Monday, July 25, 2016
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Congress and Exploring the North of Israel!
Dear Mommy, Daddy, Naomi, and anyone else reading this blog,
Today was a good day! We started off the day by going to the memorial site on the Tel Chai campus and learning a little history about the battles here. Then, we split up into our 22 tribes for bus tours. My bus tour went to the JNF site. They welcomed us with really good food and even better views from the mountaintop. The guide told us that one of the rabbis who used to live on the mountain promised that anyone who lights a candle on the mountain and prays will get married very soon. Since I won't be looking for a husband any time soon, I did not partake in this tradition. Next, we watched 2 movies explaining the history of the JNF. After seeing videos of the thousands of volunteers who have taken care of the forests, we got right to work. We picked up dead branches throughout the forest and, to make it more fun, we cheered and chanted weird anthems from South Africa. All in all it was a good experience that a normal tourist wouldn't get to do.
When we returned to campus, we again split into our tribes and discussed Israel's importance in our lives and our relationships with Israel. I enjoyed hearing from others, especially from the Israelis; the Israelis really surprised me in that many of them did not consider Israel to be a critical aspect of their Jewish identities.
Next, we split from our tribes and attended seminars with inspirational speakers from various backgrounds. My speaker created a gap year program for both Israelis and North Americans so that they can learn from each other and strengthen their Jewish identities. She said her dream is that all Jews around the world will feel obligated to take a gap year. It's a nice idea but totally impractical. Her gap year program didn't interest me too much but she had a fascinating background: she grew up in a Chareidi/ultra orthodox home, became very secular, and then found a good place for herself in conservatism.
In conclusion, today was a long and interesting day where I got to learn from a very diverse group of people. Also, today is Naomi Lichtenstein's birthday so...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Love you!! :) 💗
Love,
Teva
Today was a good day! We started off the day by going to the memorial site on the Tel Chai campus and learning a little history about the battles here. Then, we split up into our 22 tribes for bus tours. My bus tour went to the JNF site. They welcomed us with really good food and even better views from the mountaintop. The guide told us that one of the rabbis who used to live on the mountain promised that anyone who lights a candle on the mountain and prays will get married very soon. Since I won't be looking for a husband any time soon, I did not partake in this tradition. Next, we watched 2 movies explaining the history of the JNF. After seeing videos of the thousands of volunteers who have taken care of the forests, we got right to work. We picked up dead branches throughout the forest and, to make it more fun, we cheered and chanted weird anthems from South Africa. All in all it was a good experience that a normal tourist wouldn't get to do.
When we returned to campus, we again split into our tribes and discussed Israel's importance in our lives and our relationships with Israel. I enjoyed hearing from others, especially from the Israelis; the Israelis really surprised me in that many of them did not consider Israel to be a critical aspect of their Jewish identities.
Next, we split from our tribes and attended seminars with inspirational speakers from various backgrounds. My speaker created a gap year program for both Israelis and North Americans so that they can learn from each other and strengthen their Jewish identities. She said her dream is that all Jews around the world will feel obligated to take a gap year. It's a nice idea but totally impractical. Her gap year program didn't interest me too much but she had a fascinating background: she grew up in a Chareidi/ultra orthodox home, became very secular, and then found a good place for herself in conservatism.
In conclusion, today was a long and interesting day where I got to learn from a very diverse group of people. Also, today is Naomi Lichtenstein's birthday so...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Love you!! :) 💗
Love,
Teva
Ashkemore At Congress!
Today we woke up in our hostel got up and had breakfast all together. Then we walked to Tel Hai Campus, where we were inspired and helped set the mood for the day through multiple speeches, skits, and songs. We then broke up into our "tribe" groups and talked about what family meant to us. It was really cool to see people from all over the world come together in my tribe community and all share similar expectations of what a family is. We then compared our list of characteristics that go along with families to the Jewish community, both locally and as a whole. Talking about Judaism and the importance of a Jewish community is really interesting to hear from people who come from other Jewish communities, especially those from Israel. It seems to me that people from Israel, or at least those in my group, have similar views on how to act in different situations. Some of the Americans spoke of personal experiences with antisemitism, and I learned a lot just by watching the Israelis reactions in awe of how someone can get checked for horns in their own school in this day of age. They compared it to how Christian people sometimes get treated in Israel and that is such a 360 for me it's strange to think of. We then heard a talk from Avraham Infeild who inspired us by explaining his choice to move from South Africa to Israel when he was younger, and his struggles with his Jewish identity. He spoke of the potential five legs of a table in order to advocate for and to understand the Jewish people: family, Hebrew, the land and state of Israel, the Covenant, and memories. We then proceeded to learn about the Hebrew language and the connections between roots in words to help symbolize the significance and deeper meanings within prayers and holy texts. We then learned about the covenant and analyzed a text not only connecting our prior knowledge of family and of Hebrew, but also by furthering our understanding of the significance of advocacy for the Jewish people according to Avraham Infeild. We had dinner back at our hostel after a nice walk back, and had a meaningful maagal Lilah, concluding our day with hugs and friendly faces that we had not seen all together all day.
