North American Coordinator and Junior Counselor Shabbaton in the 305! (Miami)

Wow. What an experience! This Shabbaton was probably the best three days of my life. It was a reprieve from the biting cold and boring class work. It was amazing to talk to the other international staff. Every staff member saw their role differently and brought a different strategy towards how to improve our fellows’ Diller experience. Although each one of us is very different, something that is very consistent is our passion and enthusiasm for the Diller program. It was very refreshing to be with people who shared many of my values and interests (aside from my fellow Metrowest staff :) ).

Another amazing part of the weekend was the programming. As a JC, I have become somewhat of a programming nerd and creating and leading better programming is almost always on my mind. It was such a pleasure to be a pupil of such pros i.e. Lily, Andrew, Nitay, Liat, Alon, and my fellow JCs and coordinators. I learned a great amount about the content development method, how to use feedback as a tool, how to perfect ODT-style activities, how to use text study in a fun way that everyone will enjoy and find meaning in, how to lead fun and meaningful ma’agal lylas, how to better collaborate with my fellow North American staff, and so much more. A huge goal of mine is to implement as many of these lessons as possible into my daily and Diller lives!

To conclude, I cannot be more thankful to be part of Diller’s international staff and for being part of this Shabbaton. It was truly a life-changing experience. Even the food was excellent! I’m certain the bonds that I made with the other JCs will last beyond our final days in the program and I hope to pass the lessons I’ve learned to as many people as possible. This experience has inspired me to not only be a better JC for my fellows but a better, more enthusiastic member of the Jewish people and the world in general.

 

-Sam Grossman, GMW Diller 8 Junior Counselor, Cohort 6 Alumni

If I could describe the JC Shabbaton in two words, it would be desperately-needed. Both Sam and I have been caught in a whirlwind for the past few months and have little time to breathe. It’s very easy to lose yourself in the ongoing stresses of high school, college admissions, and simply remembering to put on socks in the morning. The Shabbaton served as the perfect way to recharge mentally and spiritually, all while learning more about Diller and what it means to be a Junior Counselor.

In addition to being #blessed with warm weather, Sam, Amanda, and myself were also able to connect with an incredible group of people; the North American Staff. Very few people are put in our position and understand what it’s like to be a Junior Counselor or Coordinator. Our roles are incredibly rewarding and inspiring, but up until the shabbaton we had not been able to interact with people who understood exactly what we were feeling as a staff. Having every single member of the North American Staff at the shabbaton was personally my favorite part of the entire experience. There was a sense of respect and understanding that flowed between everyone at the shabbaton, even before we had all been properly introduced. Between swapping ideas for programs and ways to stay awake through an entire shabbaton, I felt like I had known the staff for years. Not only did I create strong bonds with JCs and Coordinators, I also grew immensely as a Junior Counselor and as an individual. The North American Staff proved to be an incredible resource for me; I have never felt more challenged and inspired from one weekend with a group of people since I was a fellow.

The programming throughout the weekend was incredible and gave me a lot of fresh ideas that I can’t wait to present to my fellows. I was especially impressed by the programs given to the staff by the Junior Counselors themselves. It was amazing to be surrounded by such creativity and passion for programming. I’m always trying to give them captivating activities to enhance their Diller experience and I’ve already put some things I learned whilst on the shabbaton to use.

The weekend served as the perfect opportunity for me to reconnect with myself and my role as a Junior Counselor. Life can get very stressful very quickly and it’s often hard to push the constant responsibilities of being a high school senior away. Being surrounded by a group of people that shared the same goals and experiences seemed to help me slow down for a few days and truly made me remember why I wanted to apply to be a JC all those months ago. After this weekend, I am inspired to be the best possible role model for my Dillers and continue to develop as a person. Looking forward, I am ecstatic to welcome the Israelis from Rishon Le’Zion to New Jersey and eventually travel to Israel for the International Summer Seminar.

