Haifa Community Week: National Service Day

July 26th National Service Day Written by Andrew Jacobson The day commenced with a simple agree-disagree game. The leaders of the day read a statement and if one agreed, he moved to one side of the room, if he didn't he moved to the other side. There was a spectrum in between the two extremes for those who felt like they didn't belong on either side. Most of the questions regarded the future. Some dealt with people's opinions on enrolling in the army, while others were general statements of whether people are more excited or more nervous about their future. This maagal was one of the most current maagals for many of us. It scares me to think that in a mere two years, I will be moving out of my parent's house. It is truly a bittersweet time in our lives. After the discussion concluded, we loaded the bus to be taken to the Haifa navy base, the largest navy base in Israel. Personally, this was without doubt the most interesting program on the trip thus far. As soon as we reached the security checkpoint, we met Adar. This was a treat because just several months ago we Americans had met Adar during one of our workshops, along with two other Israeli soldiers during their delegation to the US through the CJP Hatikvah Mission. He then led a tour of the navy's biggest combat ship. This was especially COOL because active ships are rarely allowed to be toured. From the modern missles that can fly seventy miles, to the four-foot tall kitchen, it was a genuine experience that not many get to participate in. After the usual woosh clap, we headed back to the Abba Chushi Community Center. There Elad, an Israeli fellow and leader of the day, led a panel with four young people related to the army in one way or another. It included a volunteer in the intelligence department of the IDF, an major in the navy, a religous captain that takes care of combat soldiers, and a national service participant who is involved in B'nai Akiva, an Israeli orthodox youth movement, much like NCSY. A popular topic was whether or not Charedim (orthodox jews who study and yeshivas and are therefore eligible to opt out of the mandatory army enlistment) should be permitted to study instead of being in the army. Many enjoyed this discussion because of the conflicting views of the panel participants. Next was shnitzal lunch (fried chicken-but ten times better than anything you can find in America). This led into the planning of the final ceremony (which is kind of a secret until the cermony on Tuesday). Last was maagal tzohoraim, only because it was Friday and shabbat was slowing creeping up. Everyone formed a circle, holding hands. Each person then put on a blindfold (not the leaders of the day of course). We silently lead about five people to each corner of the room. (De ja vu back to our very first shabbaton in which we did something very similar) This was when the discussion began, mostly regarding topics like the maagal boker, or the future. I think it's really funny that people are literally ten times more open when they can't see, probably because they can't see other's negative (or postitive) reactions. Overall, I thought our day went exceptionally well. There were definitelly small things that we could have done more efficiently--counting people, quieting people down, et cetera. Them staff mentioned during our feedback session today that they were very impressed that we followed through on Adar's offer to see the navy boat all the way back in March. I can't wait for my next leadership oppurtunity so I can act on what I was told I can improve on.

