Monday, July 30, 2012

Diller Update: The Sass Strikes Back

All right folks, let's do this:

So, we LA Diller teens have been enjoying our past 9 days in Israel and seeing that an update is well over-due, we thought we'd provide you all with one.

Our days have been packed with sight-seeing, Jewish knowledge and introspection, and super productivity.  Finishing a trip to Masada, Ain Getti, and the Dead Sea before lunch kind of inspired me to stamp out my laziness.  I emphasize the "kind of."

My favorite part of the trip so far has been our trip to Jerusalem.  As an official Jerusalem expert (sarcasm), I highly recommend visiting the Kotel on Shabbat eve (not sarcasm).  It's like a salad bowl of religious denominations.  And there's nothing more special than putting your note in the wall and just feeling the history run like electricity through your fingertips.  Yad Vashem was also an emotional experience.  The graphic images and videos, the hate-charged documents, and the remnants of inanimate objects was like pouring emotional Drain-o  through our systems.

During our first Shabbat in Israel, we prayed at an Italian Jewish synagogue.  It was my first time in a synagogue with a mehitzah, and honestly, I wasn't a fan of the division.   I also was one of many who had trouble distinguishing between the Italian and the Hebrew, and I didn't recognize any of the melodies (I've never experienced a Sephardic service before).  That being said, I was open to the experience.  We also found time to explore Old Jerusalem.  We got to see the Last Supper Room and King David's tomb, but the part that had the biggest impact on me was seeing the bullet holes in the Old City's gates.  I've never seen that kind of scar on a structure. 

The next day, we traveled through the King David tunnels, which were used to transport water thousands of years ago.  We also saw the world's very first toilet, a rock fashioned into a seat with a deep hole in it.  Our next destination was Har Herzl, the cemetery where Herzl and other Israeli political figures are buried.  It is also the IDF's cemetery, and the vast number of graves spread out over the peaceful expanse of land was a striking reminder of the passion and dedication Israelis have for their country. 

That night, we stayed at a kibbutz called Asdot Ya'akov.  The food was delicious and I loved the authenticity of the residences.  I was also reminded of Israel's heavy cat population.  I am now a firm believer that if cats had a choice, they would be Jewish.

Last Monday, we were happily reunited with our sister city, Tel Aviv.  We traveled to Kinneret Cemetery, the resting place of Naomi Shemer, and Arielle Liany, part of the Tel Aviv cohort, played a beautiful rendition of "Jerusalem of Gold."   We practiced team building at a camp site and traveled on the bus to one of the four Holy Cities, Tzfat.  The girls had to don skirts (I pulled out my sarong) and as we proceeded into the city, I felt like I was stepping back 100 years.  The history of the place emanates off the buildings, and a variety of synagogues are spread through the streets.  We went into one synagogue and all the girls were given shawls to cover their shoulders.  We visited a candle shop and a kabbalah center, and after our time in Tzfat, left for a camp site.  At the camp site, we made our own dinner (I helped with the potatoes, which were delicious due to my assistance) and bonded with each other.  During our night circles, we were actually interrupted by a giant boar the size of a smart car heading in our direction.  Thankfully, it wandered away on its own and we were free to enjoy our campfire at the end of the night. 

On Tuesday, we enjoyed a water hike and rafting on the Jordan River.  One of the Israeli fellows injured her leg on the hike, but her bravery and strength has made for a quick recovery.  For lunch, Liat, the head of Diller in Israel, graciously hosted us and provided us with a much-appreciated home-cooked meal.  She even made cake for Erin, the birthday girl that day.  Her home is in Metulla, the most northern city of Israel, and she talked to us about life on the border with Lebanon.  After we left her house, we drove by the border and the barbed wire was only a few feet from our fingertips. 

The rafting was more like a battle.  Rafter camouflaged themselves in the trees on the river's bank, waiting to attack approaching rafts.  We engaged in oar stealing, boat-hopping, and throwing each other into the water.  By the end of our journey down the river, my boat was left oar-less despite my valiant attempts to reclaim our stolen property.  We were thoroughly soaked and happy to continue to a youth hostel for the night. 

The next day, we visited an army bomb shelter on the border with Syria.  In Golan, we learned about Israel's history and occupation of Golan.  We then traveled to Givat Haviva, the location of the North American Kenes and Congress.  We said goodbye to the Israelis and were quickly thrown into Kenes.

At Kenes, the first two days at Givat Haviva, we were separated into 10 color groups, each with two members from every city.  These cities included Montreal, Metrowest (New Jersey), Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Baltimore, and Los Angeles.  Our time at Kenes was filled with many interesting programs, including a speech by Avraham Infeld, a Jewish educator who taught us about the five legs of Judaism.  The Israelis arrived on Friday and joined our color groups.  We've discussed many relevant issues within the color groups, including the importance of language and feelings toward Israel.  We've heard alumni speakers and Jewish leaders speak, and we've formed close bonds with people from all over North America. 

One of my favorite parts of Congress so far has been Shabbat.  I joined the Diller Choir, a group of musicians and singers who put on a short show for all of the Diller teens.  We then got to pick a service to attend, and I went to the Reconstructionist service, which was very enlightening.  Samantha Page (who we now call Spage) put on an incredible alternative service (as I've been told by every person who attended). 

So, I can now proudly proclaim my love for Israel.  Nothing can match actually seeing it through the plane window for the first time.  It really is the most beautiful country, and the history is everywhere.  However, I am getting tired of Israeli salad for breakfast…

Looking forward to what comes next!

