Our Last Day in Israel!

July 23, 2017
By: Amanda Fruman

Coming to you live from Ben Gurion Airport: We woke up this morning, finished our last minute packing, and weighed everyone's suitcases to make sure no one broke the 50lb limit. Once everyone had redistributed their things to other suitcases and everyone's bags zipped, we headed to breakfast. You could tell it was the end of the trip when Jeremy ran out of clean shorts and came to breakfast with a shirt wrapped around his legs as makeshift pants; "the t-short". We then packed up the bus and headed to Haifa. We saw the Baha'i Gardens. It is one of the holiest shrines for the Baha'i people (the youngest monotheistic religion in the world), and where their first prophet is burried. In Haifa we also explored a culturally diverse minority in Israel, the Druze. It was so cool to listen to them speak and learn about such a small population of Israel. Did you know that Druze only make up less than 1% of the Israeli people? They served us a traditional lunch and it was very tasty! We ate rice, tahini covered meat, and We then hopped back on the bus to go rock climbing. This was such a fun way to end the trip, and I was so impressed that everyone who was able to tried even if it was scary. At this point it began to hit me how close I was to leaving Israel, and these amazing 18 people who have become family to me. We all made promises to hang out after Diller. We jumped back on the bus, picked up a quick dinner, and headed straight for the airport. We said an emotional goodbye and safe travels to Emily our JC as she is on her way to Greece, and to Talia Ilana Miller, and Abigal who extend their trip in Israel. Going through customs and baggage was as smooth as possible and now we are hanging out waiting for our flight to board. I am so thankful for Diller and this amazing opportunity. I have truly realized how once in a lifetime it was been for me. Not only has it connected me to Jews from all corners of the world, but it has allowed me to feel comfortable bringing my Jewish values and traditions home to my everyday life. We miss all of our families so much and we can't wait to see you in a few short hours!! 

Shabbat Shalom!

July 21, 2017
By: Sara Buchdahl

Today is Friday July 21st in Israel. This morning we woke up early to go from Tiberias where we are staying, to Dir el assad which is located farther north.

The drive was beautifully filled with views of mountains and the ocean. 

The town that we went to is an Arab town and we had the experience of meeting with some of the kids that live there. We discussed with a Jewish Israeli who works in the area about the cultural differences and challenges that rise in the community. We then went into groups with the children and talked about life as an Arab Israeli compared to our experiences as American Jews and Israeli Jews. It was incredible to open our minds and hear the perspectives of people that we do not normally get the chance to hear from. The connections that we made have changed my views in a positive way on how life is different as well as similar to ours and the Ashkelon group. 

We then went to the Sea of Galilee and had a nice lunch and free time to swim in the water and relax. 

Now we are off to welcome Shabbat together as a Baltimore Ashkelon partnership. Shabbat shalom!

Ashkemore Travel Days!

July 20, 2017

By: Ilana Miller

Today marked the last day of Congress, and we all woke up early to say goodbye to the friends we'd made who stayed at our kibbutz, from Johannesburg (South Africa), Metrowest (New Jersey), Toronto, Eilat, Rishon-Lezion, and Beit Shemesh. After leaving the kibbutz, we ate hamburgers for lunch and then kayaked on the Jordan River. Post-kayak, we headed to the holy city of Tzfat, where we did a little bit of tchotchke shopping and then ate dinner, where most of us tried Yemenite grilled cheese. After dinner, we learned about how the prayers in torahs and mezuzah are written through videos, a quiz game, and even a 3-d ride. We then were able to try scribe writing ourselves using quill pens and parchment: it's harder than it looks! As our day came to a close, we stopped at our hostel near the Sea of Galilee and fell asleep. 

Putting Our Leadership to the Test

July 19, 2017
By: Howard Silverman

 Howdy y'all and welcome to my blog!

Today is the 19th of July. We arose bright and early on the Gadot Kibbutz and had a swell breakfast full of the classic Israeli salads and moist sunny-side-up eggs. Soon after we split into small groups full of people from different places like Israel, South Africa, and of course the good ole USA (and New Jersey also). In these groups we tested our leadership abilities in numerous, strenuous activities.

Next we broke for a full and hardy lunch. 

Most ate quickly and then a great and long war broke out almost immediately: The Great Water War of 2017.  Everyone was wet but it was a good kind of wet.  For example, charlie was no longer dry after the lunch.  We then dried off in the sun fairly quickly.   

After our nice and wholesome break, the original, multinational groups reconvened to reflect on the activities and ourselves. We spoke about how our own leadership qualities changed over the course of Diller and our lives.

After this enjoyable talk with the new group we split up to get ready for the closing ceremony of Congress. 

The dance: 

Many wore casual clothing, however the true men of diller wore a more fancy, higher class type of outerwear: Hawaiians. All of the diller teens convened to thank everyone involved in the coordination of Congress. Once the thank yous were completed, the largest, most international, Jewish dance party began. We jumped, we shimmied, we twirled, we fist pumped, we dabbed, we mosh pitted, and most of all, bonded through the music. 

