Wednesday 31 December 2014

Sports day and Culture day by Noah and Steven

Sports day by Noah Margolese

On Saturday December 27th we spent Shabbat in Be'er Sheva with our host families and then continued Community Week with Sports day.

The Diller Teen Fellows program is all about new experiences. Still, I did not expect one when I went to shul with my host, Yohai Tevel. While I have prayed with sfardi Jews before, there were some friday night customs I did not expect. One of these customs which was new to me was the custom of smelling spices at the onset of Shabbat. This is done in order to cause the congregants to recite an extra blessing. It was great to experience Shabbat in a new way while in Israel. 

Our evening activity, was an incredible soccer game. The fans of Hapoel Beer Sheva brought an impressive energy to the stadium. That energy is what really made the game so exciting. Fortunately, the crowd was not disappointed, as Hapoel Beer Sheva defeated Petach Tikva 2-1. All decked out red and white, we felt like we were locals. 



After the game, Diller visited the Grand Kenyon, which has one of the greatest variety of shops of any mall in the middle east. This outing was a great way to cap off the evening.

Culture day by Steven Wise

Our cultural expeditions most definitely exceeded all expectations.

On Sunday December 28th, our day started off in an Ethiopian Absorption Centre in Be'er Sheva. Sadly, the kids weren't in on-site kindergarten that day, so we exchanged working with the young Ethiopian kids for gardening in one of the Ethiopian-cultural-public-gardens, which turned out to be one of the greatest experiences yet.

We had an opportunity to work the land of Israel. And, within an hour, a third of us had cleaned up a small pond, a third had weeded much of a field, and the other third had begun de-vining and repairing a fence. 




We then boarded our bus, and arrived in a Bedouin farmer (Fallach) village which housed 1000 people in the Negev. We went to our tour guide's father's old house, which turned out to be a cave. He lived (in the cave) with camels, goats, sheep, and cows. We drank some traditional Bedouin coffee (very strong), and learned about many Bedouin traditions. They really weren't so different than our Jewish culture.

Then we went to a big tent, and feasted on Bedouin rice, stuffed grape leaves, with chicken, oil with some potato inside... Truly some amazing food. (or how they say in arabic: "لاذىذ - laziz - delicious").

Then we drove to a camel encampment, and proceeded to ride camels. (I was bucked by my camel, and also pushed off by the camel behind me. Wow, I hate camels).



Then we came back to be'er sheva, to the "Israeli Y" and had a both hilarious, and educational course on fringe improvisational acting.

Today we touched all sorts of Israeli culture, and had such an incredible time together. 

Friday 26 December 2014

IWS Days 3-4-5 by Eden, Noah and Sheraze

24.12.2014
Merry Christmas! Today we visited Tel Aviv and had a scavenger hunt around the city created by our tour guide, Avia.  And even though most of us decided to just explore and enjoy the city instead of being competitive it was still really fun! We saw National poet Bialik's house, and the cemetery with the graves of After lunch we went to the Yitzhak Rabin Museum and learnt about Yitzhak Rabin and Israeli culture and history a different stages of his life. Later that night, we had some free time and went to Jaffo-Tel Aviv where most of us watched the sunset on the beautiful shore. All in all, this was by far one of the best days!


25.12.2014
As we finished breakfast and the 4th day of our adventures in Israel began, we looked forward to a variety of amazing activities. We began with a discussion program about Guests and Hosts, on the roof of the hostel. We read a text concerning a Rabbi and a guest he picked up from the street. At the end of the discussion we were asked whether we feel like a guest or a host in Judaism. We boarded the bus en route to Holon where we visited the Children's Museum, and experienced how life is while being deaf. We were handed sound blocking headphones and we got the chance to communicate with hand motions and facial expressions. With the help of our guide, a deaf woman, we all had a great time. We then had lunch consisting of pizza and salad. We all sat outside under the blue sky and blazing sun. Once we were all satisfied, we formed a circle and said farewell to our amazing tour guide, Avia, who was with us for the beginning of our trip. We then boarded the bus once again and headed out towards Be’er Sheva.


We arrived at a kibbutz called Dvir located about 20 minutes outside of Be’er Sheva and began Community Week with Partnership Day! A scavenger hunt to show us around the kibbutz was planned by fellows themselves. Once in Be’er Sheva we drove around in the bus while getting a brief tour of the city, including a stop at Ben Gurion University, where the father of one of Bash Banash fellows showed us the Helen Diller building! We finally got off the bus for the last time, and we got together and discussed the events of the day and added how we felt. The last part of the day was about the symbol of beer sheva. We learnt about all 4 components of the symbol and discussed their importance, their historical value, etc. As the day concluded, we said goodbye to one another and drove home with our pen-pals, thus commencing the first night of the home hospitality program. 