Jennie
Jennie
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Ashkemore Closes Community Week
Hello parents, grandparents, and siblings whose parents are making you read this them (don't worry I was exactly where you were two years ago),
First and foremost, I wanted to wish a huge happy birthday to Mr. Orlinsky. Lexi and I planned a huge birthday party for him at 6:00 this morning which for some odd reason people decided to skip. But Charlie, Lexi, the required staff, and I woke up early and celebrated. It was very fun and cool -- and may not have really happened
Speaking of "cool", in accordance with our theme of the day, Tikkun Olam (Fixing the World), we future-delinquent Diller fellows vandalized an outside wall of the Ashkelon stadium today as we were taught the ins and outs of graffiti by an Israeli professional. Don't worry, this was a planned event. In fact, we not only for permission from the stadium owners, but also spray painted "Be The Change" in pretty bright neon colors. In the process we actually met up with another group from Baltimore, ECYP, an African-American group also traveling to Israel, who helped us with the graffiti.
After mastering the art of graffiti (parents I would advise you not leave any cans of spray paint around your home from now on), we headed to a day camp to play with 8-10 year olds. It was very interesting to see how this camp compares to the day camps many of us attended as youngsters. We all enjoyed interacting with the kids despite the fact that very few of us could speak Hebrew and very few of them could speak English -- knowing how to juggle and do simple sleight of hand tricks has never come in handy so much in my life as when I desperately tried to entertain the kids in the day camp. Other faced similar language difficulties and learned a lot of Hebrew in the process of talking to these kids. I can surely tell you I learned many different colors such as Blue = Cahol, Green = Yarok, Red = Adom, and many more.
Next, we had a nice Israeli falafel lunch which was absolutely delicious unless you thought a banana pepper would be a good addition to your falafel (in which case you did not enjoy lunch). After lunch we proceeded to have an insightful discussion about whether countries or religions can have memories and what America, Israel, and Judaism as a whole's five most defining moments were. After some enlightening conversation we decided that memories are significant to the development of a society because the events themselves facilitate changes that continue to affect the our lives today and because without memories, each day would be a new beginning and progress would be nearly impossible.
With our bellies full and our minds exhausted we trudged down the street to the fire station where we learned all about fire trucks and what they carry to prepare for any and all possible emergencies in Ashkelon. They even let us try the fire hose. We learned that with lighter homework loads, our Israeli matches have enough time to volunteer at the local fire stations (in fact we had more than a few volunteers in our Israeli group).
Later that night we reconvened at a restaurant for closing ceremony. After an Israeli (not Italian) pasta dinner, the Tikkun Olam group members each gave speeches about his/her experience throughout community week, showed a slideshow, handed out trophies, and we even had a visit from special guest Donald Trump (impersonated by Ryan Sweren -- a spot on performance). Altogether, Tikkun Olam day was full of giving back to the Ashkelon community, learning, laughter, and excitement about Mr. Orlinsky's birthday (again happy birthday Mr. Orlinsky).
Tonight we will all get to bed very early 😉 in preparation for Congress tomorrow with all the Diller groups across the world.
Thank you for reading, and as they say here in Israel, שלום וביי (Shalom and Bye)
Ian Malinow
First and foremost, I wanted to wish a huge happy birthday to Mr. Orlinsky. Lexi and I planned a huge birthday party for him at 6:00 this morning which for some odd reason people decided to skip. But Charlie, Lexi, the required staff, and I woke up early and celebrated. It was very fun and cool -- and may not have really happened
Speaking of "cool", in accordance with our theme of the day, Tikkun Olam (Fixing the World), we future-delinquent Diller fellows vandalized an outside wall of the Ashkelon stadium today as we were taught the ins and outs of graffiti by an Israeli professional. Don't worry, this was a planned event. In fact, we not only for permission from the stadium owners, but also spray painted "Be The Change" in pretty bright neon colors. In the process we actually met up with another group from Baltimore, ECYP, an African-American group also traveling to Israel, who helped us with the graffiti.
