Zoom Out: A Look at the Larger Community - Thursday, March 29

Millburn High School seems like a great place to attend school. It was crazy though with the amount of students and the hallways that all looked the same! Thank goodness I didn't get lost. First period, Nick and I had digital arts! It was very nice and a fun class. I wish we had something like that in my school. I than went to a math class with one of Nick’s friend. I was surprised how different it was to class in Israel. It was just like in the movies! I even took a picture of Nick's locker. We then went to volunteer at the Interfaith Food Pantry and packed bags for people who need supplemental food to take home with them. Dinner at Zack's house was fun and the falafel made Nick even more excited for Israel!! We want to thank him and his family for hosting the Diller's. As always it is nice to see all of the Israelis and Americans together hanging out!

- Nick Sarano & Peleg Kazaz

American Culture - The BIG Apple: Wednesday, March 28

Hey everyone! First of all, I'm really having fun here! It it is so great to be a guest blogger! Today we met by 8am in UJC and we had a Ma'agal Boker/Morning Circle. It was really nice! Then, we left Whippany for NYC: Time Square! It was such an exciting moment. Everybody (including me of course) was very anxious to finally get to NYC!!! When we arrived, it was like a dream! The view was amazing! The atmosphere was extraordinary!! We had some free time to walk around and shop. I walked around with Omer, Ori and Bar. We ate delicious hamburgers and then we went to the M&M store! It is an enormous store! After, we went to Hard Rock Cafe. It was very interesting! We went to a Broadway show named "Priscilla, Queen of The Desert". It was very impressive. The costumes we amazing and effects were out of this world! After that we went back home. During the evening, Omer and Noah came to our house. We ate a delicious dinner and ice cream. It was so great to spend time with our families!

-Peleg Kazaz

A Day in the Life of MetroLeZion - Tuesday, March 27

6:30am - Wakeup

7:00am - Breakfast… yum!

8:30am - Drop off at Golda Och Academy
“They’re all so cute…” -Michelle Resnick

9:00am - Minyan
Yoga Minyan for the win!

10:00am - Meet with Soferet Stam - we learned to use caligraphy that is used for writing a Torah!

12:00pm - Bus ride to Kushner

1:00 - Lunch
(מה זה cafeteria?)

2:00pm - Visiting classes
We take chemistry for the jelly beans ;)

4:00pm - Mincha
“It was nice.” -Peer Sagiv

5:15pm - Arrive at Federation
The best part of the day… obviously…

5:30pm - Work on projects for Yom Ha'atzmaut in Temple Sinai on Sunday

6:30pm - Dinner
“Deliciously amazing, or amazingly delicious, whichever you prefer…” -Julian Amkraut

7:15pm - Americans receive leadership ties
#SWAG

7:30pm - Torah Study of the 2½ Tribes story with Tal and Liat, the Directors of Diller Teen Fellows
Eric Lederman: The Future First Televangelist

9:30pm - #dillergoesdunkin

Monday: Who is a Jew?

Four days ago, The Israelis arrived in America. They went to the welcoming party which I could not attend and met all of my Diller friends. A few miles away, I was worrying about how I would deal with hosting a person of a different gender and nationality. The next day, all of the Israelis and Americans literally piled into a bus and went to a camp in the middle of nowhere. It was on that bus that everything changed. Fifteen minutes in and we were dancing to music as if we’d known each other for years. We only got closer at the shabbaton. By the time we got back I already knew all of the Israelis’ names and had conversations with most of them. The best part though, was that night I was studying for a test that I had the next day and Adi, the Israeli I was hosting, came and helped me. For the first time I actually had fun studying and I got closer with her at the same time.