26.12.2014
Today was Judaism day. It was the first morning spent at our hosts's houses. We met at a park near and had a short maagal talking about our nights, and played a game of tag to get warmed up. After that, we headed to Abrahams Well (the Be'er Avraham museum). It was very interesting to learn about Be'er Avraham because it also taught us why Be'er Sheva is called what it is, and how the ci y was founded by Avraham. Once the tour of the museum was over, we had a scavenger hunt around the city of Be'er Sheva. We had about 15 tasks to accomplish and then bring proof that we did it. Some of the were funny, for example, we had to take a selfie with an animal, or recreate the famous Beatles picture...(and my group/group 5 won!!!:)) then we met at the altshul where we had falafels for lunch then played some games, had a maagal, and talked about Judaism and what we had learned that day. Then, we headed to our host's houses for Shabbat! Overall, it was another amazing day in Israel! 



Written by Eden Harell, Noah Matarasso, and Sheraze Shlomo, with contributions from Noah Adessky


Wednesday 24 December 2014

IWS Day 3 by Michaela and Ben

23.12.14. What a memorable day! It started as we all gathered around the Rabin Hostel's dining room table for a delightful traditional Israeli breakfast after a long night touring Jerusalem. Eager to start our journey of the day, we all hopped on the bus heading towards Yad Vashem, one of the most renowned and visited holocaust museums in the world.


As the leaders of the day, Ben and myself animated our planned activity during the bus ride. We explored the theme of the Holocaust on a more personal and meaningful level. In fact, since most of the teens were already very familiar with the subject, we thought it would be interesting to listen and share personal experiences, stories and our connection towards the unforgettable genocide of the early 1940's. This brought the group to develop a more serious and suitable mindset for the museum.

As we arrived and walked through the doors of the beautiful, yet somber, complex, we were all immediately fascinated, yet heartbroken by the six million lost souls, Jewish individuals who perished during the war. What amazed us most was the symbolic and meaningful architecture of the museum, as you walk through the entrance of the center, you can look ahead and see the exit which is a lookout jutting out over a cliff and allowing us to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, you are unable to cross the hall and must walk through all the exhibits. You must witness the history and atrocities before emerging through the other side.


Following our visit, our lunch break was surprisingly quiet which allowed us to reflect as well as share our thoughts on what we had previously seen and experienced. 
Diller organized our day in such a way that our morning sadness only amplified our joyous afternoon which made the mini mega evening seminar so much more meaningful and memorable. 


All the North American and Israeli cohorts were gathered for group discussions, dinner, laughter as well as a typical Israeli concert. Taking us out of our comfort zone, all the cohorts were divided into smaller groups which were filled with fellow teens coming from all over the world. Being leaders of the day was a great experience for us and we hope to have many more.


Written by Michaela Shulman and Ben Rehany

Tuesday 23 December 2014

The Israel Winter Seminar Begins





After the excitement and then the postponing of our trip, the time had finally arrived. Montreal cohort 6 was off to Israel! We left the Y, with our new journals in hand (thanks Alizée), and made our way to the airport. After a couple adjustments, all our bags were underweight. With some free time in the airport, we bought snacks and drinks and got ready for our long flight to Zurich. Everyone passed the time either by sleeping, watching movies, or reading. Our flight was uneventful as was the stopover in Zurich. Prior to boarding the plane for Israel we met the Miami cohort and socialized, turns out, they were on the same flight as us! We arrived in Israel in the early afternoon and reunited with our partnership cohort. It had been so long since the last time we had seen them! After we all had a chance to hug and say hello, we headed to the buses. 



We drove to Ben Yehudah street where we had a chance to eat, reacquaint with one another and recover from our flights. After watching the lighting if the chanukiah in kikar tzion (Zion square), we got back on the buses to drive to the old city. Despite a rare downpour in Jerusalem, we trekked through to the Kotel. When we got there we were dripping wet, but enjoying what we know is a pretty unique Israel experience. After we had some time to pray and to put notes in the wall, we gathered to go on the Kotel tunnel tour. The tour explored the length of the Western Wall that was buried under the ancient city and just recently uncovered by archaeologists. We learned a lot about the history of the wall and the sheer magnitude of it, and came to appreciate what a feat of architecture its construction  must have been. After the tour, we went back to the hotel for a quick, chanukah themed ma'agal lailah, following which we went to bed to try to catch up on our sleep so that we could enjoy the rest of what we know will continue to be an amazing trip.


 
Written by Ariella Eisenberg, Rebecca Gotteiner, and Jon Boretsky

Wednesday 10 December 2014

Diller Teen Fellows Montreal at the Friendship Circle

Last Sunday, we went to the Friendship Circle where we did an activity for Chanukah, and played with the kids there. The Friendship Circle unites teen volunteers with children who have special needs in a friendship that enriches both their lives.


For our Chanukah craft, we made chanukiot out of pieces of wood and nuts from the hardware store, and we helped our new friends decorate them. After we made the crafts, we went to the dance room where we did Zumba and went up to the gym to do an obstacle course and play basketball. Our short afternoon visit made a remarkable impact on the Diller Teen Fellows and enriched our Diller experience.




