Last Shabbaton Before Israel

שלום Diller teens!  Much love to Google Translate!  So the LA fellows have just experienced our final Shabbaton before the trip to Israel.  Two members of our cohort generously donated their houses for the weekend, allowing us to come together in close, homey settings.  Each teen took on a role for the weekend, mine being Shabbat rituals.  One of the hardest tasks was planning the meals for the weekend, and two teens accepted the challenge in stride.  They managed to take every dietary restriction into account, and supplied us with an abundance of really good food, including kosher doughnut holes.  I learned that it's possible to make anything kosher.

 

The weekend focused on preparing for Israel and getting to know each other a little better.  The number of programs allowed me to broaden my knowledge of Israel's history, including Israel's most difficult moments.  I think it's important to go into Israel with a little bit of background knowledge.  It's a lot harder to develop an opinion on important Israeli issues when we don't know the full story.  An activity called "What Would You Do?" (Am I the only one who thought of that TV show with John Quinones?) made us take positions on uncomfortable topics like the debate over Gilad Shalit and an issue involving a potential suicide bomb in an ambulance.  In a later discussion, we talked about our definitions of Israel.  For some of us, Israel is a place of refuge.  That influenced a discussion of Israeli hypocrisy through citizens' actions towards African migrants. We also discussed whether Israel is unfairly being held to a higher standard than other countries.  What I found interesting was the parallel between the situation in Israel and treatment toward Mexican immigrants in America.  That's the cool thing about Diller discussions.  They help us think about and connect the world in a different way. 

 

We also had plenty of bonding time, whether through activities like half-blind kickball and questions like "What kitchen appliance would you be?"  As I shared with my fellow teens, I would be a blender because I love smoothies.  We also spent free time having more conversations.  We talked about everything from cute proposal stories to our feelings about our trip.  I'm really looking forward to spending three weeks and two plane rides with these people, because we can really talk about almost anything.

 

Now that Israel is fast approaching, here are my thoughts about the trip.  It'll be my first time out of North America.  I'm not sure how to feel about the 16 hour plane ride, but I am looking forward to looking out my plane window and seeing Israel for the first time.  Has anyone seen Princess Diaries?  Remember when Mia sees Genovia for the first time?  Well, seeing Israel is a lot better than seeing a fictional country.  I'm ready to withstand the infamous Israeli heat that some liken to that of a thousand suns.  I want to see things that have been described to me for my entire life and I want to try real Israeli falafel.  Also, believe it or not, I have never tried schnitzel, so I'm looking forward to that.  I'm excited to be surrounded by hundreds of Jewish teens that have chosen to be part of a program that emphasizes leadership and community.  I can't wait to go into Jerusalem and put my note in the Western Wall.  There is so much that I'm looking forward to doing, and I feel lucky that I get to experience everything with the Diller fellows.  So, as we're preparing during our last few weeks in the US, here is a list I've created of suggestions before we board the plane.  I hope they help!

 

1.     Make a Target run:  Target has everything, guys!  This includes a large selection of small, portable items. 

2.     - Get notes from your family and friends for the Western Wall:  It's a mitzvah.

3.     - Figure out your favorite type of sunscreen:  You will be wearing it ALL THE TIME. 

4.     - For girls:  If you can, go out and get some Soffe shorts.  I've been told that Kohls had a large selection.  If your favorite color is neon pink, I would just go for it. 

5.    -  For boys:  I don't know, get basketball shorts or something.

6.     - Figure out what souvenirs you'll want to look for in Israel:  A list of people and potential ideas for gifts should make your search much less time-consuming.

7.     - Figure our your priorities for packing:  Remember 50 pounds per bag.  I don't know about other parts of the country, but LA airport officials aren't known for being the most lenient. 

8.     - Take a look at your Israel schedule:  It's nice to have a general idea of what you'll be doing.

9.    -  Go visit a sauna:  I've never been to Israel, but maybe this could help. 

10.  - Make sure all of your responsibilities for the trip are covered:  If you're planning an activity or presentation, start preparing now! 

11.  - Get excited (duhhhh….):  We're going to Israel, the land of our people!  This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and every day, it becomes more real for me. 

 

Looking forward to the experience!

Chelsea

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

Welcome Los Angeles Diller Cohort 5/2012

A new year, a new cohort, a new journey:  Welcome Fellows of the Los Angeles Diller Teen Fellows Cohort 5/2012!

Check back often to this blog to read about how the L.A. 2012 Diller Teen Fellows describe their experiences and their new journey!

Tekkes Siyyum for LA Cohort 4

It's amazing how quickly a year can pass! 

Our 2011 LA Diller Cohort planned and executed an incredible Tekkes Siyyum, while continuing with a myriad of very special Diller Community Service Projects ranging from fighting against human rights violations to mentoring incoming high school freshmen; promoting pet adoptions from shelters to organizing bone marrow registry drives; creating recordings of children's books or collecting new DVDs for kids in hospitals to creating websites for teens to find a place of peer support; fundraising to provide mosquito nets to protect African children from malaria or advocating for the release of Gilad Shalit; or "greening" Milken High School by creating a rooftop garden!


Cohort 4 is a very special, very gifted group of young men and women who will continue in their roles as leaders in the community as they finish high school and go on to college.  Mazel tov and Yashir Koach!!!!

Shoshana

The graduating class of 2011

What's an event without food?



Playing to a full audience....





Visiting Holocaust Survivors in Tel Aviv

Israeli and US Teens Support and Learn From Holocaust Survivors

The International Diller Teen Fellows Israel Summer Seminar brought 120 teens from North America to visit teens in Israel.

By Elad Benari & Yoni Kempinski

First Publish: 8/8/2011, 3:15 AM

The 2011 International Diller Teen Fellows Israel Summer Seminar, sponsored by the Helen Diller Family Foundation and the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, recently brought 120 teenagers from North America to visit their sister-communities in Israel, for 21 days of leadership programming and cultural exploration.
As part of the varied activities on the trip, the teens also met with Holocaust survivors to hear their stories and bridge the gaps between the generations. Arutz Sheva was there during the exciting meeting.

“We’re understanding more about how [the survivors] live their lives here in Israel, why they’ve come here, what they’re doing, and how we can take the messages that we’re learning here back home,” said Jake Speyer from Los Angeles, California.
Nicole Miller, Executive Director of International Diller Teen Initiatives, said that meeting with survivors is “very much connected with the story of modern Israel and modern Jewish history and part of the reason why we are here today.”
“Certainly, as this population is dying out, it’s much more important and these teens are very much aware of how important it is to meet with and hear these stories firsthand,” she added.
Miller explained that the Israel visit is part of a year-long program in which the teens, who are carefully selected from the U.S., Canada, and Israel, work on their leadership skills, community service, Jewish identity and their connection to Israel.
“The Israelis come to their partnership community in North America in the spring for a couple of weeks, and now during the summer all of the North American groups came to Israel for three weeks,” she said.
The participants, said Miller, range from secular to modern Orthodox. They learn from one another and are strengthened by their diversity.
Aviad Turm, an Israeli teen from Beit Shemesh who is taking part in the program, said that he can learn from the Americans about their great love for Israel.
“Many Americans have strong feelings for Israel and want to visit Israel, donate money, and help any way they can,” he said.