Today all of us Israelis went to the JCC in West Orange. At first, we talked with Alan Feldman, the Director of the JCC, who explained to us a little bit about the jewish community in West Orange and about the different things that brings Jews together. I remember a sentence he said “What bring us all together are the experiences we share”, which is something that I will remember forever. After having a tour in the JCC, we set to eat lunch with the seniors who were really nice! We talked about many things, from their time in Israel, in the military, and their children. When we got back into the federation we had a Rabbis panel where we met with 4 different rabbis, each representing a different stream of Judaism. We were able to ask them questions and hear what’s their perspectives are on Judaism. That was really interesting and we learned a lot from it. Then, we headed to B'nai Shalom, the synagogue that Leah grew up in and met with the Rabbi. It was here that we really began to understand that syangogues in American are not just a place to pray, but a place of culture and celebration.
At the end we were all going to “cups” to eat a great ice cream, both Israelis and americans, and we had a lot of fun !

-Eric Lederman & Adi Shalom

Our feelings on the NAS:

March, 22nd, a Thursday, my life changed forever. Like every other day, the sun rose and the sun set, but today and for the next eleven days, Omer Kinor, would bless my household with his presence. It started of simple. After a quick drive form Whippany to Short Hills, Omer and I arrived at 22 Tioga Pass. Once introduced to my sisters, father, and mother, I showed Omer his room where he then proceeded to take a glorious shower after 19 hours of flight. Refreshed and ready to go, it was decided that the natural course of action would be to lie on the couch and watch t.v. Immediately Omer was engulfed in the family banter: Cara’s distress at not getting One Directiontickets, Cara’s distress at not having clothes, Cara’s distress at not having clothes orOne Direction tickets, the usual. Sensing Omer’s capacity to handle the “Cara-ness” was nearing its limits, I thought it would be a good idea to delve into some American history. We descended down into the basement where Tropic Thunder, the epic movie of actors portraying actors portraying Vietnam soldiers on a deadly mission, was playing. After a few good laughs and a long discussion of how even when America loses a war, we still win, the Dynamic Duo was told it was time for bed. Exhausted yet excited, both Dillers slept anxiously awaiting the coming retreat where even more time together would be had.

- Noah Lisser & Omer Kinor

The NAS Shabbaton!

Friday, March 23:

On Friday morning we did not know what to expect with the upcoming retreat, only knowing the Israelis for a few hours. While the Israelis spent the day exploring the Jewish Journey to America while visiting Ellis Island and picnicking under the Statue of Liberty, the Americans were in school wishing we were all together. Our wish came true when we all met up at the Federation in Whippany to go to the retreat. After a few awkward moments on the bus it was as if we have known each other forever. Music truly does connect people from two separate countries. After our long trek from Whippany to Fairview Lake we got settled in to our bunks, boys upstairs and girls downstairs. We then got changed into our White Shabbat clothing and participated in a prayer service overlooking the lake planned by the Shabbaton Committee. It was truly a “Kodak” moment. After prayers we had enjoyed our first Shabbat dinner together. We then separated into two groups, Israelis and Americans and had our first Ma'agal Laila/Night Circle of the NAS. During the night circle, we were able to process in a safe and comfortable space, the many feelings that we had. We then rejoined as one group back at our bunk, “Wickapeck”, hung out, played some very intense games of jungle speed and went to bed.
- Zach Broder and Rachel Scheckman

Saturday, March 24: Yes!!! The first full day with the Israelis had finally arrived!!! And us Dillers were ready for the best day of our lives. For the boys, the alarms started to go off at four in the morning, and, as for the girls, they got to sleep a little bit longer. But, By 8’ o clock everyone was downstairs for breakfast and once the clock struck nine, the Saturday morning service began. But this was not just any, regular service, this was very unique. Planned by our amazing JCs, Max and Aliza, we went through the meaning and purpose of each of the different sections of the Saturday Morning prayer service. After each section was explained, any Diller that wished to speak about anything pertaining to the meaning of that prayer stood up and spoke. We committed to understanding what each person said by saying "Amen" as a community, as one.

Following the service, Jim, our guide for the hike, lead us on a beautiful hike up to the third highest point in New Jersey. As we began our walk up the mountain, the cheering began too: “When I say diller you say 5!!!” Once we got to the top of the hill, Jim led us in some team activities. After having a monumental amount of fun and really working together as a team, we were led to the most amazing view ever. After looking at the expansive valleys and the beautiful lake, it was time for lunch and we all strode down the mountain to eat.
- Harrison Angoff & Bar Schwartz

After a much needed lunch, we had free time at the camp. We were given the choices to climb the rock wall, the flying squirrel swing (which Leah loved!) or just hang out with everyone, and play games. I used that time to relax by the lake at the camp, and had some nice bonding time with a few of the girls.

