Becoming Diller 8

 

Our first Diller meeting was not an awkward gathering of newly formed acquaintances, but rather a reconvening of long lost friends.  Shared values and goals, and identities rooted in Judaism seemed to be a fertile common ground in which the seeds of a fantastic future were sown.  The meeting started off with a discussion of the Diller pillars and values, and continued with an exploration of our own views on the necessary positive and destructive negative components of our group's success. 

I found fascinating the varied Jewish backgrounds each of my fellow Dillers come from; a myriad of affiliations were discussed, one of which, Humanism, I'd never even heard of before.  I'm so excited to learn more about my religion from new and unique perspectives.

The shofar blast, an intermission of sorts, was, quite literally, a blast.  Jews of all ages, genders, sizes, races, and affiliations gathered to blow the traditional rhythms of the shofar calls.  We could barely make out each tkiah, we were so far from the stage; I haven't laughed so hard in months.

After a delicious lunch, made all the more entertaining by the seemingly endless dietary restrictions of my fellow Dillers (gluten-free anyone?), came the making of our Diller flag.  Each of us chose a saying, value, or pillar that leapt out to us as particularly meaningful, and illustrated it onto a patch.  I chose a verse from Pirkei Avot, P'kuach Nefesh: save a life, save a world.  I love the message that the actions of any one person can have such a ripple effect.

I left the first true Diller meeting invigorated by the reaffirmation of my kavanah with the Jewish people, and with the Diller group, and already looking forward to a next time.