Thursday, July 28, 2011

Kiryat Shmonah

Hello all from the hot and humid Upper Galilee!

Today's post will be written by Ellie and Dani and will not specifically pertain to one day in particular but rather focus on certain aspects of our trip. Mainly the ones that we have thought to be the most interesting and valuable (as well as fun) throughout the journey.

Over the past three weeks, our cohort has had some very intriguing and thought-provoking discussions, amongst ourselves and with the Israeli fellows as well. The first one that comes to mind occurred Monday afternoon during our day devoted to military education. We spoke about the differences and similarities between the American and Israeli armies as well as our personal views and beliefs about service and joining an army. One of the most intriguing differences we came up with was the Israeli draft. Specifically, this draft envelopes the evident dedication to Israel and its well being. On the other hand, many Americans had never even thought of themselves as individuals who would join an army and even went so far as to say they would be opposed to an American draft. On that note, very few of the American fellows knew any young people currently in the army or even thinking of joining the American armed forces. This discussion was extremely eye-opening and sparked some really interesting interactions.

The next conversation that stands out in our minds happened a few days ago after we heard a lecture from Ortal's (one of the Israeli fellows) grandfather about the establishment of kibbutzim in Israel. All forty fellows embarked on the never-ending discussion of socialism vs. capitalism (with the idea of kibbutzim as the key component). Everyone had something to add to the conversation and nobody wanted it to end. Though we didn't come to a conclusion, everyone learned a thing or two about the pros and cons of communal societies as well as the underlying "American dream" that most of the American fellows just couldn't let go of.

Yesterday, our two groups had an early start to the day in Kiryat Shemonah renovating three bomb shelters.The bomb shelters and surrounding areas were not in the greatest shape and we spent 6 hours in the hot sun cleaning up garbage, mopping floors and painting the bomb shelters. For the Americans especially, it was very hard to comprehend the concept of having to leave one's home in order to live underground in a bomb shelter and wait for it to be safe to go outside. With this in mind, we fellows really put in 110% to make sure what we left behind was our best work. The mayor of the city even came by for a few minutes to thank us personally for our hard work and to recognize the Diller Teen Fellows' commitment to tikkun olam. Hopefully, we Californians will go back home with a better understanding of the inevitable differences between our culture and that of the Isrealis.

Our stay so far in Kiryat Shemonah has not only been educational but also extremely fun. After we worked on the bomb shelters, we then embarked on a river rafting trip down the Jordan River. Fun fact: Israelis call river rafting kayaking and they call kayaking, kayaking. And, a special bonus, they also do not enjoy actually staying in the boat. Though the San Francisco kids are used to the American River, we found ways to keep the lazy Jordan River exciting. For instance, on our journey, we made friends with not only Israelis and other Americans but also some funny chaps from England. Some of us even saw some people we knew. It was a very fun end to a rewarding day and we all went home happy and satisfied.

~Dani and Ellie

Sunday, July 24, 2011

First Day of Upper Galillee!

Wow what a day! We began the day by lugging our suitcases at the awful hour of 7:30 down to where the busses would later pick us up. After finishing up our last couple workshops, the closing ceremony began. At this point we had already seen the final performances from each Diller partnership and personally, I was ready to move onto the next thing.
We boarded the bus at roughly 2:47 pm, and were quickly on our way to the north. Some 2+ hours later Israeli diller hosts and their guests sporadically began leaving the bus, as the upper galilee cohort is spread out in a similar way as the SF cohort is. SF Dillers live from marin to oakland to San Jose and everywhere in between, so too U.G. Dillers are spread out from Metula to Kiryat Shmona to random yishuvim and kibbutzim. But I digress.
Most people arrived at their hosts family with no more than an hour to spare, but somehow my friend's mom urged me to call my parents, and offered to do my laundry within the 30 minutes I was there, before having to rush out again.
But where were we rushing to?
I'm so glad you asked.
The place was called Dubrovin Farm, where an elaborate presentation/opening ceremony had been meticulously planned and flawlessy executed by a small contingent of the Israeli Dillers (So proud!).
So after a delicious dinner and the mandatory accompanying slideshow, the cohorts split for their night circles, then everyone headed to their new homes - hopefully to enjoy a good night's sleep in a comfy, warm bed and as it is nearing that magical midnight time here in Kiryat Shmona, I will say good night!


Tzvi and Dani

Thursday, July 21, 2011

July 17: The Day Has Come

The day was finally here. The day we had anticipated for the past 3 months. We would finally be able to reconnect with our Israeli counterparts from the Upper Galilee. None of us knew what to expect when we drove into the hot desert and our feelings were all over the spectrum, from nervous to exhilarated.