Community Week Haifa: Coexistence Day

July 25th- Coexistence Day Written by Arianna Dines We woke up at Yemin Orde on Thursday and after breakfast and a brief maagal boker borded the bus and headed into Haifa towards the Bahai gardens. Upon arrival, we all held hands facing backwards and turned around to look at the gardens at the same time. It was breathtaking and immediately everyone started taking pictures. We found our tourguide and began our journey down the 700 steps through the amazing landscaping of palm trees, flowers, and fountains. We also learned the basics of the Bahai'i faith which was new to many, especially the Americans. One of the most interesting things was that children born to Bahai'i parents choose if they too would like to be Bahai'i at the age of 15 rather than being born into it. The information was interesting but the group seemed to enjoy more the beautiful view and trying to snap the perfect Instagram picture. I wish we could have spent hours there but it was soon time to travel to the next destination: an Ahmad's mosque. Ahmadiyya is an Islamic reformist movement which has different views than the Muslims that we usually hear about, especially in the news. A missionary from India told us about Ahmadiyya and and answer questions about how they condemn terrorism and preach for peace and coexistence. It was slightly difficult to understand what he said because of his accent but also he never directly answered the question. It didn't really take away from the experience but just required more attention which for me was a challenge that kept me engaged. We then viewed the actual mosque which looked very different from a synagogue because it only had a carpet and minimal decorations. After a quick snack we headed to Isfiya, a village near Haifa, and went into a Druze home. We sat on built-in-benches lining the wall and man told us about being Druze. He told us about daily life and their beliefs but something that was surprising to many was that if you choose to be secular, you are not allowed to pray or anything else religious, so it is simply cultural. They also are loyal to the land they live in which means they have a high rate of people serving in the IDF. Learning from the Druze man was so interesting and his passionate speaking kept everyone awake. After we enjoyed a typical Druze meal with pita with za'atar, rice, vegetables, tea, and meat (I didn't eat it because I was too full from the other things before I even realized there was meat.) It was so delicious and afterwards we enjoyed some fun time to relax. A small miscommunication of the timing of the Druze home led us to make a last minute decision to go to a nearby market which turned out to be one of the highlights of the day. This experience stretched many of us out of our comfort zones but it was very fun. . Each store was similar to the next and we bought funny pants, ethnic hats, and gifts for others. To asses the legitimacy of the sales and stores, Debbie and Arianna would talk in Spanish so the workers would not understand. The invigorating part was haggling. Although some mastered the skill more than others, it was a new Israeli experience for many. Eytan used his strong Hebrew and English skills to threaten a store that we would all leave after being cheated for his money. It was a big affair but Eytans strength and confidence showed and we commend him for it. I haggled for a bag from 40 shekels to 25, but since they cheated Eytan I only gave 24 shekels in revenge. This was a moment of Glory for me and Lihi said I was becoming Israeli!! Liana bought the cohort traditional desserts (thanks Liana!!) and we got on the bus in the busy street. We drove to Beit Miller where the Haifa cohort usually has their meetings. Hannah lead us in an amazing and well-written program about Jewish identity, the differences between Judaism and Israel and America, and how Judaism fits into our lives. This lead us to talk about how this makes Diller pluralistic and experience new things but coexist together to make this (amazing) cohort. After dinner we had a maagal Lila. We discussed what coexistence is like in Haifa and Israel and what the ideal would be. We also talked about the extent one should go to to learn about and interact with other religions and also within Judaism. One of the most amazing parts of this maagal was seeing people step up and talk who usually refrain from speaking in front of the group. We concluded by singing "Imagine", a great way to wrap up and be together. It turned out to be hilarious because barely anybody knew the words. We all just looked around and laughed and ended with hugs. I'm not sure if I am supposed to write about this because it was not part of official programming but after, most of the fellows got ice cream and pizza then walked on the Louis Promenade to Lihi's house. Along the way were AMAZING views of Haifa at night and we stopped to take pictures. Lihi's house is gorgeous and we also saw all of her talented paintings. We hung out on her balcony singing songs. Her little brother Gal put on a fabulous magic show that we all watched together. It was one of the most fun nights and I won't forget. The time flew and before we knew it, curfew was approaching fast! We tried to arrange rides as quickly as we could but almost everyone got home late (oops?). Even though we got a short lecture, it was very worth the memories made. Thursday was one of the longest days in community week (so is this blog post) and was extremely memorable. Time to go to the beach. Thankfully for us the jellyfish are now in Syria. Written 6 hours later: we all got stung. Shalom chaverim. #haggleteam2013

Community Week Haifa: Immigration Day

July 24th- Immigration Written by Bramm Watkin The day began with a maagal boker that I led at Beit Miller. We split up into groups and discussed the importance of immigration and the impact it has on us today. This discussion helped to outline the ideas that we would touch upon in the following day. Then we left to go visit a day camp where we played with little children aged 5-6. Although we were expecting Ethiopian kids, a mix up in communication with the camp resulted in us spending our time with Russian immigrant kids instead, but all kids are adorable so no one seemed to care! After many hugs and pictures we took a fifteen minute bus ride to mapilim camp that housed immigrants who came to Israel while it was still under British rule. Here many holocaust survivors stayed on their journey to their homeland. This was their last stop before returning to Israel, a trek very few had succeeded at. At this camp the British held prisoners for up to a year because they had illegally traveled to Israel, yet there was no harm done to them. After an hour tour with an informational movie, we ate lunch outside and mingled with other programs that happen to be touring the same day. Then we made our way to Yemin Orde which was a youth village which stands as a boarding school for immigrants to Israel whose parents cannot afford schooling for them. We then toured the campus and got to hear Worko's story of his immigration to Israel from Ethiopia. Worko is one of our fellows from Yemin Orde. Next our tour guide brought us down to a grassy area and made us Ethiopian coffee. This was an example of the traditions immigrants bring along with them when they go to a new country. Next our maagal lila took place outside and it was a continuation of the discussion in the morning. We touched upon the implications of the feelings and characteristics specific to immigration and how they can be applied to our life. This discussion helped to open our eyes to the implications of what we learn from immigration. Next we had dinner and following our meal at Yemin Orde's dining hall Liana and Nitsan led a text analysis program. This program helped us understand the importance of being a guest or a host and what the Torah has to say about it. During this day we experienced both the physical aspects of immigration that are seen in our daily lives as well as the morals we learn from day to day experiences.

