Monday, July 30 - Last Day of Congress

Greetings Diller parents and friends!
I am writing to you as our last day at the Diller International Congress sadly comes to an end. It has been an amazing and action packed week, and each and every one of us has had an experience that shall never be replicated.

Today started off with an out of this world breakfast that lead to an early (well, we all thought it was)morning activity in our color groups, and after a short break we had yet another morning activity in our color groups. Lunch was surprisingly edible and after lunch we had some much needed break/pool time. We then gathered back in our color groups to plan out our skits for the closing ceremony. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you put 24 teen leaders in a room together. At the closing ceremony we all got to see each others’ skits and we even got to watchour junior staff give us their renditions of “things chanichim say”, or stuffthat we the fellows say.  The ceremony was concluded by Diller co-director, Liat singing a song dedicated to all of the wonderful Coordinators from the different partnerships.

With the heat and humidity, the white tent (teen hang out spot) has turned into a watergun fight that involves music and dancing. I will really miss congress and all the new people I met it was a learning experience that taught me about both friendship and Judiasm. The five pillars of judiasm were instilled into us and now as Jewish leaders we can spread our ideas and help the jewish world continually grow in a manner that will help the Jewish world prosper.

- Julian Amkraut

Sunday, July 29 - Covenant & Memory

We first started off our day with an early morning breakfast at 8:30 with delicious assortments of salad and berakas. From there, we then went to our color groups to learn about the covenant (brit). The covenant, one of the five legs, describes the contract between the nation of Israel and God. We then had a much needed break where we watched the Olympics.

Then, we went back to our color groups and discussed another leg of the table – memory. We talked about our past as a joint nation and how it affects us. After, we had lunch.

After lunch, we were extremely fortunate to meet fifteen of some of the most renowned Jewish leaders in the world. I had the pleasure of meeting Michael Biton. He was a mayor of a city in Israel and was extremely cool to speak with as he gave his advice and opinion on how to become a better leader.

After meeting with the speakers, we then met with some Diller alumni who are leaders in their careers today. My Diller alumni, Natanel, talked about the legal immigrants coming in from Sudan, to Israel. After this, we had dinner and learned about other ways after Diller to still make an impact in our Jewish community. Straight from there, we went to our ma’agal lilah. We had a nice refreshment in twizzlers.

-Zach Broder

P.S. Mom and Dad I love you, and YES I am brushing my teeth!!!!!!!!!!!

July 28 - Shabbat!

It was so great to wake up Shabbat morning in Givat Haviva knowing that I was surrounded by 200 other Diller Teen Fellows from around the world. After breakfast, we started our day with a morning meeting with our cohort. Throughout the day we had multiple workshops and discussions, one of which was about the ‘family leg’ of the ‘five legged table’ that we had learned about from the speaker, Avraham Infeld. It made us miss our families very much, especially when later in the day we received the letters that you parents wrote to us. It was overwhelming for some people, but in the best way possible, as it reminded us of how much we love all of you back at home. After sharing some tears, we had break where a lot of the guys hung out together and it was a great bonding experience for us. After dinner, we had Havdallah, which was a little different than usual because of the fast day of Tisha B’av beginning. Most of us were bummed that the overall feeling wasn’t normal because we couldn’t make the blessings and we couldn’t sing them in the very much loved tune. Tisha B’av is the day we remember the destruction of the two holy temples, and we commemorate the day by fasting and an overall feeling of a somber mood.  Later during that night we had a seminar for learning things about Tisha B’av. We talked about different customs and what the sad holiday is all about. Learning all together as a community with sixteen different cities from America and Israel made the start to the holiday very meaningful and something I will always remember.  

-          Nathan Ullman

P.S. mom and dad I got your letter, it was very meaningful and made me miss you a lot. I can’t wait to see you guys when I get back. Love you!

Friday, July 27 - First Day of Congress

First day of congress has arrived meaning that we’ve already been here on Givat Haviva for three days and 120  Israeli Diller Teen Fellows joined us. Crazy, right? Right. The North Americans had a really great two days together, and to be completely honest, were a little anxious about having an extra 120 Israelis mixed in to the melting pot of Jewish diversity. The Israelis showed up group by group until we saw our partnership cohort Rishon L’zion. We greeted them with shouts of joy as if the two days without them was actually two months. All three hundred of us piled into the auditorium for opening of Congress, and cheered for our partnerships so loudly that I’m surprised no one heard it at home. The anxiety was gone. The Israelis were divided into the groups that we already were a part of and we proceeded to play ice breakers and get to know them. Much to my surprise, the doubling in size of the color groups only helped the conversation topics presented to us by the staff. The Israelis brought unique perspectives and opinions to the table that the Americans alone did not think of. Today was a fun and tiring day and I think I speak for almost everyone here when I say I can’t wait for Shabbat together as an entire Diller community.