We drove to Neot Kedumim, a biblical park in which we ran to the Israelis as they stepped off the bus. Immediately the 40 of us were filled with a sense of comfort and familiarity. Staff from the park led us through short but meaningful leadership activities which gave us a way to work together with the Israelis once again and completing a shared goal. The activities ranged from sheep herding to a rope activity in which are senses were minimalized. The scenery provided us with a historical lesson and a beautiful view of the land around us.

As we embarked on a new part of our Israel journey, we strengthened our bonds with the Israeli fellows. The two groups took a bus to the heart of the Negev for a special camping experience. While some helped prepare dinner for the evening, others played songs and had time to relax with both coherts.

After dinner the fellows laughed over silly ice breakers and had a mini bonfire as we watched the sunset. We couldn’t imagined the repeated harmony of the two groups and the beauty of the desert night. Watching the stars from our sleeping bags while enjoying our time together, we all realized that SF and the Upper Galilee have a bright future ahead of them. We’re looking forward to being with them again at Congress and in the comfort of their homes.

With love,
Nadav and Ari

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Peoplehood Experience: Kennes

Taylor and Ellie reporting here!

We started the day off early. Originally we had planned some community service at the Jaffa Institute, but due to complications, we were unable to volunteer at this place. While some male members were able to clean up an unfortunate spill, the other groups learned about what the Jaffa Institute tries to instill in Jaffa’s poorer communities. The program directors told us about their afterschool programs and food services, along with protections and aid to those who need it. Even though we did not volunteer there as a group, it was nice to see what the members of Jaffa’s society due to try to help their impoverished citizens and those who need help in their community.

After we left the institute, we got back on the bus and went to a park in the center of Jaffa and had a very intriguing discussion about what we had just experienced. We compared Israeli poverty with American poverty and how each problem is dealt with. We also had a very interesting discussion about the sexism pervading in this organization and within Judaism.

This was especially interesting after our orthodox-style Shabbat a couple days prior. It was also an experience to hear the Israeli views as opposed to the American views. After this, our quick-witted tour guide, Lior, gave us a scavenger hunt for Jaffa. Six teams took an hour to explore Jaffa while looking for certain checkpoints along the way. Some people even were brave enough to try their hands at selling at a flea market. We then returned to the park for lunch.

After lunch we got back on the bus with the Israelis and took a drive out to Kennes; the North American Seminar that consists of six North American cohorts from all across the continent (one group is from Montreal). We began with an introductory orientation during which each cohort was able to perform a short skit and many members of the Diller organization spoke about the coming week. Everyone is very excited. We were then split up into color groups. Each group consists of 12 people, 2 fellows from each cohort.

After dinner, we met with our color groups for the first time for a couple hours. As soon as icebreakers finished, we launched into a very interesting discussion about individual identity. We became more comfortable with many different Dillers. We also realized how close our cohort has become over the past week and we’re all very excited to see our connections grow.

We really enjoyed leading the group today and we hope that we hope that we can use this experience later on in life.

Shabbat in Ha'Ir Ha'K'dusha!

Hello there! Aviva and Hannah here, letting you know about our first Shabbat in Israel as part of Diller! We were the leaders of the day, and we chose for the theme of the day to be Reflection and Relaxation. We do a lot every day, so we wanted to give everyone a chance to step back and look back at everything we’ve been doing.

First thing in the morning, some members of the group walked to a neighborhood Orthodox synagogue for services, while the rest of the group participated in a morning circle and a liberal service. After, most of the group went to Jerusalem’s biblical zoo, where we saw many beautiful animals and had a great time. Following a delicious lunch and some intense games, the two of us led a program designed to help everyone reflect on their experience thus far and to encourage people to continue their deepening friendships. We started with a Hasidic story with a pretty ningun and continued with a Shabbat appreciation circle. Then we split the group into pairs for Sichot (conversations), requesting that people take advantage of the opportunity to have a discussion with someone they’d like to get to know better. Participants had 20 minutes to reflect on questions ranging from “ How do you see Israel’s role in modern Judaism after being here for nearly a week?” to “What is the most hilarious encounter you’ve had with an Israeli?” While talking, everyone enjoyed some sweet Shabbat treats!

