Our Final Shabbaton Before ISRAEL!

FRIDAY: 3:30 p.m and the Dillers meet at Whippany for the first ever Shabbaton in NYC! All dressed in whites we hop on the bus and get on our way. Excitement was clearly evident as our trip to Israel is quickly approaching and we just love each other THAT much. Once we got to the hotel, we learned we could either take the creepy elevator or 7 flights of stairs up. Each of us had decent sized rooms unless your name was Max Kasler or Seth Appel because we lived in what seemed to once been a closet, and not the walk in kind. No matter what the case, we all were together and that's really what mattered. We had some time to settle in before we met in the lobby to walk to Romemu. Romemu is a renewal synagogue that rents out the space of a church. An interesting thought, which lead to quite the interesting service. We got there and soon learned that this congregation was very laid back, but a lot of fun. There was dancing throughout the service and they truly made us feel welcome. It was especially fun for me because it gave me that camp/NFTY feeling that I've been longing for a while. For everyone, it was truly a unique experience that I feel most people enjoyed for more than one reason. Following the service, we walked to Talia's steakhouse for a late dinner. The food was actually pretty good. What was better was when the rabbi from Romemu met us for a discussion. We got the chance to ask questions and learned that things may just be metaphorical allegories (thanks coop for that one). When we got back to the hotel, it was late. We had a very cool Ma'agal provided by the Dillers who will make up the counselors of the seminar while we are running our camp for the Ethiopian Jews during the ISS. It was so interesting. We wrote 10 things, (good and bad,) about ourselves and 10 things about another person which we were given. We then spoke aloud what we thought about ourselves and got to hear how we are seen by others. We then had some down time and were off to sleep for the big day coming up.

MetroWest, ready for Shabbat in NYC!

After an enlightening night at Romemu, the Dillers woke up and ate a quick, (and obviously healthy) breakfast of donuts. We then departed from our hotel and headed to a place where most of Diller 6 had never gone before: The Jewish Center, an Orthodox synagogue. The night before, we were told the basic principles of attending an Orthodox service. Men and women were separated and there would be absolutely no music. Many of us were skeptical of the separation of sexes and I believe that practically all of us were a little nervous, but we were ready to explore a different side of Judaism. Once at the temple, boys and girls separated and found their seats. The service began, and  to most of Diller 6’s surprise, the service was very similar to a service we’re used to at home, whether that be Reform, Conservative, or of course, Orthodox. Many of the same prayers were recited and men and women interacted from respective seats. The temple-goers sitting near us were also very kind. They showed us what page of the prayer book we were on when we seemed lost and even asked us about our program. The temple even wrote about Diller 6 in their newsletter and warmly welcomed us with a shout out during the closing announcements of the service. After the service, Diller 6 climbed the most evil flight of stairs and discussed the service. Many of us agreed that Romemu, a shul that used song and dance to connect with God, was not as comfortable as the Jewish Center.

Guest Blogger: Our JC, Rachel!

After having the teens discuss the similarities and differences between Romemu, a Renewal service utilizing music and dance, and an Orthodox service at the Jewish Center, a service that stuck to the traditional ways, we, as a group, by doing so, were able to foreshadow our upcoming trip to Israel. With both services, the teens were able to experience two very different sides of Judaism, and by having these experiences and discussing them, the teens are able to learn about their own likes and dislikes for themselves as Jews, diving head first into their Jewish identities.

But, like I said, with all these services, the teens couldn’t help but think of the Judaism they’ll experience in Israel, and what better way to get excited for Israel then pick leaders of the day?! Coral, our Rishona, led the group in an auction, where she offered up prizes such as a trip to Israel, or a bungee jump! The teens had to wage their money and buy each prize, yet little did they know that each prize would correspond to a day in Israel, and that day would become the day they are leader of the day! The leader of the day becomes something of a staff member during our time in Israel. This means they’re responsible for count off, reminding everyone what time to be ready, and having the opportunity to run an activity for fifteen minutes, or give a treat from them, to the group.

However, it isn’t truly ever Shabbat without a Shabbat menucha, right? And where else would be more perfect than Central Park?! (You know, other than Israel, of course!) After changing from temple wear to play wear, Meital, Coral and I, took the teens into Central Park where we sat on picnic blankets and played cards for a while. When Leah, Shaina, and Coby arrived to the park, it was finally time to get down to business with putting down some plans for each teen’s leader of the day opportunity. Meital and I met with each teen to help guide them through making an impact on their day, and from the ideas I heard, I can assure you that MetroWest’s Dillers are not only bright, creative, and passionate, but will bring inspiration to the rest of the group through their meaningful words to the group on each of their days.

From here, we went back to the Jewish Center where we washed up and had dinner. For dessert, we had a little surprise. Instead of just giving ice cream, we decided to make it into something of a competition. Of the three tables, each had to best create Israel through accuracy, cleanliness, and creativity... with their ice cream. In the end, each creation very much so varied from the next, but the winner ended up describing Gaza as the, “sprinkles of conflict,” which was both accurate, and creative, (and hilarious).

Afterwards, we had one of the most meaningful ma’agals we’ve had, in fact our last ma’agal before our time in Israel. We had this ma’agal on the roof of The Jewish Center, which by 10 would normally be much darker, but we were lit up by the Super Moon that occurred Saturday night. As the aura of our surrounding location brought us together as MetroWest, we said goodbye to the Sabbath through our ritual of Havdallah, our last before Israel. And as we began our ma’agal, the teens were able to realize the significance of each member of the group. Each teen closed their eyes, while one different Diller was picked every so often to stand and pick other teens based off certain criteria given by Leah. For example, “pick three people who inspire you,” or, “pick three people who have taught you something.” By doing this, each teen could understand what they bring to the group, and what they can improve on.

The winners! Eric, Eden, Rebecca, Seth, Corey, and Annabelle!

On Sunday, we headed back to MetroWest. We spoke about Tikun Olam and introduced the teens to many different opportunities that the teens can choose to work with for their Tikun Olam Projects. One was Eugenie, a woman who works with refugees of the Rwandan genocide, another was NETAL, which aims to help children of Israel cope with PTSD, then Challah for Hunger, which raises awareness for social justice causes, and Open Dor, run by our very own, Shaina, which aims to connect generations to generations, (dor in Hebrew, meaning generation). Each project had a very special meaning and different aim for each teen to work with, and I think each of the teens are generally pretty excited to begin something all their own!

And this is where the parents come in! ISS prep! Here, we were, as you all very well know, able to answer those burning questions these Diller parents have had for months regarding everything from security, to hotels, to what to wear! We had a fashion show of what to wear... and not to wear, run by alumni of the program, and the teens had the chance to ask those alumni all their burning questions, too.

The amazing Diller fashion show! Starring alumni Jason, Sarah, and Julian, and JCs Rachel and Meital!

Overall, this weekend was a success! As a Diller group we were able to experience something completely brand new, come together as a group, and further prepare for Israel. With the Israel Summer Seminar coming so soon, I know that I, and my fellow staff members feel honored and lucky to have the chance to have such an amazing group as Diller 6. See you in Israel!