Haifa Community Week: Getting to Know Haifa Day

Getting to Know Haifa- July 23 Written by Hannah Elbaum First full day with the Israelis! Today was a complete whirlwind of sights and experiences. As part of the Diller program, the fellows plan an entire week of activities and programs in the city of their Israeli cohort. Lucky us, Haifa is beautiful and has so much to do! it is frightening though, to have so much responsibility in a city you know very little about. The first group did an amazing job helping us get to know Haifa and be tourists, but also to get to know the community of Haifa on a deeper level. We began the day at Beit Miller, the meeting place of the Haifa cohort. I am lucky to be staying at a home near to Beit Miller, so we walked and stopped on the way for Shoko B'saqit. (Sp?) I have never tasted something so delicious that came from a bag! After the initial good morning hugs-even though we just saw each other 10 hours ago- we made our way to an gan ha'em. Our Maagal Boker (morning circle) took the form of water games! Despite the shock of cold water being dumped on my head, it was a refreshing, fun way to start off the day. Then we walked to the Carmelit, a subway that is known for being the steepest, and shortest, in the world. We took it all the way from the top to the very bottom, by the German colony of Haifa. From there, we walked around and learned a little about the unique architecture of the Haifa skyline. After a short free time, filled with iced coffee, we went to the Carmel center for a scavenger hunt! Acting out scenes from Twilight and taking pictures with eggplants actually helped us learn our way around, and was really fun bonding after such a long time apart. Plus, seeing lipstick on the boys was really funny! Lunch was more free time in Gan Ha'em, and then we took a bus to the rachbal, a cable car that takes you down the mountain and drops you off right on the beach! It was more than a little frightening, but the view was spectacular. The beach provided the perfect background for some artsy pictures! Next came my favorite part of the day. We walked along the beach until we came to a grassy area that had some blankets laid out with drums in a circle all around the edge. It was a drumming circle! We learned real rhythms and drummed along to call and response and real songs! The entire group was so happy and some people got up to dance in the middle. Before long, other beach goers came to check out the ruckus we were making. A bunch of little kids joined in on the fun, and even though it was difficult for them to keep up with the patterns, they were super adorable! Dinner was in the same place with a beautiful outlook over the Mediterranean Sea. We spent some time debriefing our day in separate Boston/Haifa groups. Throughout the trip we are working to continue to maintain our cohort of twenty, as well as the Boston-Haifa group, and the full Diller program that we will meet at Congress. These separate times, and our other programming as a full group will help us when we go to Congress, to feel confident and comfortable with the support system we have built amount the thirty-six of us. Finally, we ended the day with a Maagal Lila. It was a nice culmination to the day for us to give anonymous compliments to each other. I certainly left with a renewed sense of self-confidence. By then, the day of programming was over, but we were right next to the beach, so of course we had to go! I didn't end up staying long because I was so tired, and a good nights sleep was very needed. I can't wait for the rest of community week to see what the the other groups have in store! -Hannah E.

Day 4: Journey of the Water Part 1

Monday July 22 Written by Noam Kahn Hey everyone! Today we woke up at a youth hostel, had a nice breakfast, and began our day by traveling to the north. All the fellows were very tired from not getting much sleep the night before. Still, everyone was excited for the upcoming day. The theme of the day was the Journey of Water, so all the activities were based around water. Trevor and I (the leaders of the day) brought everyone to the hike, and we began by walking through a river. The hike up was interesting and the views were beautiful. At the top, we took a break at a rushing waterfall. On the way back, we came down a steep rocky slope, but everyone supported one another to get down. After we got back down from our hike, we had a short water themed discussion. We then travelled to a rafting place where we were split into groups and assigned rafts. The rafting trip was so fun! Every group got wet, and there was a small waterfall in the middle. It was nice to be on the Jordan River and see such beautiful sights. After rafting, we had a nice pizza lunch and took about a 2 hour ride to Haifa. In Haifa, we met our brother Diller group and had an opening ceremony. After, we went home with our home stay families. Today was amazing!

