Jewish Peoplehood - Jewish life and history around the world cohort 17

Cohort 17 learned about tolerance, openness, and the brief histories of Israel and Russian Jews. It was interesting and definitely engaging to consider new ideas and topics, and envision ourselves in situations so different from our own, knowing they are so prevalent to each of our stories. The workshop consisted of discussing connections to the Jewish people outside of our closer communities and meeting with Rabbi David Lazar and Irina Klay.

In the previous workshops, we have discussed Jewish identity, Israel, and several other topics. This workshop, however, was one of the first conversations where we thoroughly explored the topic of our connection to the rest of the world and other Jewish communities. The conversation included questions like “when did you realize you were part of something bigger?” and “how do we realize our connection with other Jews or Jewish communities?” In response to questions like these, many agreed that our connection and our awareness for this connection to other Jewish communities stems from becoming maturing and becoming more involved in our own communities. By developing ourselves in each community, whether it be our school, temple, etc., we are widening our circles and our visions of our effects of the world.

Rabbi Lazar then spoke to us about a brief history of Israel and the Jewish people, including our traditions. We considered ideas such as young marriages and widened our knowledge of how Jewish people ended up in Israel. We discussed the Jewish tribes and being exiled from many, many places. The most intriguing aspect of this meeting with Rabbi Lazar, in my opinion, was the discussion of tolerance and openness. We talked about the difference between the two ideas, and what expectations we have of the people around us. Do we want people to be tolerant of us or open to us? How do we expect ourselves to act with those we are not necessarily in agreement with? I believe that openness for those with different ideas or beliefs contributes significantly to the type of people we are and our part in being Diller teens. 

With Irina, cohort 17 learned about the history of Russian Jews, which was also interesting considering I know very little about the topic. We then played out a wedding, each of us resembling realistic jobs. There were poor and rich Jews, there were announcers, and of course, a bride and groom. It was especially funny considering the bride was a boy and the groom was a girl. It was interesting for me to consider how all our histories and the themes brought to the table influence our personal stories and how they affect and will continue to influence us as Dillers of Cohort 17.

~ Sydney 

Introducing our partners from Israel! cohort 17

Sunday, December 1^st, we, Cohort 17 had our 4^th workshop. It was an amazing day, because Cohort 17 met in the morning to truly begin our Diller experience by introducing our Israeli partners, while on the same day, Cohort 16 was graduating from the program.

Each workshop, we receive a mission to be completed by the next workshop. It has specific things that we need to do with our Israeli partner, such as Skyping, messaging, or talking on the phone about different topics. For the 4^th workshop, and our first mission, we were to get to know our partners by talking to each other about things we have in common, differences between each other, interesting facts, and what we would like to be when we are older.

I really enjoyed working on completing this mission, because it was the initial step in beginning our partnership with the Upper Galilee cohort in Israel. I remember the first moment when I learned about my partner. I received a friend request on Facebook from someone named Shir. I did not realize until hours later that that person most likely was my partner! The Israeli cohort had already received their matches, but San Francisco had not yet. I messaged her, first asking if she was my partner, and she replied with a “yes.”

A few days later, we started to talk over Facebook Messenger. We talked about the mission and discussed why the coordinators and JC’s had most likely matched us together to be partners. We both liked music, had older siblings, and we are both in a biology class. After talking to Shir and learning more about her, I was excited to meet with my cohort at the workshop to discuss our different partners!

To fast forward to December 1^st, Cohort 17 sat in a circle and went around and spoke about our partners in whatever way we would like to. Some fellows presented with a poster, another wrote a great poem, and others made games. We all enjoyed learning about the Israeli cohort and are looking forward to meeting them in April!

-Chelsea Roston Cohort 17

Joint Workshop- Cohort 16 and 17

Getting to know Cohort 16 was great! The workshop consisted of our Cohort (17) splitting up into small groups and rotating among 4 different insightful stations (all of which were planned and well conducted by the members of Cohort 16). Each station focused on different components of what Diller’s program strives to teach their “Diller Fellows”.

 My group started off with a station that assigned us a task where everyone worked together while each member was constricted by a hypothetical disability. For example, one of us couldn’t talk another group member was blindfolded, while someone else couldn’t write. That station taught us that working together with constrictions is difficult, but if we use our strengths we can get through situations more easily than expected. 

In the next station, we were presented with a power point that displayed Cohort’s 16 journey in Israel. The station got us (Cohort 17) thinking about our future Israel experience. In fact, many of Cohort 17 fellows started planning out what we wanted to see with our Israeli pen pals. That was the first time my Israel visit became somewhat of a reality. I could picture what we would be doing, how we would be doing it, and with the pictures Cohort 16 showed us, having a good time would clearly be understating their experience. In the third station, we thoroughly explored the four pillars: Israel, Jewish Identity, Tikkun Olam (community service), and Leadership, and placed each of them on our self-made maps. Having a deep conversation about where we stand with each

pillar, and being able to face our strengths and weaknesses sets a path for ourselves as leaders to explore what we have not mastered yet and what we can work on.