This is the completion of the day. 

Congress Day 2

July 18, 2017
By: Abigail Lerman

Today we met with the fellows from Cape Town and talked to them about our impact projects. We also brainstormed as a group different service projects that we could do to serve the needs of different communities. Later all the diaspora Jews gathered to hear how to put our newly learned skills from Diller into action through being a JC, student volunteer or involving ourselves in other organizations we are passionate about. It was great being with all of the Diller communities!

Congress Day 1

July 17, 2017

Charlie Shapiro

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We Arrived at congress and we were so excited to have our first day surrounded by friends and Jews from all over the world. We had an opening meeting. We were broken into random groups from all over the world for a lesson and conversation about where we are all from, and how that affects where we are now. We had a large map on the floor and we each put a sticker where we live. Then we put stickers with a different color where our parents are from, and all the way to grandparents.  We all discussed what connects us and said why our family moved from our past countries. 

We all tried our hardest to converse and make new friends during our lunch break. They played popular music from all the cultures. We each had a motivational speaker we were assigned to to help inspire our Judaism. For instance I, Charlie Shapiro, had the president of Tel Hai college. We then went back and had a Jewish journey discussion. We each had random groups were our job was to pretend to be a Jewish family and we had to answer real life questions about our family relating to our Jewish identity. We ended our day with a maagal at our kibbutz and free time with the other cohorts at our kibbutz.

Arriving to Global Congress

July 16, 2017
By: Lexi Silverman

I've created such a strong bond with Shir's family that it broke my heart having to leave without a final goodbye on the morning we left for Congress. But it isn't a final goodbye it's just a see you later (להתראות).I know I'll be back one day in Israel so I can see all of Shir's family's energetic children and kind husbands. Shir's family has made such a remarkable impact on my life in ways I never thought they would. With open arms and hearts they accepted me into their home and made me part of their family.  Of course the language barrier was hard at times but we overcame words with actions of love and laughter. 

After a few hour drive with a couple of pit stops, we made it to Kibbutz Gadot where Johannesburg, Toronto, Metro West, and their partnerships met us. We were greeted by a whole variety of people from all over the world at our opening ceremony where we ate, socialized and networked. We then went back to our Kibbutz had a short magal and time to network. It was an energetic, amazing, and eyeopening day, and I'm so excited to see how the rest of Global Congress plays out. 

Shabbat Shalom from Ashkelon

Shabbat Shalom!
July 14-15, 2017
By: Daniel Polsky

Life at Amit's

Living at Amit's house was one of the highlights of my trip. His family treated me like one of their own sons. They made sure I never was hungry..... like ever. The amount of food I ate while I stayed with Amit's family was probably unhealthy, but it was an amazing experience. The father loved to have cookouts, and grilled chicken heart was his specialty. Amit's mother enjoyed making Nutella crepes every morning for breakfast. 

Shabbat was a welcoming experience. Some of Amit's family, Aunts and uncles and grandparents, came over for Shabbat dinner. We all sat together at a table as Amit's father said the prayers. It was shockingly similar to my Shabbat dinner's with my family in Maryland. 

When the last day arrived I wasn't ready to leave. I had such an amazing time with Amit and his family, and I didn't want to leave. The week had gone by so quickly, and I know I'll always have family in israel when I come back. 

Community Week

July 12, 2017
By: Emily Gelb

Today the Diller Teen Fellows experienced an army themed day. We began our day at Iso's gym where we experienced an intense workout designed to train us for the army. We then learned about Iso and his story behind the gym. We all walked out of Iso's  gym sweaty and expecting to be sore in the morning.

We then bussed to a different center where we have a panel discussion with 3 soldiers. One was recently released from the army and the other two are Diller alumni and currently serving.  It was very interesting hearing about the army from this unique perspective and seeing their love and dedication to the state of Israel. 

After we enjoyed a delicious sushi lunch and a nice break. We then learned about lone soldiers who are individuals from other countries who serve in the IDF. We made serval gift baskets for these lone soldiers and each wrote a letter thanking them for their service. 

We then went to a field near the iron dome to play paintball. We learned about the importance of the Iron Dome and talked a little about security in Ashkelon. Paintball was a lot of fun and we walked away with only a few battle scars. We ended our day at Shahar's house for a wonderful dinner. His family prepared a wonderful variety of meats, rice, and Israeli salad. To conclude the excitement of the day, a few Baltimore teens took a swim in Shahar's pool while fully dressed. 

Overall it was a great day that was planned and executed perfectly. It is crazy to think our Israeli friends will soon be serving in the army and joining a different part of Israeli life. 

