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