 Finally, in our last station, we were asked to share how we could apply Diller skills to life. This question was answered different by each member in our group, but it all came down to how you can be a better leading in your community/ society. We all came to a very open ended understanding of respect and honesty. With the components of honesty and respect leaders are established. This workshop got the whole Cohort (17) thinking about our leadership roles to our communities and how important they are. All, I can say at this point in time, is that  I look forward to seeing where else Diller’s thought provoking, life changing, experience takes me.      

- Caroline Rabinovich Cohort 17       

Leadership Up in the Air- workshop with a pilot cohort 17

Today our workshop was centered on being a leader under different and often difficult conditions. After beginning “oy’s and joy’s”, we briefly reviewed the four Diller Pillars, eventually talking about the importance of leadership abilities in the program and in life. We then joined together in a circle of chairs and were asked to each pick a photo from off the floor that we connected with. These photographs were all taken of the sky from a plane or of a plane itself.

           

 This activity soon segued into meeting our guest speaker of the day, Shachar! Shachar is first officer pilot and talked to us about his decision to pursue flying as a career and his love of flying growing up in Israel. Shachar told us about the importance of maintaining strong authority on flights to make sure that his passengers felt safe and comfortable even in tricky situations. Shachar then talked about being able to adapt to different situations as a leader and how to think quickly and act effectively based on the particular scenario of the moment.

           

 Shachar broke us up into five groups of four and gave us all different flight positions: pilot, two first officers, and a flight attendant. He then gave each group a scenario and asked us to find a solution, needed materials and resources, and individual jobs for each member of the team. My group for example, was on a flight to Tokyo but was forced to make an emergency landing in Kazakhstan. We then had to work together to come up with a way to find transportation, accommodations, and a new flight plan for our passengers in a foreign nation without the aid of our airline’s credit card. Ultimately we decided to first, find a translator who could help us negotiate a hotel stay for one night for the flight’s passengers as well as asking for the passenger’s financial assistance in paying for the stopover, which they would be compensated once they arrived in Tokyo. At the end of the activity, every group had managed to find feasible solutions to all of their flight emergencies and understood the importance of maintaining order to ensure a happy group of passengers.

            Shachar wrapped up the activity by telling us that all of these scenarios had in fact, happened to him on various flights in the past.As a pilot, Shachar had to consider all the the fact and share only necessary information to allow the passengers a safe flight.  For example if an engine blows out but the flight can still land safely, there is no point in worrying the passengers for no reason. after a short discussion we were able to ask questions and send our Pilot off. 

            

Thanks Shachar! Come back soon!

- Sophia Weiss Cohort 17 

Our first Shabbaton- Cohort 17

The Friday before we left for the retreat I woke up feeling very apprehensive. I was nervous to go away with a group of people that I barely knew.  I was apprehensive about spending the entire weekend outside of my comfort zone. However, these feelings did not last long.  By the time we returned from Camp Newman, I felt an unbreakable bond with my new friends. Many of the experiences were new for me such as meditating, something that I had never taken seriously before. In fact, after going into the woods on Shabbat morning, being taught to meditate, I was surprised that I really connected with it for the first time in my life!. The entire weekend was filled with new experiences and new friends and I loved every moment of it.

Jacob Ganz 

The most important thing I learned this weekend was why we celebrate shabbat. Of course, I celebrate shabbat at home, and know what it is, but I never fully understood its meaning and importance to the rest of the week (Sorry mom and dad for having to spend all that money on Jewish day school...). By having such reflective kabbalat shabbat, shacharit and havdallah services, and by not being able to write, I had a different shabbat experience, one that made me realize that the reason we celebrate shabbat is to have a separation, a day we can rest and not think about the chaos and stress of our week days. It felt great to just spend time with people and interact face to face and forget about the problems that arose during the school week and focus on the Diller programming and getting to know each other. I didn't bring my phone on the retreat, and that was a good decision because it added to making this shabbat DIFFERENT. Paul, a fellow member of the cohort, read a story about a man living in a world run by technology. He takes a break once a week by turning off all the electronics that he uses. And thus, he feels great. I can relate to that feeling because without my phone I felt more relaxed, less distracted, and more focused on the retreat and bonding with people. This shabbaton opened my eyes to what shabbat is really about. Going forward, maybe I will turn off my phone or computer on Friday nights, just to remind myself of shabbat and its significance as a holy day, a day of separation, of reflection, and of connection.  

