Our Montreal-BashBanash Shabbaton!

We left for Camp Papillon Thursday evening and, after our first mixed Ma'agal Laila, had a party hosted by our very own DJ David Amar. This was the first real opportunity for Canadians and Israelis to talk and, of course, dance with one another! 

The next morning we had a delicious breakfast, and left the camp at around 9 o'cklock to go tubbing. I think that it was an amazing idea to do this with the Israelis, since the majority of them have never even seen snow! After having our fun, we went back to the eating area for lunch. The Canadians were told to sit with Israelis, and this was a chance for us to find out what foods they like along with other personal stuff. I thought that this was a great moment  to bond not only with the Israelis, but with people from our own cohort as well. 

When we arrived back at camp, everyone got ready for Shabbat. We sang songs that were new to us but will certainly stay with us for the future, and then the Israelis mentioned that they always pick a 'mother' and 'father' to lead Shabbat. Chelsea was chosen as mother and lead the candle lighting, while Pavel was chosen as father and lead the Kiddush as well as HaMotzi. This was followed by prayers, during which a few of the girls helped the staff prepare delicious salads!

Shabbat dinner officially started, so we ate tasty food and sang altogether. Afterward, our Junior Councillors planned a scavenger hunt where we learned about Jews in the diaspora by performing tasks and searching for clues throughout the camp! That night, we made our bond stronger but didn't get a lot of sleep... 

For me, one of the best parts of the Shabbaton was the alternative prayer service that Katherine and Alon ran on Saturday morning. After they explained the meaning behind each section of the service, whoever wanted to talk went in front of the 'congregation' and spoke about what meaning a particular prayer held for them. Each person's turn was followed by an 'Amen'.I didn't get the chance to go up and talk, but it touched me to hear stories from members of both cohorts and it was special to know that we all trust and respect one another with whatever anyone has to say. Everyone has a different background, and it is beautiful to see us all bring in something that makes our partnership unique. I feel that this activity enforced the connection between Jews in the diaspora and Jews in the Holy Land.

After lunch, some activities that were planned by us, and Havdallah, we cleaned up and started making our way back home. The bus ride was certainly not boring! Some of the teens decided to make a Harlem Shake video which didn't end up working, but it was nice to watch everyone participate and trying to make it work. Others played guitar and sang songs, while some simply talked to those they didn't get to know yet. 

This was the best Shabbaton I've ever had, and I'm glad that I experienced it with my wonderful new family. 

By: Megan Levy

Sixth Workshop: The Journey of Milk and Cookies!

We started the morning off bright and early and with a few of Diller's famous icebreakers, which involved a clever mind-game, in order to get everybody up and running. After everyone was more or less awake, we went into the journey of milk and cookies which taught us how important it is to have a mission and a vision whenever taking part in a project, like the one we're currently working on in hopes of raising money for the Segal Center's Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program. 

As our staff explained it, a mission is like asking yourself why: for what purpose do I want to do something, whereas a vision is like asking yourself to where: what do I want the outcome to be? This was not very clear to me at first, but I better understood it once we were put to the test. We were asked to pick a few words that describe what we want our futures to look like, in order to create a mission and vision for ourselves.

I can honestly say that this way my favorite activity out of all of the Diller workshops so far, because I wasn't truly aware of what my life goals were up until I put them on paper. I was able to clearly see what my missions and visions are in life, which was extremely eye-opening. 

We used the rest of the workshop to prepare for the upcoming North American Seminar. Our staff handed us each a specifically made first aid kid, which made me even more excited than I was before about the arrival of our Israelis! The kit had the essentials of hosting an Israeli: the week's itinerary, a bottle of gatorade to keep our energy levels on par with the always hyper Israelis, a stress ball for when we go bananas, some candy, heart-shaped stickers for the spirit of Valentine's day, and a blind fold to remind us that we're going to get no sleep!

By: Maya Pisarevsky

Our Second Shabbaton: Saturday!

It was a Saturday night that would go on to stay in my memory for a really long time. It was so meaningful for me to spend the weekend with my fellow Diller teens and our amazing staff. We started off our morning by having a nice discussion about prayer, and were then introduced to the concept of peoplehood. It all really got me thinking and I realized that the Jews truly are one people who have something that no other nation will ever have: the fact that we always stand as one. If one Jew falls down, we will all work together to make sure he gets back up. Peoplehood isn't something that's understood right away. It takes a while but once you get it, it can change you forever.

After the morning discussion, we took a fifteen minute walk to the Torah Centre and had the pleasure of listening to Rabbi New. He too spoke to us about peoplehood, and recounted some of his unique personal experiences. We were kindly served with some yummy food and then went back to the hotel. We were given some downtime, which we took advantage of and spent chilling with one another. It felt so good to spend some time getting to know the other fellows, people who have the same backgrounds and traditions as you. 

After an amazing self-defense (or Jewdo/Jew-Jitsu as we like to call it) session with a professional trainer, we got in a circle for our Ma'agal Laila, also known as a night circle where we sit around in order to relax and reflect about the day. This was my favorite part of the Shabbaton, because it gave us the chance to really appreciate and reflect on our experience and everything we've learned. Diller Shabbatons are great experiences, and I hope to enjoy many more of them in the future!

By: Avital Moalem

Our Second Shabbaton: Friday!

When I finished my last exam on Friday, I breathed a sigh of relief and finally had something to look forward to: the Diller Shabbaton!

So I arrived at the Ruby Foo's hotel at around 4 o'clock and was really tired, but got a great welcoming from Yamit and Ma'ayan. When I went up to my room, I met up with Jon and Ben, we exchanged hellos, dressed up nice, and proceeded to go downstairs to the main area for Shabbat services and candle lighting.

The girls did their prayer and then lit the candles. This was followed by a really great discussion about women's rights, and of course we had an amazing meal with tons of good food, laughter, and fun songs. After that, we changed into some more comfortable clothing and our evening activity focused on Israel's history and geography. Using some games and an interactive map, our staff taught us about important places, events, and gave us a little Diller history lesson!
Personally, my favorite part of the Shabbaton was getting locked out of my room at night, and sitting in the hallway with my friends talking about everything and just bonding.

By: Charles Moatti