The next activity, was really great and got us all thinking about tough questions, many that we don't often think about and for some of us, questions that don't really have one answer. Some questions were,
- What is Shabbat?
- Does god exist?
- What is the torah?
For each question we had a discussion, and depending on the answer, took a colored bead for a bracelet, representing the answer we chose. During the discussion at the end of the activity we discussed what each color bead represented: a different sect of Judaism. We were surprised by the results because for many of us, our beads reprsented ourselves in a way that was very different than how we had seen ourselves. But we talked about how we really are one group of people with the same core beliefs, and have more ideas in common than we thought.
Our havdalah ceremony, ending Shabbat, was a special one. Together the Israelis and the Americans, sang together in a circle and exchanged thoughtful memories with each other.

Next was our bonfire! Even in a little bit of rain we had so much fun, singing, in hebrew and in English. But In our opinion, the best part of the day was the end when we returned to Wickepeck. We were all together in the center room, full with all of us, dancing and listening to music. It was amazing how comfortable we felt with a group of teens we just met one day before. Then, us girls talked until the wee hours of the night. All of us got so close over Shabbat, and bonded so much.

- Alex Reiss and Mai Eisenman

Sunday, March 25: Today was the last day of the Shabbaton at Fairview Lake camp and it started early. Many people woke up to sound of the famous "Boker Tov" cheer. We then had a Ma'agal Boker/Morning Circle. While they were separate from each other, Leah and Keren planned well and both the Americans and Israelis did the same activity: we each choose a card with a quote by Rabbi Nachman m'Uman that best represented our feelings, which led to some deep Diller discussion.

Afterwards, we got into teams and started planning for the Israel Summer Seminar in July. Everybody put a lot of great ideas on the table as to the best ways to run the camp that we will be running in “Rammat Eliyahu” for Ethiopian children in Israel. The theme of the camp will be Tikun Olam/Social Justice, a topic that we Dillers know very well. We spilt into five different groups. Logistics group will be in charge of leading the other groups and planning the logistics of the days we are there. The Counselors will be in charge of going around with the kids and helping them participate in activities. The Enrichment group will be in charge of planning activities for the kids to do. The Social group will be in charge of raising the camp spirit and planning morning ceremonies. Finally, the Volunteer group will be in charge of a volunteer event where the children will give back to the community. Today was a really special opportunity for the Israelis and Americans to work together on a project face to face rather than through the phone and through computers.

After Lunch, we partied on the bus ride home even though we all could have fallen asleep at any time. When we got back to the federation, we participated in Good Deeds Day, a day where people around the world do good deeds. The Dilller Alumni put together stations for us to do such as: writing letters to soldiers,making sandwiches for charity, painting flowerpots for an old age home, and talking about the genocide in Darfur and how it relates to Judaism. Good Deeds Day was very inspiring for several reasons. It was good to see past Dillers, who had already experienced what we are going through, and it was even better to see that they were still active members of the community. These Dillers benefited from the program, and now can still use what they learned to make a difference. This was inspiring for the rest of us. Hopefully, we will be as motivated to make a change even after Diller. Another reason that Good Deeds Day was enjoyable is because of the heartfelt and meaningful service that was planned out. The people running the program had clearly thought carefully about what they felt was important, and it was inspiring to see how they took their convictions and turned it into actions. Amazingly, we still had enough energy left to play some games as a group.Finally, we each wished another person a good week before we all went home after the long weekend. Everybody is looking forward to the week ahead!!

- Jack Greenbaum and Sara Rosen

Day 1: The Arrival!