Sam  Tick-Raker 

The Diller Retreat was an especially meaningful part of my Diller experience so far. Our cohort took a bus to the location of the retreat together, and just from that short time we got to get to know each other better on a more casual level. As the retreat went on, we had amazing activities planned both by members of the cohort and the JC’s and Gabi. We had a delightful Shabbat service, filled with many candles. The Saturday morning service that we had involved a walk in which we stopped every few minutes and would be asked a question that we would then need to think about silently. At the end of the walk, we reached an amphitheater, in which we did a mediation exercise, followed by singing Ma Tovu and discussing its significance. We also did an identity workshop, which I found particularly insightful. We talked about what creates our identities, and related this not only to our personal general identities but our Jewish ones as well. Another part of the retreat that I enjoyed was the campfire that we had on Saturday night, which involved a lot of singing and bonding time. The retreat served as an integral part of our cohort learning more about each other and getting to truly become a tight knit group. 

Ophir Gilad 

"Team Steven"- Benefit Concert and auction, Tikkun Olam project

My tikkun olam event was a benefit concert and auction to assist the family of my friend who had passed away from a rare brain cancer. I wanted to do this in order to help them pay their medical bills and stabilize their financial condition as well as to enable them to focus on their own emotional healing.  I was inspired to do this event by my deceased friend, while he was still alive. Very consistent with his personality, his greatest concern throughout his entire struggle was how his family and loved ones would cope if he were to pass.

His family, in particular, was always on the forefront of his mind, even while facing his own death. I initially planned the event as a fundraiser for his family but also as a means of lifting his spirits by showing him how many people cared about him, how many people he affected in his life, and how many people were rooting for him. Unfortunately, he passed away several weeks before the event. 

Putting this event together taught me quite a range of lessons, both practical and literal  -- some more general and others a bit more abstract. I learned a great deal about handling banking, creating websites, delegating tasks, long-term organization, planning and organizing an auction, communicating effectively with established adults in my community, and breaking down large tasks into achievable segments. On a broader and less tangible scale, I also learned about the gratification that results from stretching one dream or vision in every possible way. Throughout the process, I was constantly asking myself, and pursuing, each way to make every segment more entertaining, more efficient, more meaningful. The extra steps I took, such as framing seventy photos of my friend and decorating the room with reminders of him, made a large impact on the community. 

With the auction, I was consistently aggressive and never settled with the amount of items I had until we reached eighty, the stretch goal I had set for myself. Feeling the energy of the night and seeing the effect that the event held on so many in our community (and receiving plentiful thanks for producing it afterwards) really showed me how it was possible to move a group of hundreds and create something memorable and impactful for them. While this event was a one-time challenge, the website and fund on Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure is still open. I plan to utilize the lessons I learned in event planning and the motivation provided by the result of this event to produce larger scale benefit events in my future. 

I am considering entering the non-profit field and regardless, will be able to utilize the multitude of skills developed during this process in my chosen field of study to make effective impact upon the community.

Rachael Ferm- cohort 16 

“Movie-ing Forward"- Breaking barriers between communities

I became interested in creating relationships and working with people with disabilities about four years ago. When the Tikkun Olam Project was proposed to our San Francisco Diller Teen Fellows group, I immediately knew what I was going to do for my project. I created “Movie-ing Forward.” This is a group that integrates members of the community I had been working with (no matter if they had disabilities or not) by attending Movie Nights with social time before and after the movie, as well as other interactive events. The periodic movie nights and events are held at different theaters and locations throughout Marin. I created Movie-ing Forward to attempt to break the social barrier between these community members who really aren’t all that different. Anyone is welcome!

At the first Movie Night, I really enjoyed visiting with old friends from Cedar’s of Marin, which is an assisted living program for adults with disabilities. I volunteered for Cedar’s for two years, and it was very nice to see everyone again. I also enjoyed making a new friend from Cedar’s. I had the pleasure of sitting next to him in the movie called “Free Birds” and hearing his frequent laughs. Additionally, it was really amazing to have some of my Diller friends and leader, Gabi, attend my Movie Night. That is the kind of Diller support that I always really appreciate.

I plan to hold the next movie or event very soon, and I hope to expand it to an even broader range of the community. As I did so before, I will invite organizations for people with disabilities such as Cedar’s of Marin, Rec Inc., Oak Hill School, and groups from local schools. I will also spread the word again to other community members by posting flyers, sending emails, and creating a Facebook group. This process of planning and executing these events, inspired by the Tikkun Olam Project, applies to my life in the fact that it has encouraged me to enhance my professional and leadership skills. It also allows me to stay in touch with old Cedar’s of Marin friends as well as make new friends both with and without disabilities, which is an example of how Movie-ing Forward is already beginning to achieve its goal.

-Natalie Breuner Cohort 16