Day 3: The Golan Heights & the Upper Galilee

Sunday, July 22nd Written by Trevor Nataupsky BEACH DAY!!! On July 22, 2013 we all went to the Kineret. The Kineret is a major water resource in Israel. It is a large lake which Israel has used for years. We used it as a playground. 23 bodies running straight into the shinning blue lake (20 fellows, 2 Junior counsels, and Liana), swimming and splashing in the crystal blue sea. Once in the water, many small, hungry yet harmless fish came up to us. Little did we know that they were man eating fish. Just kidding. The fish came up to our feet and nibbled on them. it did not hurt- it just felt weird. Later, several fellows brought out their Frisbees and started to use them in the water, diving for catches. After about an hour and twenty minutes of fun in the sun, our leaders of the day (Kineret and Andrew Jacobson) gathered us up for a discussion on the Kineret and our theme of the day, co-existance. We learned that the Kineret is important in both Judaism and Christianity. In Christianity, this was the place where Jesus performed many miracles. In Judaism it is mentioned in the Torah several times as a very holy place. After having a wonderful discussion, we went to go have a (what we thought to be) "small" lunch. For lunch, we all sat at for tables were there was bread, hummus, eggplant, corn salad and normal israeli salad. So we all thought that was it. Little did we know. After that they came out with french fries, burgers, schnitzel, kosher sausages, and chicken. We were all so full at that point. But wait there was more. Then he came out with watermelon, that was so juicy. One fellow said "I think i put on 10 pounds after that lunch." Once lunch was over we headed to the bus for our journey to the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights is a part of Israel that used to be part of Syria. Then it was taken by Israel in the 6 day war. Lead by our awesome tour guide Arava we went to a 4D movie about the Golan Heights. Although, before entering the theatre a fellow discovered there was free wifi. Yes free wifi. So any fellow with a phone took it out and checked their facebooks, snapchats, twitters, etc,. In the 4D extravaganza, many fellows said "it was quite the experience". One of our JC's, Andrew Geller, said "it was "amazing."" There was wind and water in this 4D film. Many fellows favorite part was when an Israeli "cowboy" scooped up a bunch of dirt and smelt it. We even saw a man who looked like Arianna Dines father doing meditation. Someone else thought this man looked like David Micley, one of our coaches (hi David Micley! Since you're everywhere we keep thinking we are seeing you). Then went to a room about the wars of the Golan Heights. Through different lighting techniques we all learned about the battles over the Golan Heights. After leaving the 4D theatre, Arava took us to a spot were 7,000 feet in the air. we were on top of a mountain were a battle from the 6 day war. From the top of the mountain we could see Syria. After learning about the border we had about 45 minutes of free time to explore the abandoned bunker and go to the cafe that was there. We all went through its' dark narrow stairwells which led us underground. we saw old beds. It was cold and creepy down there. All of us went up to the top of the bunker were you could stand and look around at the marvelous view. After exploring the whole bunker a couple fellows decided to go down to the cafe where once again there was free wifi. So very soon after every fellow went there and got more free wifi. we all stayed in there and chatted and laughed away the time. Soon after that we went to go meet the Diller International Israel Leader: Liat. We took our bus to the most northern town in all of Israel, Metulla. It is right on the Lebanon border. We meet her on a mountain overlooking the whole town. She arrived in what was later called the Diller car (because of the diller sticker on it). She taught us all about how Metulla stayed in Israeli borders because of "60 crazy people." These people were like "Metulla must be a part of the Jewish nation" because there a stories of Jew's settling here in the Torah. After talking for a bit she brought us down to the Lebanon border.There she brought us to the a "no man land" area were both jewish and Lebanese famers work. We picked Lebanese apples. They tasted like Granny Smith's. Soon after we went to her magnificent house where she served us homemade food. Like we didn't have enough already today. She served us 2 large metal containers of chicken, 2 large bowls of rice, salad, and potatoes. In her amazing backyard there was a trampoline and a pool. Liat's house over looked an amazing mountain area. It look like a picture out of a magazine. We all had a great time at Liat's house and she was really great. She has so much energy and shared her own stories and and opinions with us about coexistence. Some highlights are people jumping on the trampoline, Andrew Geller getting pushed into the pool in his clothes, and Eytan, Amos, and Kineret sing a song from a movie musical all in hebrew. They have watched it 40 times in hebrew school they said. Sadly, we had to leave Liat's amazing home to go to our hostel. We packed up our bus and headed to the hostel. Once, arriving there we got our room keys and had about an hour of free time before our feedback to our leaders and Maagal Lila. a lot of people explored the property and found "work out" equipment. They look liked kids toys. we all played there and met new people who were also staying there, including many Ethiopians. Then we all went to our Maagal Lila. The Maagal Lila was based around one of Hillel's famous quotes and the staff related it to thinking about who we are and how we think others see us. It was a very thoughtful experience. We all had to truly think about who we are. As a great man once said "we all have to find our corner of the sky." After our Maagal we all chatted till the wee hours of the night and soon went to bed for another wet day of fun and learning. This is the Diller Teen Fellows blog. We all love you all and miss everyone. Have a great day, and g-d bless you.

