Driving home from Novato, California, after losing a big baseball game, all I wanted to do was to relax and rest. But, on my way to Diller instead of closing my eyes and dreaming that I won my previous game, I was anxiously thinking what I was about to walk into: meeting our Israeli cohort-mates. When I walked into Raven Room, the building which we were staying in, Matt Blumenthal immediately jumped on me and from then on everything was a whirlwind of new. I didn't start on the greatest foot of the Israeli's because when I walked in with my baseball pants on, most of them thought I was wearing women's Yoga pants, which took some time explaining. I was worried that arriving 3 and half hours late was going to affect my relationship with the Israelis but I could not have been more wrong. We got on like humus and pita, like lamb and shawarma, and most importantly like a family. After a well lead Shabbat service, some crazy games, and some free time, everyone sat in a circle as we discussed last week's Torah portion. It truly was amazing to see how the ideas of Americans and Israeli's clashed and were intertwined. It was then time to head upstairs for some shut-eye, or as Dillers like to call it, chatting through the night.
The next day ran smoothly, group activities and games that broke what was left of the ice, and everyone was getting a long like old friends. It was truly amazing to see how cultures, instead of clashing, came together harmoniously. The communication had anything but a barrier. I am still in contact daily from someone in the Israeli Diller Cohort and I know that because of that amazing weekend, I have made friends that I can keep for a lifetime. I cannot tell a lie; however, during night circles, it was very nice to come together, as San Francisco Fellows.
Warmly,
Alex Jekowsky
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