- Eric Lederman



Thursday, July 26 - Second Day of Kennes!

Second Day of Kennes!!! (But blogging from a later date due to Shabbat). On that day, we had a motivational speaker who was equally hilarious and inspiring and was able to keep the majority of us awake even though we were so tired. Avraham Infeld spoke to us about what he referred to as the 5 legged table of Judaism. What possibly has 5 legs? We were a bit confused. He explained that a table is at its strongest when it stands on 5 legs, but it could also stand on 4 or 3 legs. The mission was to have us relate and incorporate at least 3 of the 5 legs into our lives. But the 5 legs don’t exactly refer to a table. They refer to the staples of Judaism and what we can take away, and also what we can give back.

Leg #1: Memory. It is imperative that we remember history as if it happened to us. During Passover each year, we are told to pretend as if we were the slaves coming out of Egypt. The Jewish people must live their lives as a collective memory and never forget.

#2: Family. Family is an essential part of all of our lives and we’ve really come to realize it on this trip. Learning about what a Jewish family means to us, struck a chord in our hearts. I think more than a few of us were a bit homesick. I realized how much I appreciate my family and how hard it is to be without my parents (though fortunately, I have my sister). But we have also created a new family; a Diller family.

#3: Mount Sinai. This key point illustrates the Covenant we made with G-d. This was a crucial point in Jewish memory/history, yet most of us felt the least connected to this specific event. So for each leg, we have a workshop to further discuss and enhance our understanding of the different aspects of the “table.”

#4: Israel. Being here in Israel, we felt like we had stepped into a new home. So many of us feel the connection to Israel and will keep this strong bond for life. Israel is important to the Jewish people, and I feel privileged to have set foot in this land.

#5: The Hebrew Language. Most of us are probably not fluent and can only say a few words in Hebrew (and that’s okay). But being able to pray/sing/or simply enjoy the language of our ancestors is something truly special.

As leader of the day, I felt obligated to keep everyone informed about what we are doing in all those workshops. I’d be lying if I said all of us were awake, but we are all having a good time.We have really come together as a second family and I think together, we can stand against almost anything. So with that, lilah tov! It’s time to pass the torch onto the next Diller super hero.

-Daniela

Wednesday, July 25: “Yaaaa-lelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelele!”

When the time came for me to become leader of the day, I dawned the hat and cape with pride knowing that today was going to be awesome.  It started early, 6:45am to be exact.  The first thing that Yuval Bensal, my Israeli co-leader, and I accomplished was a special birthday wake-up for our Junior Counselor Aliza.  Secretly, we woke up all the Dillers and sang “Happy Birthday”, while our coordinator Leah created balloon animals which could be a dog, a crown, or a backwards parrot depending on how you held it.  We then gave Aliza her birthday presents: a very luxurious passport case from her mom and a tote bag which Rachel Forman described as “Super, super, cute”. 

After yet another delicious breakfast of Borekas and cottage cheese, we greeted our friends with a song describing why it was going to be so much fun while Bensal and I “had absolute power, for at least a couple of hours”.   Then, with the help of duct tape and fake mono-brows and mustaches, we became the supreme leaders Saleem and Achmed, the perfect guides to lead Diller through the Druze village. 

                “Attention!  The supreme leaders of the day have an announcement”, said Achmed/Bensal.

                “Yaaaa-lelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelele!”, I said in response. 

Once the Dillers overcame the shock that Achmed and Saleem were actually Bensal and I, we organized some warm-up games.  “Wah” was played, and so was “Jamousse”, but unfortunately they were cut short because it was time to depart our first stop.

Around 45 minutes into our hour ride to the Druze village called Pik’in, Bensal and I read some fun facts about some of the Jewish residents of the town, all of whom live peacefully together and for more than 2000 years.  When we arrived the first place we visited was the cave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yocahi, also known as the Rashbi.  Our tour guide Lior told us the history of the cave, telling how the Rashbi hid in the cave for 13 years and could even burn people with his hard gaze.  I think that would be a really cool super power. 

Our next stop was at an ancient synagogue.  It wasn’t very big, but it proved that the Jews had always been in the Holy Land, and is on the back of the 100 Shekel bill.  We took a quick look around, and started walking to lunch at the Druze Hospitality.

The Druze hospitality was amazing, the mood was cool, the food was great, but most importantly it had some of the best air condition we’ve had in Israel.  After filling ourselves with Drewish food, we sat down with a Druze to learn about the Drew’s religion.  After that long talk, we got onto the bus and got ready for congress.