Following the reflection activity, our National Education Director, Tal, arrived at our hotel to lead an hour of text study and discussion on the concepts of Peoplehood. We studied a biblical text that dealt with the issue of diaspora in its earliest form, and our discussion gave us a little taste of the exciting programs that await us at the Diller Kennes and Congress this week!
Dinner and a beautiful Havdallah led by Tzvi and Danielle were followed by a trip to Jerusalem’s one and only Ben Yehuda street. Not only did we get the chance to shop and meet up with Israeli friends and family, but there was an added surprise: Every North American Diller cohort was on Ben Yehuda Street simultaneously! It was exhilarating to experience the energy of being surrounded by Dillers from all over the U.S.A (and Canada)!

Happy but exhausted, we fell into our beds, looking forward to seeing our partner Israeli cohort and camping out with them in the Negev. Shabbat gave us a chance to collect ourselves, and to experience the uniqueness of Shabbat in Israel. We thoroughly enjoyed it and found it refreshing.

We hope you are all having a wonderful week. You’ll be hearing from the San Francisco Dillers soon!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Day 7: Making the Desert Bloom, Baby!

Gabby G and Danielle here, writing to you from Kibbutz Ein Tzurim. We started our first full day with our Israeli partners in the Negev Desert at 5:00 in the morning. As painful as that sounds, we had the privilege of watching a beautiful desert sunrise before a 3 Kilometer hike along the Machtesh, a natural crater in the middle of the Negev. The hike took about 3 hours with stops to admire the occasional plant and HUGE rocks. It was quite a feat for us to complete such an intense hike, with the day getting hot as early as 7:30. We finally reached the buses ready to go to bed. Unfortunately, it was only 9:30 AM and we had a full day of programming ahead of us.

Our next stop was at Sede Boker, the desert kibbutz where Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, is buried. After a bathroom stop with real toilets and a short discussion, we reboarded the bus to Shvil HaSalat, an organic farm close to the place where Gilad Shalit was captured. After learning about how the people there have transformed the desert into a productive, commercial farm that grows everything from tomatoes to herbs to super super hot peppers, we released homing pigeons in honor of Gilad Shalit, hoping that he will soon come home, just like the birds.

Another bus ride took us to Yad Mordechai, a kibbutz dedicated to the memory of Mordechai Anielewicz, the leader of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising. We toured the kibbutz’s Holocaust Museum, which focused on Jewish resistance, especially in Warsaw during WWII. It was also dedicated to the memory of the Egyptian attack on the kibbutz in 1949 when Israel was at war with its neighbors. It was a very personal museum, dedicated to remembering the lives of heroic Jews rather than their deaths.
Finally, after a hot, sweaty day, we arrived here and showered. Now its time to relax, have fun with the Israelis, and get pumped for Kenes and Congress which start tomorrow afternoon.

We’ll be in touch soon.....Shalom!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Day 4: Jerusalem, City of Gold


Shabbat Shalom! Noah Light and Dani Beiser here, blogging from our first full day in Jerusalem. We started the morning in the City of David, which dates back around 3,000 years ago. In the City of David, we traveled through different ruins of what is thought to be King David’s personal castle. Shortly following tours of his “castle”, we traversed an underground waterway, which was one of three main water sources for Old Jerusalem. This waterway directly under the ruins is known as Hezekiah’s Tunnel. While
walking through, the water came up to about our knees, and luckily no one got too drenched.

After drying off, the group descended to the Davidson Center, located just inside the Old City walls by the Dung Gate. The center is an archeological site widely known

for being the location of the second temple. Outside we saw the actual western wall of the Temple Mount and ruins of The Robinson Arch, which had stones that weighed as much as 400 tons. Leaving the Davidson Center we made our way to the Kotel. Fortunately for us, it was not as crowded as some anticipated. We were given time to freely roam around and pray. Some fellows found the experience truly inspiring and moving.

We had lunch in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City and after had some free time to shop. Once we wrapped up an afternoon discussion about the Kotel experience, we walked to the Christian Quarter, which is also in Old Jerusalem. The Christian Quarter is known to be greatly tied with Jesus. For instance, he was supposedly crucified and buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Also, we saw many different types of religious sanctuaries within the Holy Sepulchre.

Our Shabbat plans this evening consist of attending an Orthodox Sepharadi Temple for Friday night services. At this time, we have not yet attended the service, but when we do we are positive we will have an awesome experience, just like we have had this whole trip!