Day 2: Shabbat in Jerusalem

Day 2: Jerusalem/Shabbat by Debbie Baskir Looking back, this past Shabbat has been one of the most meaningful Shabbats I have ever experienced. We woke up and went to shul. We had the option of choosing which shul we wanted to go to, either a traditional Italian shul or a more modern shul called The Great Synagogue. I chose to go to the Italian shul because I had heard that the Italians have a completely different service compared to the Ashkenazi or Sephardi service. We walked in as complete strangers but left feeling as if we were part of the community. We were greeted with open arms and wide smiles by the women, who seemed ecstatic to have new people join their community for a few hours. We left feeling very satisfied with our decision to go to the Italian service. We walked back on King George street and met up with the other group, who seemed happy with their decision, too. We stopped and sat under a shady tree to stop the sun from penetrating our sunscreen. We started talking about being a tourist vs assimilating into the Israeli community. There were many different and interesting opinions and ideas expressed. Lead by Arava, our tour guide, we walked around in the more Orthodox neighborhoods. Although some of us felt as if we were intruding on those Jews' peaceful Shabbats and observing them as though we were in a zoo, that is something that needs to be done in order to experience those neighborhoods. Uncomfortableness isn't necessarily a bad thing. After lunch, we had a few hours to relax. Some of us met up with local family or friends, some of us hung out in the hotel, mainly the pool, and some of us slept to catch up on our lack of sleep and jetlag over the past few days. When we were all rested and relaxed, we began our walking tour of the Old City. While on the way to the Old City, we saw some Ultra-Orthodox men, who were probably from the neighborhood of Meah Shaarim, who were screaming at the cars passing by. It was so surreal, as we had heard about the increasing violence and protests that those Jews have been having, but to see in in the flesh was a whole new experience. We saw many important sites throughout the Old City, including a Kariite shul, the statue of King David, the Zion Gate, but most importantly, the Kotel, or the Western Wall. For many Fellows, this was their first time seeing the Kotel. Some described it as humbling, uplifting, and incredible. When I was praying with my head leaning against the smooth rock of the ancient Wall, I paused for a minute to observe my surroundings. In the background, I could hear some Yeshiva boys singing some Seudah Shlishit songs. I also saw the intense praying of some of the nearby women- their kavanah (meaning and deep thoughfulness in Hebrew) showing so strongly that it inspired me to pray more. At that moment, I can honestly say that not only was I proud to be Jewish, but also felt part of the Jewish people. When Shabbat ended, we partook in Havdallah in the plaza of the Kotel, along with the Diller cohort from L.A. We met the bus near the Kotel and drove to Ben Yehudah street. The street was packed and filled with people of all ages, but mostly of young people our age. I must say, the falafel that I ate for dinner on Ben Yehudah street was the best falafel I had ever had. It was just delicious! Nothing can ever be compared to Israeli falafel :) We came back late to the hotel exhausted, our feet burnt out and tired, but our minds completely filled with a whole bunch of new memories that I bet will stay with us forever. ADIOS PEOPLE. hi mom.