We did a lot on the bus to congress: we wrote our song, planned our entrance, and applied superhero face paint to prepare for our first meeting with the other hundred North American Diller Teen Fellows.  As excited as we were to go to congress, we were also sad to be saying goodbye to our friend/tourguide Lior and our Israelis.  When we arrived at congress, we had the pleasure of hauling our fifty pound bags what felt like miles in the scorching Israeli sun.  Yet, when the opening ceremonies started, everyone was full of energy.  Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Montreal, L.A., San Francisco and now Metro west were now all present.  Each cohort had a skit and a movie, and of course ours was the best. 

Next we split into color groups for some activities.  Eric and I were in the dark green group, and after an hour and a half of ice breakers I could feel that this congress was going to be fun.  The last part of the workshop had us learning about our Jewish history, and just how we, as Jews, managed to come to North America.  We closed the night with a deep ma’agal, and then went to hang with our new friends.  It was an exhausting day, but one of the most memorable of the trip so far. 

- Noah Lisser

Living on the Border - July 24, 2012

On July 24, we started the day by heading to Tzfat.  We learned about the religious views of the people there.  The Kaballah center of the world is in Tzfat and so many residents are very mystical in Kaaballistic learnings.  After learning about Kaballah and Tzfat ‘s role in past societies, we were able to go to a synagogue and view the beautiful murals all over the walls.  Next, we visited a candle shop.  They made amazing representations of religious and pop culture scenes entirely out of wax along with a large assortment of different candles.  My favorite was the representation of Samson pushing away columns from the biblical story of Samson and Delila.  At the shop, workers were creating new candles in front of a glass screen so that visitors could see how different candles were made and they gave out some of the new candles they made for free.  Finally, we were given free time to visit the shops at Tzfat and explore the city even more by ourselves.Next, we got on the bus and climbed up the Manara Cliff to a beautiful lookout point. We could see really far into the distance.  I really liked seeing the farms in the distance and the contrasts between the mountains and valleys. 
After taking a cable car down the mountain to the bus, we were on our way to the Jordan River.  The bus ride was short and everyone was really excited to go rafting.  Once we got there, we split into groups to raft.  We started off in a river close to the Jordan, until we met a split in the river that signified that we had entered the Jordan River.  I had a lot of fun sitting in the middle of the raft while Zach Broder and Julian Amkraut paddled for me.  We got shot at with water guns by every raft we passed, including non-Dillers!  The Jordan River flowed slowly and was deep, so the ride was very mellow and special for me.

Once we changed, we headed to another lookout over Metulla and met Liat, Co-Director of Diller in Israel.  Since Metulla is so close to Lebanon, we actually went to the border of Israel and Lebanon and a few kids picked apples.  We then went to Liat’s house and had dinner and were taught about Metulla’s role in Israel’s history.

Finally, we drove a few minutes to a place where we camped out.  It was extremely close to Lebanon, and we saw the Israeli soldiers potrolling.  The Israelis and Americans each had their own Maagals and we all attempted to sleep as best as we could inside sleeping bags on top of a thin mat over the ground.

Ultimately, it was a great day, but was one of our most eventful and tiring.  The experiences that I personally encountered are things that I will always remember with my Diller family.

-Coby Levine

The first full day with the Israelis! - July 23, 2012

Today was definitely one of the best days on the trip so far. We had our first full day with the Rishon LeZion group and we were back to being a big Metro-Letzion family. Breakfast was at 8 AM which is always too early for everyone to wake up and get ready. We started the day off with an amazing hike called “Madrasa” in the Jordan River. We hiked in the river with water up to our hip for about 2 hours. The hike was really fun, everyone getting wet, splashing, and joking around. We ended the hike with one more obstacle to get through. While exiting the river we had to avoid a huge bee hive with hundreds of bees swarming around. Marisa Parnes was very scared of bees and with the help of her friends, she overcame her fear and just ran through the bees and survived.  Next we all changed our clothes and went to a barbeque on the Kinneret/Sea of Galilee. For me this was the best part of the day and maybe the trip thus far. We all had a fancy BBQ lunch and went in swimming in the Kineret. There was music blasting, people were jumping off the dock, and enjoying the beautiful views. Everyone had a great time all together at the “Diller Mesiba ba Kineret.”

