Preparing for the NAS from an Israeli perspective and J-serve Cohort 17

This past workshop we got to hear from Israeli Defense Forces commander Lior Gross, participated in an eye-opening J-Serve event on illiteracy, and started to plan our Community Week for the Israel Summer Seminar. Lior Gross is the leader of the Paratroopers Brigade Reserves for the IDF and is the commander of the IDF Junior Command Preparatory School in Haifa. His discussion with us was about what it takes to be a great leader. He didn’t talk about the typical leadership skills, such as responsibility, commitment, and communication. Instead he talked about learning how to love yourself. He taught us that you need “love yourself 11 out of 10” to be the most effective leader you can be. Lior opened up to us, telling us about his life story and revealing that he didn’t truly love himself the most he could until recently. That is when he became the best leader, and the best person, that he could be.

Next, we were joined by Josh Neuman, who works for BBYO and helped lead the San Francisco J-Serve event. With the help of our JC’s Philip and Rachel, and Diller Alumnae Rachael and Michaela Katz, Josh directed a program about illiteracy in America. We built used book donation boxes for our different communities, played a fun jeopardy game about reading and literacy statistics, and came up with pitches for programs that would increase the literacy rate in America. These activities opened our eyes to the severity of the illiteracy problem in America and gave us a new perspective on the issue. 

We finished the workshop with an introduction to Community Week for our ISS. We brainstormed some themes for the week and came up with a mission that encompassed all four of the Diller pillars. This workshop was really interesting and touched on some topics most of us had never thought about before. Next up is the NAS and I can’t wait!

-Gabe

Analyzing and preparing- North American Seminar here we come! Cohort 17

Sunday, March 9

This workshop was the first time after the retreat that we were able to catch up with the rest of the cohort. We began by reevaluating and analyzing the Self Management retreat. We reviewed the goals that we set for ourselves before the retreat, and Gabi and our JC’s led a discussion that helped us critique the retreat. We discussed the components that were successful, as well as areas that needed attention and improvement. This feedback will be helpful as we plan for future activities. This was an extremely productive and beneficial process because it helped us realize: 1- that not everything we do is going to be perfect the first time we do it and 2- the more we are able to focus on and acknowledge the parts of our leadership skills that can use some polishing, the more effective we will be as leaders.

Next, we went over the agenda for the NAS. Finally, reviewing an actual schedule coupled with Gabi’s comments about our Israeli partners (who are arriving in less than a month), put into perspective the reality of the upcoming visit. The discussion made us excited and a bit nervous about how much preparation there is left to do before we can welcome our Israeli cohorts into our homes. I believe I can say that all of us in California are very excited for the arrival of our partners and we are anxiously looking forward to our time with them. It is less than 3 weeks before 40 Jewish teenagers will have an experience of a lifetime. NAS here we come.

~Izzy Nickel cohort 17

Second Shabbaton- Cohort 17 Leading Social Justice and Tikkun Olam

Friday 2/21- Day 1

            

When arrived at Nature Bridge in Marin the sun was still shining bright. We unpacked and change into our white Shabbat clothes. After assembling, we walked down to the beach for a fellow-led program. We gathered together in song and prayer to welcome Shabbat. We then talked about our shabbaton theme, social justice, and wrote in the sand words that we thought were important to social justice and a brief discussion about why we chose them. It was a great way to primer for further social justice discussion on the Shabbaton.

           

After we watched the sunset, we headed ate a lovely dinner of Mexican food. Gabi then led a program where we talked about Shabbat’s purpose. We traveled to different stations where we were able to use each of our senses, and it served as a reminder of how lucky we are to be so healthy. Then Gabe, one of the fellows, led a program on our Jewish journeys. We each used different graphics to talk about how we have grown as Jews. We talked about the true value of traditional ceremonies and how we connect to Judaism.

            

Lastly, we closed out the night with a Ma’agal Layla, or night circle, a Diller tradition. We bonded deeply as we answered a wide array of questions about ourselves. We shared meaningful stories and silly anecdotes, and learned more about each other. All in all it was a lovely day, filled with intellect, laughter, and meaning.

