Havdalah

For me, the North American Seminar was a whirlwind week that grew more thrilling as each day passed. As our ties strengthened with the Tel Aviv Cohort, so did the relationships within our own cohort. Those ten days of Judaism, circling up, intense discussions, and every icebreaker imaginable left me thoroughly satisfied, but still hungry for more. I cannot wait for the amazing times ahead of us. But first, a reflection:

One of the most revealing moments of the NAS is the comparison and contrast of our two Havdalahs together. The first Havdalah, the Israeli-American-Israeli rule still had to be enforced and neither group was whole. We swayed in a circle, spread out across our dining-hall/center base, enclosed between plastic tables and chairs. Chelsea played her uke phenomenally well in the circle, while two fellows walked around with homemade spice bags. We sang and stomped together to the Havdalah prayers, sharing a beautiful moment at the beginning of a long week.

Fast forward one week and the picture was different. After being booted out of the Griffith Observatory and told we couldn’t “have an open flame in the park,” we began Havdalah for a second time, now as one complete group. We fell into a maagal between whoever we happened to be in conversation with at the moment, arms happily around each other. It was drizzling when we began, with fog so thick we could hardly see past the other side of the circle. This time the stomping and singing was loud, comfortable, familiar. Two fellows ran around the circle with the spice bags, we illegally raised the braided Havdalah candle high, and it started to pour.

I couldn’t have asked for a better Havdalah. Already one of my favorite parts of being Jewish, I’ve had some pretty memorable Havdalahs in my day. I will keep this Havdalah forever, though. It is one of a kind and reveals the strength of our friendships. The fact that we were willing to sing around in the rain together at ten o’clock on a freezing Saturday in March proves our invincible ability to find joy in the most dismal situations. I love our Diller group and can’t wait for more Havdalahs together in Israel!

-Sam

North American Seminar

Two weeks ago, we, the Los Angeles Diller Cohort 5, met our counterparts from Tel Aviv. We were excited and nervous, not knowing what to expect from the NAS. Many feared the worst, many hoped for the best. Two days ago, our Israeli counterparts left, and we miss them more than anything. What happened during these 10 days that bonded us so strongly with these 19 amazing Tel Avivians?

We started out at Camp JCA Shalom for a weekend of ice-breakers, the "journey of bread and water", a great Shabbat, and loads of delicious food. Contrary to usual Los Angeles weather, it rained throughout most of the weekend. Still, the spirits of Cohort 5 were not dampened in the least. Stepping off of the bus, we Angelenos were a little apprehensive to see our buddies that we had only communicated with through the internet, mainly on Facebook and Skype. After a cute introduction, we talked with them for the first time. I have to admit, I didn't know exactly what to say to my buddy. However, after that weekend, everything changed, and I found my buddy to be someone who I related to on numerous levels.

Some on Spring Break and some still in school, the cohort started the week with Universal Studios. That night, we all gathered at the Kashani home for a lovely opening reception. Monday started the week off with a big kick, and each day brought something new. The Israelis (and some Americans) visited the Freda Mohr Center (a social center for seniors), the Museum of Tolerance, the Grove, Kadima Day School (to teach Hebrew), a few Valley high schools, and many more LA hotspots. Every day, the Israelis returned with stories to tell and eyelids drooping from exhaustion.

On our last weekend together, we started by taking our buddies to different synagogues, exposing the Israelis to various branches of Judaism and levels of religious observance. That night, we met at Griffith Observatory for a rather rainy, but enjoyable Havdallah service under what would be the stars. On Sunday we met at Venice Beach in the Shul on the Beach for a final "journey of bread and water" and a scavenger hunt. That night, the Strouds held a closing reception at their home and the majority of the cohort slept over the house. The next morning, we said a tearful goodbye to our counterparts as they departed for home.

Although the Israelis are not in our homes, they are still in our hearts and ALL OVER our Facebooks. We knew exactly when their flight landed, as our notifications grew with statuses, pictures, and tags flooding and still gracing our walls.

Our NAS Seminar was an incredible experience and we anxiously await our trip to Tel Aviv. These three and a half months cannot pass fast enough!

Until next time!

Rachael Cohen

4/5/12