After mastering the art of graffiti (parents I would advise you not leave any cans of spray paint around your home from now on), we headed to a day camp to play with 8-10 year olds. It was very interesting to see how this camp compares to the day camps many of us attended as youngsters. We all enjoyed interacting with the kids despite the fact that very few of us could speak Hebrew and very few of them could speak English -- knowing how to juggle and do simple sleight of hand tricks has never come in handy so much in my life as when I desperately tried to entertain the kids in the day camp. Other faced similar language difficulties and learned a lot of Hebrew in the process of talking to these kids. I can surely tell you I learned many different colors such as Blue = Cahol, Green = Yarok, Red = Adom, and many more.
Next, we had a nice Israeli falafel lunch which was absolutely delicious unless you thought a banana pepper would be a good addition to your falafel (in which case you did not enjoy lunch). After lunch we proceeded to have an insightful discussion about whether countries or religions can have memories and what America, Israel, and Judaism as a whole's five most defining moments were. After some enlightening conversation we decided that memories are significant to the development of a society because the events themselves facilitate changes that continue to affect the our lives today and because without memories, each day would be a new beginning and progress would be nearly impossible.
With our bellies full and our minds exhausted we trudged down the street to the fire station where we learned all about fire trucks and what they carry to prepare for any and all possible emergencies in Ashkelon. They even let us try the fire hose. We learned that with lighter homework loads, our Israeli matches have enough time to volunteer at the local fire stations (in fact we had more than a few volunteers in our Israeli group).
Later that night we reconvened at a restaurant for closing ceremony. After an Israeli (not Italian) pasta dinner, the Tikkun Olam group members each gave speeches about his/her experience throughout community week, showed a slideshow, handed out trophies, and we even had a visit from special guest Donald Trump (impersonated by Ryan Sweren -- a spot on performance). Altogether, Tikkun Olam day was full of giving back to the Ashkelon community, learning, laughter, and excitement about Mr. Orlinsky's birthday (again happy birthday Mr. Orlinsky).
Tonight we will all get to bed very early 😉 in preparation for Congress tomorrow with all the Diller groups across the world.
Thank you for reading, and as they say here in Israel, שלום וביי (Shalom and Bye)
Ian Malinow
Friday, July 15, 2016
Community Week Israeli Culture Day
Lexi shares with us what we have been up to during our day exploring Israeli Culture! Sending a big Shabbat Shalom from Ashkelon!
Learning about the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership!
Shalom!
Lizzie here ready to tell you about the amazing day the partnership committee planned (if I do say so myself). We got to Sivan's school, Ort Afridar bright and early to write cards for kids in the hospital in Ashkelon and to repaint and decorate the partnership mural. Though some of us ended up covered in paint, it was a morning well spent. Next, we had an activity called acrobalance, which combines yoga and gymnastics to create some amazing poses. After acrobalance, we all went off to different places for lunch and met back up to talk to the director of the partnership, Sigal Ariely at the volunteer center. For our final program of the day, we went to the Park Baltimore which many of you may have been to or even help create in honor of Lyn Getz to help us recognize our program's unique partnership. We created a web of yarn by tossing it around to our new friends from the partnership and the cutting it to make bracelets. Then we all split up for dinner and other fun activities. (Shaked and I met up with Emily and Aviv, Jennie and Dorin, Laura and Amit, and Molly and Noam at an amazing shopping center and then went to a bonfire on the beach with almost the whole group.) All in all, it was a crazy and interesting day that truly helped show what Diller and the partnership is all about.
Hope you are all having great summers, I know we are.
Lizzie
Community Week Has Begun!
Naomi recounts the first day of Community Week, where the teens have worked very hard to plan a joint self-management experience!
Today we had a very busy day as we learned about the IDF. We began our day playing ice breaker activities and a trivia game. We then traveled to a gym where we simulated IDF training and learned about preparation for the army. We then had a schnitzel lunch and created care packages for soldiers. We also played capture the flag in a paintball competition. Following this, we visited a memorial center to participate in a panel discussion about IDF service with soldiers. After dinner we had another panel discussion with an Arab and Jewish teen about tensions in the Middle East and their opinions regarding coexistence and citizenship.
Naomi Hoch
Today we had a very busy day as we learned about the IDF. We began our day playing ice breaker activities and a trivia game. We then traveled to a gym where we simulated IDF training and learned about preparation for the army. We then had a schnitzel lunch and created care packages for soldiers. We also played capture the flag in a paintball competition. Following this, we visited a memorial center to participate in a panel discussion about IDF service with soldiers. After dinner we had another panel discussion with an Arab and Jewish teen about tensions in the Middle East and their opinions regarding coexistence and citizenship.