-Annabelle Hanflig, GMW Diller 8 Junior Counselor, Cohort 6 Alumni

Diller 8 Self-Management Shabbaton

 

After weeks or hard work and planning, Diller 8 embarked on our first self-management experience. The weekend began with the content committee leading us in an activity coloring puzzle pieces and writing about ourselves on flowers before Shabbat began. Then, the Shabbat spirit committee took over and led a wonderful service before leading us in some fun Shabbat games. Later that night, we had a discussion about leadership and it was really interesting to see how each of my fellow Dillers saw the same leader. The next day was filled with meaningful activities about community, which was the narrative for the weekend. In the afternoon, we had a self-defense class led by Ben! After Ma'agal, we had a neon party in the conference room-fog machines were involved.

We were all completely exhausted by the end of the night, but our final day had more in store. The next morning, we added more to our puzzle pieces as a way to reflect on our weekend. Then, we had to put them together to reveal the hidden image:

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We then had a yoga class where we made Hebrew letters using our bodies before giving feedback about the weekend. Then came NAS planning! We got into our new committees and got even more excited for the Israelis to come. Overall, it was a great weekend and it made me so much more excited to move along in our journey.

 

-Rachel Malaga

 

Celebrating Tu B'shevat and Dropping some beats!

            The latest Diller 8 workshop can best be summarized by one word: Swag. The morning started out with an intimate Tu B’Shevat Seder. The Dillers feasted on an array of different foods from a tree, ranging from pineapples to chocolate covered pomegranate. Amanda recommended trying dried dates to the courageous Dillers, and those who tried it were rewarded with a delicious taste. As the Seder progressed, each Diller shared new ideas as to how to protect the environment. The theme of preserving the environment is very important to Diller 8, dating back to Tikun Olam committee’s first water bottle challenge. As the Seder drew to a close, the birthday committee began preparing their activity. The committee brought out a piñata with the intention of picking candy up off the ground just as one should pick trash up off the ground.

            Lunch followed soon after. During lunch a few of the Dillers may have noticed two men unknown to them before today poke their head through the door. Unknown at the time, but these two men were Matt and Emmanuel from “Bible Raps” here to inspire the Dillers to write their very own rap song. Sitting in a circle, the Dillers were skeptical at first that they would actually be able to create their own rap. All doubt went away when Matt showed off his demo, ushering in the new phrase, “I’m not white I’m Jewish!” Inspired by this line of poetic masterpiece, the Dillers broke off in different groups to begin writing the rap. Emmanuel took a group of five to create the beat while the rest broke into teams of four to brainstorm lyrics. All of the groups started off slow at first but once the first line was written, there was no stopping. It felt like it had just started when Matt called everyone saying it was time to record the rap. Gathered back together as one, Emmanuel began to lay down the beat as all stars Lilly, Lex, and company began spitting out their lyrics. With Ethan filming for the music video, the remaining Dillers formed a mob around the rappers bobbing their heads, pumping their fists, and occasionally breaking out into a little YMCA action. After the rappers finished spitting their fire, it was time for the entire group to record the chorus. Everyone sang out a repetition of “Diller Teens… Diller Teens,” with the occasional out bust of federation and pluralism. With all parts of the rap finished, the day finally began to wind down. Noticing the clock for the first time all day, the Dillers realized that their time together was just about over. They said their goodbyes and left with a feeling of excitement to hear the final product of the rap, which can be heard in the link below.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdesPyvuCaQ

 