Once we returned to the Y, we reflected on our incredible experience at the Friendship circle and talked about taking responsibility for others. We also played a game of "and suddenly". It really was a really fantastic day and I hope we have more days like this to come. 

Written by Gabriella Malamud

Wednesday 3 December 2014

Cohort 7's First Shabbaton




              On the 21st of November, the seventh cohort of the Montreal Diller Teen Fellows had their first Shabbaton at the Quality Inn hotel in Montreal. The theme of the Shabbaton was Jewish Identity, so throughout the weekend we reflected on our own traditions and beliefs. We welcomed Shabbat by lighting and blessing the Shabbat candles and by singing Shabbat songs and cheers. Later, we prayed the evening prayer portion in wonderful tunes, followed by an insightful activity where we learned about the different Shabbat prayers and customs. Finally, we sat down and had a delicious Shabbat meal, which included some very yummy chicken soup. After dinner, our JCs rand an amazing program called "Minute to Win It" based on the TV game show. We split in to two teams and competed in mystery challenges. There was lots of cheering and fun competition. Finally, we concluded the night with a Ma’agal Layla, a night discussion circle, where we answered very deep and meaningful questions and got to know each other better.


On Friday night we also met our newest Montreal fellow -- an adorable goat that we decided to name Phil, inspired by our JC of the same name. You can even follow Phil on instagram!


After getting up early on Saturday, we ate breakfast and then started our first activity of the day. The activity was about the streams of Judaism. We were divided into 4 small groups and each group received a paper with information about one of the four streams; Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist and Reform. We then presented what we learned to the rest of the group. This activity gave us an opportunity to better understand the different streams of Judaism.

Following the activity, we left the hotel (without Phil [the goat] L) and headed to the Montreal Torah Centre, an orthodox synagogue. When we got there, everyone was extremely welcoming and the atmosphere was festive for Shabbat. We went in for the end of the services and since this was an orthodox synagogue, the men and women sat separately. After the services, the rabbi made a speech about the brutality with which the four rabbis in Jerusalem were murdered. He told us that as Jews we need to stand up and not give up our land in Israel. It was touching to see the support that Canadians were showing towards Israel. Following the services and the speech, our group went upstairs to a big table set just for us and the rabbi, Rabbi New. As we ate lunch, Rabbi New discussed with us the purpose each person has and the meaning of their life. He also told us that in Judaism, the ultimate goal in life is to bring heaven onto earth while we're still living.

After lunch, we headed out to a reconstructionist synagogue just next door, Dorshei Emet. Rabbi Aigen came and spoke to us about reconstructionist Judaism. He told us how reconstructionist Judaism came about in the 1920s. He explained to us that in reconstructionist Judaism, each family has the liberty to choose what to practice according to what's important to them. He said that it's not as much about the Halacha as it is about the values and culture. It was very interesting to see this side of Judaism especially after seeing orthodox just before. We were able to see how the same religion can be interpreted and practiced in completely different ways.

At 4h30 we walked back to the hotel and had a Seuda shlishit (3rd meal). Afterwards, we all got into a circle and did a Havdala. It was a really unique experience and it brought us closer together. Once we finished the Havdala, we did an activity called agree/disagree. In this activity, a sign saying agree was on one side of the room and another saying disagree was on the complete opposite side. This created a spectrum of opinions between the two sides. We started off the activity on a light note with statements such as "Israel is the most important part of Judaism". We then had to choose a side of the room based on whether we agreed with the statement or not. If we agreed and disagreed simultaneously, we stood in the middle. The activity continued with statements that became more and more serious, up to the last one which was "do you believe in G-d". It was interesting to see how the group was split between those who agreed and those who disagreed. We all shared our personal opinions with the rest of the group and everyone was open and accepting of everyone else's opinions. After the activity we had some free time which gave us a chance to get to know each other better.

We then had pizza and fries for dinner and at 8h30 we headed towards our fun night activity, bowling! When we first walked in, the place looked dead. We got our bowling shoes and they told us to go upstairs. I have to say that the entrance was really misleading. There were more alleys upstairs, it was dark with lasers and there was music playing. We split up into our teams and I got to say, we played pretty well! The music playing was too good to resist so we all got up and showed off our beautiful dance moves. We even had a little dance off with the people bowling next to us.





At 11h we got back to the hotel to do another maagal laila. The maagal was led by our two JCs, Phil and Maya. They asked us to choose two of the following questions: someone new we met, someone we would like to get to know better, most embarrassing moment and proudest moment. Once again, it was really nice to share our stories and hear everyone else's. To end the night, some of us went up to our rooms while others stayed downstairs to watch a movie.

Sunday morning we gave a short feedback on the shabbaton and gave suggestions for improvement. All in all, the shabbaton was really awesome! I learned a lot about Judaism and I got to know others better. I think it was a really fun experience that brought us together as a group and helped us bond with each other.



By Maya Shahmoon and Elisheva Eisenberg