Then we went to a lookout point in the Golan Heights called MIspeh LaShalom and saw beautiful views over the Sea of Galilee. The water was so clear and still, it looked like we were looking a huge sheet of glass. We stayed there for about half an hour and took a big group picture. Then we loaded the bus and headed back to the Kibbutz Sha’ar Hagolan for an activity. The activity was planned by me and Omer as we were both leaders of the day. We played a game called the Blind Fold Shoe Shuffle. Everyone was laughing and having fun. Then we had tour of the kibbutz and learned about the ancient artifacts found here and artillery and bunkers found there from the Independence War.   The Kibbutz community was actually started by a small group of people from Rishon LeZion and moved to the north in order to protect the border between Israel and Lebanon.

After a long day we had a nice big dinner at the kibbutz. Next we all showered up, changed, and had a Ma’agal Laila. This was a very meaningful Ma’agal Laila and I think everyone got something important out of it. The Americans were very tired and went to sleep right after the Ma’agal Laila, but as usual the crazy Israelis who never get tired wanted to stay up for a few more hours. Today was an amazing day and we can’t wait for the next.

-          Ben Sabin

July 22, 2012 - Carrying on our history...As leaders.

The Holocaust was a terrible tragedy and more and more people should learn about it so that nothing like it happens again. Yad Vashem and Har Herzl were both very emotional experiences. Our day began with a visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum in Israel. Yad Vashem was designed in an arch with the walls facing in, which is to make it feel like it is caving in on us. At first, we watched a video that showed how the Jewish people were before the holocaust. To walk through the building we went through a journey that someone back then would have went through.  I learned many things,  but one thing that really stood out was that the yellow star that the Jewish people had to wear which I learned was not only to make them stand out but also tell others that they have a type of disease so others will stay away from them. Another thing that was really amazing was we saw a room, that was covered in tons of pictures of people. Behind us, there was a well with water in it and when we stared at the well, suddenly, we could barely see the reflection of the faces. This symbolizes that once a person passes away, to remember them is to tell their story to other people. At the end of the museum, we looked out and saw Jerusalem. This moment was amazing because it represented time passing on and after all we have been through this is what it has come to.
After Yad Vashem we walked up to Har Herzl. Har Herzl  was amazing because we could see the graves of all of the soldiers that passed away. Not only were they just soldiers, but they took it to the next level and did something amazing for Israel. After the sad part of the day was over we headed to a rose garden to eat lunch and debrief.

We all were talking about our experience we just had while eating some lunch. After about three bites of my pasta we see a random group of kids out of the corner of my eyes running. I thought they were crazy to be running when it was so hot out. Then, as soon as we recognized it was our Rishon Dillers approaching us, we all went running towards them. It was amazing,  after all the passed time the bonds we made on the NAS were still there. This is just the beginning of our time together and it has already been amazing. I can’t wait to see what else is to come.


- Rachel Scheckman  



July 21, 2012: Shabbat morning, the Old City, and Havdalah at the Kotel

Since this trip is my first time in Israel, I have obviously heard many generalized things about how this trip is supposed to go. Visiting Jerusalem and the Kotel was, of course, made out to seem like the most incredible experience anyone religious could ever have. I personally have always thought that was over exaggerated and it would be nice, but nothing too special. I can honestly say that I have never been more wrong about something in my entire life. The second we entered the Old City, my heart started racing, and I could literally feel the butterflies in my stomach. We went up on a balcony and saw the Kotel from a distance, and at that moment, I began to think a million things at once. This spot is the center of Judaism, this spot is the ‘east’ that everyone looks at when they pray, this spot is literally the most Holy spot in the entire world, and I am lucky enough to get to be here. It was unexpected, but I began to cry the happiest tears I have ever cried before. I was literally overwhelmed with the whole thing, and I couldn’t wait to get closer. Walking up to the Kotel was breathtaking. The Diller girls and I took our Sidurim and made our way to the wall on the women’s side, which was significantly smaller than the men’s side. It was hard to focus on the Havdallah service with all the tears swelling up in my eyes, but pretty soon I found myself leaning my forehead against the Wall with my note in my hand and having trouble getting my thoughts into real sentences. In that moment, I really felt the most powerful connection I have ever experienced. I knew where I was standing and what I was doing, but I still don’t think I have fully wrapped my brain around it. I am sooooo unbelievably grateful that I was fortunate enough to experience this, and being able to share it with my Diller family made it all the more amazing.