Over and out!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Day 3: Moving on Up to Jerusalem

Shalom from Tzvi Miller and Rachel Prensky-Pomeranz in Israel! Currently we are sitting in the lobby of our new hotel Beit Yehudah located on the edge of the glorious Jerusalem Hills. The full moon overhead makes the moment truly magical. We are closing our second full day in Israel. The day started with a hurried traditional breakfast on the beautiful shore of Bat Yam before we set out to our first activity of the day, a museum called Dialogue in the Dark, a total immersion experience to open our eyes to the life of the blind.

Pulling into the parking lot of the Dialogue in the Dark museum, we ran into the Pittsburgh Diller delegation, a very nice surprise! We exchanged waves and smiles and can’t wait to get to know them at the congress. Upon entering the museum, we were taken into a dark room and introduced to a visually impaired tour guide. After the initial screams and anxiety of the extreme discomfort of it being totally dark, we ventured into the depths of the darkness. However within minutes an uneasy silence fell over the group as we turned our focus to enhancing our different senses, attempting to compensate for our temporary blindness.

After spending an hourish in the cool blackness, we made our way back to the bus to begin the bus ride to the much anticipated Yerushalayim. Many of us crashed out on the ride, still trying to adjust to the crazy time difference. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, our brilliant tour guide, Lior, showed us the Knesset and led us up to the Wohl Rose Garden for a sandwich lunch, where some fellows took advantage of the sloping lawns to get in a quick Frisbee toss.

From there, we walked through Israel’s Capitol Hill, en route to the Israel Museum, where we saw the Dead Sea Scrolls. We then made our way to Har Herzl which was a powerful and important experience. From Herzel himself to IDF privates and the nation’s pri ministers, we realized that each contributed uniquely to the longevity and success of the Jewish state. The area with the recent fallen soldiers was especially touching for us because of their youth and enforced the harsh reality of fighting for one’s nation.

With Har Herzel on our minds, we quickly shifted gears as we headed toward the bustling “shuk” (market) Machaneh Yehuda. Moving in groups, we explored the different types of booths and stores, from fish and chips to fruits to Jewish regalia. Our first day in Jerusalem can certainly be considered a joyful success with plenty of new and interesting experiences.

The SF Diller teens in Bat Yam by the sea


At Mahane Yehuda in Jerusalem

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Day 2: The Old-New City: Tel Aviv

Hello, Sam Maller and Ilana Crankshaw reporting live from Bat Yam at the end of our first full day in the Promised Land. After settling in last night, the Fellows did their best to wind down and get some sleep for today. We started our day by visiting where it all began: Independence Hall is not the most beautiful of buildings, but it offers powerful insight and solid history lessons to all who visit. After the video that everyone told us they’d wake us up after, we saw where it all happened. In the hall of independence that doubled as a bomb shelter we learned about the struggle and events that lead to and followed the founding of Israel.

Then we moved to Rabin Square where we found shade and learned the history of the area. We read the song that Rabin sang after his famous speech and we stood in the spot where he was assassinated (kinda creepy). We looked into his leadership style and were asked the question that he faced – Is it better to lead by what you think is right, or lead by consensus? After taking a quick group photo, we headed to Shankin Street for shopping and Shawarma. After we all got over the humidity and the heat, we all had a great time poking around the Shuk and eating lunch in the park.

Our final program took us to South Tel Aviv where we visited the first and only functioning secular yeshiva in Israel. We got a sample of the studying that takes place in the Yeshiva, which is located in the most impoverished section of the city. After our discussion, we toured around the area in southern Tel Aviv. We saw how little help the people there receive from the Israeli government and learned about what the yeshiva is doing to help. We were all surprised to see this part of Israel which is so different then what we picture when we think about this holy place.

We wrapped up the day with some R&R on the beach where we were all quickly introduced to a school of baby jellyfish that were hanging out in the low tide. We indulged in a great dinner and played games on the beach while we were watching the sunset. After our night circle, we tried to find some peace in the circus that is the lobby of our hotel…which we are sharing with 80 South African teenagers and a group of 20 USY kids.

Until tomorrow…Dillers signing off.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Day 1: Israel, here we come!

HELLO GREATER BAY AREA PEOPLE --

This is Aviva Herr-Welber, coming to you from JFK airport! We're going to be boarding our plane to Israel in a matter of minutes. We are so excited!!! The flight to New York was pretty uneventful, and we even got flight wing souvenirs from an awesome fight attendant. The air here is hot and humid but we're sure it's nothing compared to what it'll be like once we land in Israel. So after some long waiting and a second pass through security, we're finally at our gate and can't wait to begin our journey to the Holy Land. We'll be getting back to you once we arrive sharing more of our escapades and adventures.

L'hitraot!

The Diller Teen Fellows