-Adam Lorimer

Prep Stages for the Self-Management Shabbaton

       Our most recent workshop kept everyone in the cohort busy and engaged, it was never dull for a moment.  We began with an activity focused on communication and the importance of understanding why it’s important to keep good communication with everyone in the cohort, especially leading up to our self-management shabbaton.  Before arriving, we were told to bring a blindfold, if we still had the one from our first shabbaton, for one activity in particular (throwback to the trust walk!).  We quickly found out why.  We split into pairs and awaited instruction.  Next, peanut butter and jelly made an appearance, featuring gluten-free bread.  At this point, we were told to blindfold one person who would be making the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, while the other person acted as eyes, facilitating the sandwich making.  During this activity, we saw some groups communicated well and were successful, while others had a more difficult time.  When everyone had finished, we quickly went around the circle discussing the problems we faced and how we reached our end product.  We saw that although there might be a traditional way of going about things, there is not only one way to accomplish the same goal. 
After that, we did activities led by our very own JCs!  Sam’s activity was focused on looking in at ourselves in order to see what motivated us, specifically regarding Diller.  It consisted of an interesting lesson on things like motivation, mission, and vision.  Then, again we got paired up and were given a guiding question.  After giving a response, our partner listened thoughtfully and came up with a further “why” question.  This was a way of probing ourselves to see where our motivation truly lay, beyond the surface.  It was interesting to see how each answer took shape, becoming more concrete and true of ourselves as we kept going.  We ended the activity by recording our answers on a tree, with the superficial answers in the branches, and each deeper response first on the branches, then the trunk, and then the roots. 
Annabelle’s activity, like Sam’s, was something eye-opening.  In pairs, once more, we began the next activity.  The goal was to practice active listening and see how it differs from how we normally listen.  On four note cards, words like college and Israel and parents were written, all flipped over.  One at a time, someone would pick a card and be given three minutes to say whatever came to mind.  The catch was that for the entire three minutes, the other person could not respond or chime in.  After each sort of round, people were called on to give quick summaries of what their partner discussed to show that they listened to and absorbed what their partner was saying because all they had to do was listen, not think of how to respond or move conversation forward.  During the final discussion post-listening, we brought up how although everyone was given the same four words, our conversations were nothing alike, because we as people have different views and different experiences.  We also touched on how difficult it could be to listen thoroughly to what someone is saying and hold back from responding even when there is something you’ve been waiting to say. 
After all of the wonderfully planned activities, courtesy of Amanda and co., everyone was given time to get into their committees for the self-management shabbaton to solidify ideas and start finalizing plans.  All in all, everyone is getting excited and can’t wait to see how things will fall into place.  One more workshop and then we’ve made it!  Wish us luck!

Sophie Caplan

Diller 8 Super Stars at GMW Super Sunday

 

The Super Sunday workshop was our first meeting after the Shabbaton. Essentially, it was our first meeting as a truly solidified cohort. However, while we waited for the workshop to begin, a slightly uncomfortable silence hung in the air. The connections we made during the Shabbaton were certainly not lost, as we had all been engaging in consistent contact via social media, however the rapid escalation of our relationships in such a short time followed by a drought of human interaction with one another perhaps caused an awkwardness when we reconnected in person. After beginning the workshop, though, we were given an opportunity to rekindle the connections we made over the Shabbaton through guided interaction.

During the workshop, we began the initial planning of our Self-Management Shabbaton. After being assigned to our committees (content, food, morale, logistics and Shabbat spirit), we composed a mission statement, a vision, and a set of goals. This process was challenging as most of us were eager to contribute our ideas and, as a result, there were lots of side conversations and many layers of voices, all trying to be heard. Having twenty strong leaders work together is not always easy. We managed to overcome this, however, and the final product was one that seamlessly combined each of our own hopes for the Shabbaton along with the Diller pillars and values. This strong starting point has personally made me very enthusiastic about the prospect of planning our own Shabbaton, tailored to what our cohort most wants to achieve. I feel that this Shabbaton will be the most rewarding as, if it is successful, we will have provided ourselves with a memorable experience that will benefit each individual as well as the entire group.

After our mini workshop, we began Super Sunday. For those that do not know, Super Sunday is an entire day devoted to raising funds for the Federation. This day is essential to the continuation of all of the amazing programs that the Federation supports, one of which is Diller. For those that do know what Super Sunday is, you have most likely received a phone call requesting a donation for the Federation. However, what goes on behind the scenes of these phone calls is incredible; hundreds of local Jews gathering to make phone calls to urge donations. Intimidating, defeating, frustrating and rewarding are all words that one may use to describe the phone-calling process. Most people do not answer the phone calls, this is the frustrating part. When people do answer the phone, many can be rude or terse, this is the intimidating part. Often times, people decline the request of a donation, or, better yet, hang up the phone mid-sentence, this part is defeating. However, many people are very generous and appreciative of the work being done for the Federation, and this is where the rewarding part comes into play. Knowing that we are giving back to the community that is providing us with so much is an amazing feeling, and it was overall a very rewarding experience.

Alexandra Constantinides