- Marisa Parnes

PS- Hey mom and dad!! I miss you guys so much, but I’m having an amazing time in Israel! I hope Adam and Ben are having fun at camp, and you guys are having a good summer too. I’m doing great and I can’t wait to speak to you soon and tell you more! Love you! Xoxo

Masada Sunrise, Jerusalem, Kabbalat Shabbat

It was already hot and humid at 4:30 in the morning when we started our ascent to Masada. We took the easier of the two routes to the top (the Roman ramp), and climbed it in about 20 minutes. After sweating and schlepping ourselves to the other side of the mountain, we settled down right above the south-facing cliffs. There was a vast openness beneath us, barely visible in the twilight. Lior, our tour guide, instructed us on how to have a conversation with the mountains. We yelled out phrases like “Boker Tov!” and “Diller 5!” and we were mesmerized by the clarity of the ensuing echo. However, as the sun had not risen yet, we moved over to our official lookout. The sky was getting very bright, but there was no sun in the sky. Suddenly, a red sliver appeared behind the mountains and we all grew very silent. The red dot grew slowly, and after what seemed like 10 minutes it was a round, bright red bulb. The sky around it was a mixture of pink, orange, and light blue. We were all silent, but there was an obvious connection between us at that moment. We were Diller. We were one, together. It felt dramatic, but calming at the same time.  We were fortunate enough to witness one of the most beautiful natural processes in one of the most beautiful places on earth, with the greatest friends anyone could ask for.

                As the day closes and we prepare for Shabbat in Jerusalem, I would like to wish a Shabbat shalom to all of the families back home. Aba and Ima, have a great weekend and enjoy your vacation!

- Nitay Caspi

                                                          

Thursday, July 19, 2012 - Floating in the Sea!

We started the day early at Sde Boker, where we enjoyed a very hot night the night before. After breakfast, we headed to Ein Ovdat, where we hiked through the canyons of the Negev. We found that it was really easy to make echoes in the desert, and screamed by enunciating the syllables of “We-are-Dil-Ler-5!” and listened as it echoed throughout the canyon. Afterwards, we took a ride down to the Dead Sea, which unfortunately was much hotter than the hike we had just completed. The water was about 48 degrees Celsius and the sand wasn’t much cooler, however we all spread mud all over ourselves and had a great time floating in the sea while trying to avoid burning ourselves in the process. Afterwards, we took a drive over to the Bedouin tents, and learned about the Bedouin culture. We also met a ton of cool people, all from various European countries, staying at the tent, too. On top of that, we got to ride camels and donkeys, which was definitely interesting and sort of a painful experience. We had a really cool Ma’agal Laila/Night circle in the desert, where we got to stare up at the stars, which was sort of like an IMAX theatre. Afterwards, we chilled by the bonfire and instead of making s’mores, we went the Israeli route and roasted potatoes, but it turned into a sort of hot potato game, while we drank some really good Bedouin tea. My favorite part about yesterday was wearing the leader of the day sombrero, which gave me shade all day.

-Jack Greenbaum

P.S. - Hi mom and dad! Didn’t have a chance to talk to you since I left, but it’s only been a few days. I’m having a great time in Israel with everyone else! Say hi to everyone for me and I will talk to you soon.

And We're off!!

It had finally come!  Months of preparation, the hours it took to learn the difference between Jacob and Issac, Tel-Aviv and Haifa, schwarma, and fallafel, we’re to be put into fruition.

 “Are you ready for Israel?” shouted Leah M, our diligent leader.

Of course, our answer was, “yes”.

After we left Whippany we made our way to the airport, where we were surprised by another group Dillers, from Pittsburgh. (We’d previously decided we were the best looking cohort out there, so it was nice to meet the competition.)

The surprises in the airport continued when Julian’s bag was the heaviest overweight and the girls were all less than 50 pounds.

So we made it through the plane ride! The time went by pretty quickly between our seat rotations, movies, music and lots of bonding. We didn’t get too much sleep, but for the most part we adjusted to the time when we landed because it was still the morning of a fun filled action packed day: Our adrenaline was PUMPING!!!

It is officially our first day!!!  We got off the plane tired, yet waiting for the awesome adventure.  We departed out of the airport at 11 and were off to our first activity of the ISS at Neot Kedumim, a biblical forest. Neot Kedumim is a reserve of plants and animal life from the time as a Bible. It came as a surprise when we learned that we would be going to herd sheep and goats.  It was so much fun when we learned how to be Abraham, Moses, and Jacob. And, in terms of leadership, it isn’t taken for granted that God chose shepherds as leaders of the Jewish nation.   After that we did a few team building activities, made some awesomely aromatic Zatar, an Israeli spice and then left to the desert.  We then visited David Ben Gurion’s grave, where we were greeted by the desert dunes that Ben-Gurion himself marveled at, just as we did.   Once there were no more pictures to take, and no one willing to take them, we departed to our living courters for the night eager to dream of the days we had in store.

- Alex Reiss & Harrison Angoff

Our Arrival to Israel - VIDEO



At Ben Gurion's Grave