaism. He was one of my biggest supporters when I first went to camp and through the time I was getting ready to run for President of my NFTY region. I wish he could know the person I am today.

How do you observe/enjoy Shabbat these days?
These days, I say Kiddush and Motzi with my family or friends when I can and I sing songs of Kabbalat Shabbat. Other than that, I try to take a few moments throughout to recognize the fact that it is Shabbat. I drink soda only on Shabbat because it helps to differentiate the week (during which I drink only water) from Shabbat (during which I drink my beloved carbonated drink).
 
Looking to the future, what are the most significant challenges we face, as a Movement and as North American Jews?
As a movement, Reform Judaism faces cycles of revolution in its future. Established as a revolution to protect the future of its members, the movement has now become a haven for those eager to explore the very things its origins despised. As North American Jews, we have the responsibility to continue to support worldwide Jewry in the effort to continue the existence of Jews everywhere.

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