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Etgar 36 by Leon Veal

At City Lights bookstore July 12, 2004

Over the last two years, I have had the great pleasure of doing literacy presentations for groups of teens from Etgar 36. Etgar is the Hebrew word for challenge. Etgar 36 is an opportunity for Jewish teens from across America to learn first hand about their Jewish heritage and political and social issues that are impacting America today. The goal of the Etgar 36 program is to help create future Jewish-American political voices by helping these teens become more informed critical thinkers and to empower them to get involved politically and socially to create change in the world.

I had my first experience with a group of teens from Etgar back in 2004 at San Francisco’s City Lights Books in North Beach. As part of my outreach for the San Francisco Public Library, my job from time to time is to enlighten a more diverse population on the literacy issues facing our country today. So when Billy Planer the Founder and Director of Etgar 36, called Project Read and asked if we would be willing to talk to the teens about illiteracy in America today, I jumped at the opportunity to talk to them and share my personal experience. I shared that for the better part of my life I struggled with low literacy skills, and how someone like them volunteers to sit down with me for two or more hours a week to help me with my reading and writing skills. With my tutor’s help I was able to go on to City College and learn graphic communication and also meet the general requirements to receive my Associate Degree in Liberal Arts. Later I went to New College and received a Bachelors Degree with an emphasis in adult education I offered.

Leon shares his personal story on December 8, 2005
in the Koret Auditorium

After the presentation, I asked Billy and the teens what Etgar 36 was all about. Billy explained that Etgar 36 is a cross country journey in which a group of teens experience the sites, sounds, culture, food, and people across America. The journey’s purpose is to help the participants learn how their Jewish and American identities make them the people they are. On a 36 day journey across the country they see and meet interesting people, and visit some of the historical sites in different cities, like the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Graceland, Federal Building Memorial in Oklahoma City, Grand Canyon, the Golden Gate Bridge and City Light Books. In San Francisco they also visited People’s Park (part of the 60s free speech moment) in Berkeley, Fisherman’s Wharf, and ACTUP San Francisco to speak with Michael on HIV/AIDS, medical marijuana and being Jewish and Gay.

Leon speaks to the group at Yerba Buena Gardens
on July 19, 2005

I remember leaving City Lights Books that day very impressed with some of the questions the teens asked concerning literacy and how they could help. Billy Planer told the teens that day, “One person can make the difference in this word; all you have to do is show up. Our own scholars explain this concept in a similar manner. As the Talmud teaches us, if you save one person, it is as if you have saved the world.”

Outside of City Lights Bookstore on
July 12, 2004

Before I left that day, one of the teens with the group asked me why I was so open in talking about something so personal like low literacy skills. I explained that I hoped my presentation helped them to understand the problems that many young and old Americans face with literacy issues. I wanted to show them that illiteracy is not just a demographic problem, but everyone’s problem. Because they are tomorrow leaders, they will have the power to change things so that no American will ever have to say “I can’t read.” I offered a challenge to them to go back to their communities, and find out how they can get involve in a library based literacy program and volunteer to change someone’s life.

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