Naomi Hoch
Monday, July 11, 2016
Shabbat in Israel!
What does it mean for me to be a practicing reform Jew? What is my connection to Israel as a Jewish American? Am I a bad Jew for having lost my faith in God as I have matured?
These questions have bounced around my head for the first few days of our trip in Israel. As soon as I stepped off the plane onto Israeli soil I was a little disappointed. I had expected for it to hit me that I was in the holy land that God had supposedly granted the Jewish people, but it just felt like I was some where I had never been before. The next few days we traveled throughout the Negev which included camel riding, repelling down into a crater, learning about Bedouin culture, and learning about how great Israeli humus is.
On Friday all the diaspora Jews gathered together at a nice hotel in Jerusalem and I was blown away by the ruach of the Australian and South African groups, Baltimore has some work to do for Congress. Even after Shabbat services and my hilarious attempt to close services with Laura by singing Adon Olam, I still couldn't grasp the thought that I was in the holy land that our people had struggled for thousands of years to control.
The feeling finally sunk in when we went to the Wailing Wall Saturday night. At first I was incredibly underwhelmed thinking that this one wall covered in ivy had been the holiest site in the world for the Jewish people, the location where millions of Jews for thousands of years aimed their prayer towards. However, as soon as I walked up to the wall I froze in awe looking at the site of hundreds of people gathered along the wall thinking, praying, and crying.
Once I approached the wall I wasn't really sure what to do, but I saw that many people had their hands against the wall and seemed to be talking to God. Once I placed my hands on the stone wall something inside my body dropped, I felt a wave of energy rush from my head down to my toes. I stood at the wall praying for everything I had in my life: the amazing opportunity to be in Israel, my family, and the great friendships I've made with my other Diller teen fellows.
I was at the wall for 15 minutes before I finally left to go back to the group, but in those 15 minutes my perception of Judaism changed immensely. Over the past few years I had begun to lose my belief in there being a god, but after praying at the wall I definitely felt like my prayers had been heard. I felt even more blessed to have been able to bring my great grandfather's necklace with me. The necklace made my experience even more emotional because it made me feel as though I was carrying on the cohein tradition, since my family used to be considered holy priests back in the days of the temple.
Before I left the wall I sang the hatikvah. I don't know why I did, but in the moment it just came to my head. Hatikvah translates to the hope, and that definition could not be more fitting for the latest experience we had on the trip.
We had the opportunity to go to Yad Vashem, the famous holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. The museum was great and very insightful, but I was interested in the contrasts i observed between the museums in Washington DC and Jerusalem. In Israel, the museum doesn't focus much on the horrible things the Nazis did. Not once did we discuss human experimentation or the brutality of the Nazis against the Jewish people. In Washington DC the museum has a lot more shock value, while in Jerusalem the museum focused more so on the perseverance of the Jewish people and the importance of us remembering the victims of the holocaust not just as dead bodies, but as human beings with their own unique lives. Musicians, artists, writers, fathers, mothers, children.
Elie Wiesel, a holocaust survivor and Nobel prize winner for his book Night, recently passed away in the past few weeks. In his book he stated, "Hope is like peace. It is not from God. It is a gift only we give each other". This quote and the message of the hatikvah have such a strong connection. No matter how you choose to practice your Judaism, whether or not you believe in God, you need to have hope. Hope is what drove our people for thousands of years to overcome oppressors, challenge the impossible, and make our culture thrive. Looking forward to the rest of our trip I have hope, hope that I can grow closer to the Ashkemore family, hope that I can deepen my Jewish identity, hope that I can establish a strong connection to the land that God promised my ancestors, hope that the Jewish people will continue to prosper, and hope that I can make the most out of the rest of the time I am in Israel.
These questions have bounced around my head for the first few days of our trip in Israel. As soon as I stepped off the plane onto Israeli soil I was a little disappointed. I had expected for it to hit me that I was in the holy land that God had supposedly granted the Jewish people, but it just felt like I was some where I had never been before. The next few days we traveled throughout the Negev which included camel riding, repelling down into a crater, learning about Bedouin culture, and learning about how great Israeli humus is.
On Friday all the diaspora Jews gathered together at a nice hotel in Jerusalem and I was blown away by the ruach of the Australian and South African groups, Baltimore has some work to do for Congress. Even after Shabbat services and my hilarious attempt to close services with Laura by singing Adon Olam, I still couldn't grasp the thought that I was in the holy land that our people had struggled for thousands of years to control.