-Oren Cohort 17 

Saturday 2/22- Day 2

Saturday was full of exciting programs and relaxing free time. After breakfast, Gabi lead optional yoga which was a great way to wake up. Then we all went to the beach for Shabbat morning service, singing songs and reading a passage from John Muir. Later, we had a program lead by Jack, one of the fellows. He used his knowledge about music and personal experiences to teach us about making the best out of situations.  

The Social Justice group organized and led a scavenger hunt all around the area. At each clue, we were asked a question pertaining to social justice, such as “What is a cause you care about and see yourself working with?” This scavenger hunt got us thinking about our personal interests when it comes to community service and Tikun Olam. This same theme came up again later when we read intriguing articles about various past and current movements regarding social justice. My group read about wheelchair accessible sidewalks which were first designed in Berkley. These articles brought up interesting topics which we don’t often hear about. With our new knowledge of social justice, we went about brainstorming what causes we may want to focus on for our own Tikun Olam projects. 

Our Junior Councilors, Philip and Rachel, taught us about various organizations around today and we used them as inspiration for our own ideas. Saturday night, we all made out own Havdalla candles and held a service outside. At our campfire, we played guitar and Gabi asked us all questions about ourselves. Overall, Saturday was full of thought provoking and calming fellow-lead activities.

Claire-Cohort 17

Sunday 2/23- Day 3

On Sunday, the last day of our self-management shabbaton, we were fortunate enough to have a guest speaker from the Keshet organization. Our speaker, Maya, works at a Jewish LGTBQUIA organization that works to bridge the gap between judaism and sexual orientation. Maya talked about the difference between orientation and gender, as well as the meaning of ally-ship and the different ways people choose to define themselves. She went on to tell us that Keshet translates to "rainbow" in hebrew, a beautiful name for a beautiful organization. Thank you so much for coming Maya, you're amazing!

After Maya left, our JCs Rachel and Phillip, slowly led our cohort into a feedback session. The goal of the feedback was to evaluate the overall success of our cohort-led shabbaton. We at first talked about the correct way to give and receive feedback before rating our success in different areas, such as leadership and the overall attainment of goals. After a lengthy analysis and discussion of the weekend, we decided together that though this retreat was lots of fun, we have a long ways to go the next time we self-manage a weekend.

We next did an individual feedback program, where cohort members could choose to be given feedback on their role in the retreat by two other members. This was a great way to look at our individual strengths and weaknesses over the weekend, and to learn what we need to work on in the future. Gabi then gave us reviews of our group-led programs, and the day came to a close. With some candy and a few closing words, the retreat was over. It was time to head home. 

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. I learned a lot, and I know my other Dillers did as well. So thank you Gabi, Josh, Phillip, Rachel and all of my fellow members of Cohort 17. It was a blast!

-Sophia Cohort 17

What Kind of Jew are YOU? Cohort 17

“What kind of Jew are you?” said in a disbelieving tone. Have you ever thought that about another person? Had someone say it to you, because you may practice Judaism differently or look different? At this workshop, Ilana Kaufman led an activity that helped us analyze the judgments we make about people in the matter of seconds. Judgments can often be helpful in quickly placing a person so we can connect with them, however they can also end relationships before they start. Many fellows shared stories of quickly judging a person and believing that they couldn't be friends for one reason or another. Eventually, they ended up realizing their mistake. These are a few happy redemption moments, but each of us  have missed opportunities and friendships never gotten the chance to start due to snap judgments. After discussing our own stories, we learned the process in which are brain goes through trying to assess people. We explored the "Ladder of Inference"- how to break down the steps.The lessons are not only applicable in Diller, but also in our everyday lives.

                After a quick lunch, we came back into a transformed room. The tables were covered with tablecloths, candles, flowers and dessert. This was the setting for our “Values Cafe.” As we ate and drank Martinelli's, we discussed what was necessary to make a change in the world. Individually, we wrote what we believed on a sticker and kept it in our binder. We switched  tables three more times discussing what qualities we valued most, what Jewish values were the most important, and because of those beliefs what causes were the most important to us. The informal setting lent itself to conversion and it was a great introduction to the pillar of Tikun Olam, though it relates to all of them in some way. We then spent some time planning our next Shabbaton, which we are planning ourselves. The theme is social justice.

Now on to the Shabbaton!

Katie cohort 17

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