Israeli Point of View:
After several weeks of preparation, including talking to our Americans through the Internet, the North American Seminar kicked off! When we got to Ben Gurion airport, we met as half a group on a quest to unite with our other half. After the excitement, we went through several long hours of flying and eventually landed in Newark. We met Leah and Noga, who greeted warmly and heightened our excitement for the trip, and we were off to the Whippany JCC. On the way out of the airport, the sight of yellow taxis and yellow school busses (which doesn’t exist in Israel) really helped us digest the fact that we were in America. It took us about 30 minutes to get to the JCC. We sat in pairs and we were furiously thinking about the families, and we talked a lot about our expectations. When we got there, the walk from the bus to meet the Diller seemed extremely long: we were there, but we still had a small journey to go (the JCC building is also very big). When we got to the entrance of their room, everyone tried to get in, curious to see the Americans in real life. From the corner of my eye, I finally saw my partner. At first, I was a little shy and overwhelmed by trying to meet all 20 Americans. However, I really opened up during dinner. Now that we’ve met the group and settled down with the families, we feel like the mission is accomplished and that the group is now whole.
- Chen Wolfson
American Point of view:
We have been waiting for this day to come since our first meeting in September. The suspense has been slowly building up the last few days, and it all culminated in the last few minutes before the Israelis arrived. Throughout the school day, I could barely sit still and I watched the clock tick by slowly until the day finally ended. When I got home, I rushed to clean my room in preparation for Chen’s arrival and then hurried out to Whippany. As a group, we were freaking out prior to the Israelis’ arrival. We frantically made “Welcome” posters and shared our intense feelings about the NAS. Some of us were extremely nervous (to the point of being stressed out), while others were too excited to hold it in, including me. When we found out that the Israelis were inside the building, the butterflies in my stomach exploded. We all panicked and attempted to stop ourselves from jumping off the walls. The seconds before the Israelis walked in were the long seconds of my life. Every possible thought seemed to rush through my head: will they be friendly? Do they really look like their facebook profile picture? Will I get along with my partner? Finally, the Israelis started to walk in and a huge rush went through my whole body: This is it! As they poured into the room, we greeted them with passionate applause. The first seconds were overwhelmingly filled with hugs, greetings, and an amalgam of emotions. As soon as I saw Chen walk through the door, I ran to him and greeted him. He said it was great to finally meet me in person after all this time. After that it was all a blur of Israelis bonding with Americans, which finally settled down when we got home. One of the most emotional parts of the NAS has passed, but there is much more to come!
- Nitay Caspi

The Journey of Water and Bread. Or. Bread and Water

Peoplehood. What is that? Walking into Diller on Sunday, we had no idea, but Max and Aliza had it covered. (Can we get a woosh clap?!) They asked us to decide what we thought was the most defining moment in Jewish history. At first, we were all a little lost. We had no idea what "peoplehood" was and we certainly didn't know what the most important moment in Jewish history was, but once we started talking with each other, we realized we could do this.

One discovery lead to the next when Leah showed us "The Journey of Bread and Water", or as Rachel G. would like to think, "The Journey of Water and Bread." These were the steps to success. Between our Tikun Olam Projects and the workshop, we couldn't forget about our Israelis! We're so excited for them to arrive! All of us Dillers spread out into groups, such as: The Welcoming Committee, who will, of course, be planning our initial meeting with the Israelis when they first arrive. The Israel Day Committee, who will be planning activities to be done at a local Temple to celebrate Israel. The Shabbaton Committee, who will be planning on organizing activities for us to do woth the Israelis during our weekend back to the cabins in Fairview Lake. And, The Farewell Committee, who will be organizing our final hoorah with the Israelis in the North American Seminar. After splitting up, we begged Leah to tell us who would he staying with us, but her lips were sealed.

When we met up with our parents, Leah explained what the week with the Israelis is going to be like, and although our parents seemed a bit concerned with our hectic schedules - between sports, clubs, homework, juggling (shout out to Rachel Scheckman,) music, and whatever else our talented Dillers do - it's going to be, to say the least, a bit hectic. But, as Aliza said on Sunday, it's been done before, and it can be done again. And as Diller 5, the most swagged out Dillers ever to hit Metrowest, we know that we can pull this off. We can't wait until the Israelis get here, and although our lives by then will be a bit crazy, as the saying goes, nothing worth fighting for in life, is easy.