The feeling finally sunk in when we went to the Wailing Wall Saturday night. At first I was incredibly underwhelmed thinking that this one wall covered in ivy had been the holiest site in the world for the Jewish people, the location where millions of Jews for thousands of years aimed their prayer towards. However, as soon as I walked up to the wall I froze in awe looking at the site of hundreds of people gathered along the wall thinking, praying, and crying.
Once I approached the wall I wasn't really sure what to do, but I saw that many people had their hands against the wall and seemed to be talking to God. Once I placed my hands on the stone wall something inside my body dropped, I felt a wave of energy rush from my head down to my toes. I stood at the wall praying for everything I had in my life: the amazing opportunity to be in Israel, my family, and the great friendships I've made with my other Diller teen fellows.
I was at the wall for 15 minutes before I finally left to go back to the group, but in those 15 minutes my perception of Judaism changed immensely. Over the past few years I had begun to lose my belief in there being a god, but after praying at the wall I definitely felt like my prayers had been heard. I felt even more blessed to have been able to bring my great grandfather's necklace with me. The necklace made my experience even more emotional because it made me feel as though I was carrying on the cohein tradition, since my family used to be considered holy priests back in the days of the temple.
Before I left the wall I sang the hatikvah. I don't know why I did, but in the moment it just came to my head. Hatikvah translates to the hope, and that definition could not be more fitting for the latest experience we had on the trip.
We had the opportunity to go to Yad Vashem, the famous holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. The museum was great and very insightful, but I was interested in the contrasts i observed between the museums in Washington DC and Jerusalem. In Israel, the museum doesn't focus much on the horrible things the Nazis did. Not once did we discuss human experimentation or the brutality of the Nazis against the Jewish people. In Washington DC the museum has a lot more shock value, while in Jerusalem the museum focused more so on the perseverance of the Jewish people and the importance of us remembering the victims of the holocaust not just as dead bodies, but as human beings with their own unique lives. Musicians, artists, writers, fathers, mothers, children.
Elie Wiesel, a holocaust survivor and Nobel prize winner for his book Night, recently passed away in the past few weeks. In his book he stated, "Hope is like peace. It is not from God. It is a gift only we give each other". This quote and the message of the hatikvah have such a strong connection. No matter how you choose to practice your Judaism, whether or not you believe in God, you need to have hope. Hope is what drove our people for thousands of years to overcome oppressors, challenge the impossible, and make our culture thrive. Looking forward to the rest of our trip I have hope, hope that I can grow closer to the Ashkemore family, hope that I can deepen my Jewish identity, hope that I can establish a strong connection to the land that God promised my ancestors, hope that the Jewish people will continue to prosper, and hope that I can make the most out of the rest of the time I am in Israel.
Zach Caplan
Day 3 in Israel!
Dear Parents,
Friday was a blast! After waking up and eating breakfast, we all hopped on the bus and headed towards the Dead Sea. The sea lived up to its reputation, for the salt left many in pain and several temporarily blind. I personally swam half way to Jordan in order to climb on a salt patch, but I was called back for obvious reasons. Around noon we left the sea and continued our journey to Jerusalem. At the hotel we had lunch and began meeting the other diaspora cohorts. We participated in several different services based on personal practices, which included meditation, reform, conservative, and orthodox. Meditation sounded interesting, but wound up being yoga. Having been tired because of all the fun activities, most retired and went to bed early. All the best!
Sincerely,
Matthew Weiner
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Day 2 in Israel!
We had an incredible second day in Israel with rappelling down Israel's biggest crater, riding camels, and learning more about the Bedouin culture. I was truly touched listening to a Bedouin woman named Miriam who shared her story with us. She had defied her culture's traditions and pursued a life for herself. She went to London and earned a degree in business. She returned to Israel after finishing her studies in London and decided not to marry at the time which was frowned upon by her family and community. Her father who had supported her in going to London for her eduction shunned Miriam once she decided not to marry. Miriam continued to pursue her dream of starting her own business and began creating soaps, lotions, and other beauty products. She has been continuously optimistic even through her business struggles. I was inspired by her positive attitude and ability to continue her business even with the hardships she faced. Miriam married two years ago to a man who is ten years younger than her. She continues to push the boundaries the Bedouin culture has, but always with a smile on her face. As a student attending Bryn Mawr, an all girls school, I really connected with Miriam. I have always been told I can accomplish anything if I put my mind to it. However, I had the preconceived notion that all women around the world did not believe in themselves and needed someone to tell them what they could achieve. But Miriam did it all on her own without someone telling her what was possible. She believed in herself despite no encouragement in pursuing her dreams. It made me even more thankful for the support I have received not only from my family but my community. Listening to her was a highlight for the entire group and we all were touched by her story.
Laura
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)