Chelsea


Sunday, July 22, 2012

Day 2: Return of the Sass

Not leaving any time to catch up on sleep, Wednesday morning we woke up at a brutal 3:30! It was still 7:30 in the evening in Los Angeles, a city most of us had been in just a day before. We rose early for a breakfast of yummy cakes and our drive to Masada. We hiked the ramp, easily conquering Masada. Shosh even held her own with us energetic teens! Tiana helped us greet the sunrise on Masada with a beautiful meditation and then everyone seized the gorgeous photo opportunity of the sun quickly climbing up into the sky.

We spent a few hours on top of Masada learning about the history of the ancient fortress with such a tragic past. Sam Miller, Hyla, and Zach Gingold acted out history, bringing Masada to life despite the heat.


Then we took the cable car down the opposite side of the mount for a trip to the gift store and some delicious Israeli ice cafe.
Around 10 we checked in to the youth hostel we would be spending the night in and ate breakfast. Then we hit the road again for Ein Gedi, a natural oasis in the middle of the Judah desert. We witnessed a simulated- irax mating ritual thanks to both Zachs, Hyla, and Tiana. Then we splashed around in a refreshing natural pool, moss fight included. The whole scene was so surreal, bathing in a cool pond in the middle of a desert in Israel. And by this point it was only 11 on our first day in Israel!

Then we set off for the Dead Sea! Shoshana bought us mud to make our skin as soft as a baby’s bottom, the benefits of the Dead Sea products  according to our tour guide Gigi, and we floated around in the salty water. As someone who has heard about the Dead Sea but had never experienced its wonders until Wednesday, I was surprised with how hot the water was. Especially compared to the cool spring at Ein Gedi, the Dead Sea was an awesome and strange experience, but not a refreshing one. 

We next headed back to our hostel for lunch (more schnitzel!) and a much needed break. In our free time, people showered, relaxed, and napped. Waking up from the break was definitely difficult. We ate dinner after our break and then we went on a night hike. Much to our disappointment, the weather hadn’t cooled off at all.

Still sweating, we headed into the hills behind our hostel for some stargazing. Gigi pointed out the Big Dipper and other constellations and then we had a chance to reflect with ourselves. We each took isolated spots on a path in the dark hills to think about our expectations for this trip, ourselves, and whatever else our minds chose to focus on. While some thought the meditation boring, others saw the exercise as fulfilling and very rewarding. As a bunch of city kids, I think we all appreciated being able to see so many stars in the night sky.

Maagal lilah, or closing circle, involved evaluating the day and passing on the toranim duties to the next day’s bearers. For those who don’t know about our chanichim toranim, they are two people who are leaders for the entire day, responsible for making sure everyone shows up on time, has their necessary supplies, and other small but significant tasks. We were also surprised with the new ritual of the toranim presenting the Most Valuable Diller (MVD) awards of the day! Erin and Sam Miller, who were excellent toranim for an insanely busy day, presented their awards to Sam Page (me!) and Zach Getelman for our dedication and upbeat attitudes. Such an honor! Plus, the MVD awards added some enticement to being a better Diller.

After such a packed day, everyone passed out at the end of the night. First full day in Israel: so successful!

Stay tuned for more blog updates! We’re trying to catch up on the days we’ve missed.

Also, you may be wondering about our blog titles. After a super creative brainstorming session, Rachael, Betty, Jody and I have come up with a mass of punny names involving the word “sass”. This had to be done due to the overwhelming amount of sass in circulation with our cohort. No one should be particularly surprised that nineteen hungry and exhausted teenagers would be sassy, but it’s still a little startling and hilarious to hear the pure sass that passes between us. Mostly well-intended sarcasm with a hint of straight-up snark, so far the sass hasn’t seriously wounded anyone’s pride. And I doubt that it will; we all know how the next person feels and we can take each other’s sass in stride. Just be prepared for some wild and terrible puns for our blog titles!

‘Til the next time! L’shalom,

Sam Page

Day One: Spread of the Sass

Shalom everyone!
halom everyone!
orry for theSSs   SSS   Sorry for the delay…we just figured out how to use our handy-dandy net stick. So, without further adieu…

It feels like the first time, it feels like the very first time. For some of us, it is. For those who haven’t been yet, it is thrilling to finally be heading towards the place that has had such a huge impact on us for these past months, even without being there before. For those of us who have been before, we’ve been excited to return, to see the sights we’ve seen and some that are completely new to us. But despite who has or hasn't, we're all heading towards the same place.

Israel. Ha Aretz. The Holy Land. Home. 

It has many names, many residents, and many visitors. But despite all of that, it has an incredibly unifying power, a quality of oneness. By the end of this trip, I hope to feel that unity with the members of my cohort, the other Diller cohorts from around the world, and with the country itself. This is my vision.

Such a vision is important, as learned today, our first day, at an art exhibition called “Desert Vision”. While sitting in a bedouin-esque room, we listened to an artist talk about the importance of having vision as a leader. We might not have had much vision for the art we saw in that next hour, but we did take in the overarching message. Afterwards, we tried our artistic hands at painting little clay feet. The shape was very appropriate, as our theme of the day was “Footsteps in the Sand”. Today’s small adventure was only the first on a long road of experiencing, learning and bonding that we will leave our footprints on.

Next stop? Masada. 4 a.m.

We may be tired, but we’re always up for the challenge.

B’chatzla’ah!
Rachael Cohen