Arriving to Ashkelon

July 9, 2017

By: Ethan Swartz

Much like a cake placed in the wake of 15 kindergarteners the day started off heavy and ended on a light and sweet note. Our day started off with saying goodbye to our other fellows from around the Diaspora. When we realized that our next stop was yad veshem and mount herlz the mood changed from our usual upbeat tone to a more solem and reflective bus ride. The morning consisted of a reflective and emotional tour through the main exhibit and the children's memorial. A large part of the museum was to make the experience a more personal endeavor. After we toured yad veshem we had lunch and then traveled to Mt Herzl. Sadly, the military section was not available to visit today was Yoni Netanyahu's Yartziet service. We were still able to visit the graves of Theodore Herzl, Hannah Senesh, Yitzhak Rabin, and Shimon Perez. After our excursion on the mountain we took off for ashkelon. After about a two hour ride we were surprised by our Israelis who were waiting for us at the restraunt we had our opening dinner at. After hugs and catching up with some very classy and delicious dinner, we wrote our hopes and wishes for our stay in ashkelon with our match on a balloon and let the balloons free outside. We then proceeded to meet our matches family and went home with our new families. All in all a very busy day, but also very fulfilling.

Shabbat Shalom!

July 8, 2017

By: Ilana Moffet

Today we had a great day at international shabbaton!! The day started with breakfast for some of us while others were in a traditional shabbat service and had breakfast later in the morning. For those that had breakfast first thing in the morning, different services followed after breakfast. There were services varying from discussions about god to yoga and prayer.  After services we all reconvened as a Baltimore cohort and teamed up with the Melbourne cohort to discuss the torah portion of the week. We did activities to discuss the torah portion while also meeting people from the other cohort. As a group we got a long really well and we're very compatible to the Melbourne cohort. After torah discussion we had a shabbat lunch date where the Baltimore cohort was paired with the Melbourne cohort again and we got the chance to really get to know them. We had about two hours of downtime after lunch which was nice because it gave us opportunities to meet new people. Some people chilled under a canopy and talked to new people while others played basketball with new friends. Following our break we gathered for a snack before our walk to the old city. The walk to the old city was about an hour and then we had time to relax as a group and finishing blessing each other from the night before. We all gathered for havdallah at the kotel and time for personal prayer at the wall as well. It was so powerful to see everyone at the kotel to celebrate the end of shabbat. Once havdallah was over we walked to ben yehuda street for a late dinner and shopping. We did not get back to the campus until midnight and went to bed late. Overall it was a great day filled with a lot of opportunity to meet and talk to new people. 

International Shabbaton

July 7, 2017

By: Lilly Sibel

It was a very eventful day In Jerusalem today for the Baltimore Diller Teen Fellows. Starting the day off us fellows met up with the Miami Diller cohort and listened to a Reform  rabbi who talked to us about the less then minority groups in Israel. It was interesting to learn that the Reform and Conservativr  Jews are actually a significant  monitory in Israel which is very different than in the states. We then made our way to the international shabbaton where 16 different cohorts met. The Baltimore cohort was very spirited and definitely cheered the loudest. Avraham Infeld gave an incredible lecture about his views of Judaism as a way of life rather than a religion. Following his lecture the Baltimore fellows partnered with the Pittsburgh fellows to discuss the lecture in depth. Despite our football rivalry, we were able to have a good discussion. To start Shabbat all the cohorts met up for the white parade where each cohort was introduced with a cheer. Following this, fellows were split up into different groups to meet before the Shabbat dinner took place. During dinner each Baltimore fellow got up and blessed one another which was a nice way to start Shabbat. To end our busy day the Baltimore fellows had a Ma'agal Laila where we discussed our different views on God. It was a good and tiring day for the Baltimore Diller Teen Fellows and we are all looking forward to the weekend with each cohort.

The Many Faces of Jerusalem

July 6, 2017

By: Jared Hurwitz

So today was packed...

This years ISS theme is "The Many Faces of Israel," and today was extremely consistent with that theme. We started the day with a bus ride to the Old City. Our first stop in the Old City was a quick tour around The Dome of the Rock. We toured the area outside the mosques. After our tour, we crossed over to the Western Wall. We had 20 minutes or so to put our notes in the wall or have a moment of prayer. I had a small mishap at the wall with some birds but I later learned that it's a sign that my prayers will be answered. After the Wall, we walked to the Christian quarter and many of us toured a church. Following that tour, we were all given a half an hour to shop in some of the stores nearby. For lunch, we were given money and walked around the food court in groups. Touring such a historic and holy site that means so much to the Jewish people and has brought so much joy and hope deeply impacted us all. This impact was paired with the rare opportunity given to us to tour one of the holiest sites for two of the worlds major religions. Actually visiting these sites that attract so much attention and debate provided us with a new perspective and appreciation. After our visit, we rode the bus to a chasidish neighborhood where we listened and asked questions to a chasidish Jew. Afterwards we went to a challah bake with another religious woman. Seeing these two chasidish figures showed us the range of Jews that we don't have in Baltimore. We wound up the busy day with a seminar where we heard from a secular and an Orthodox Jew about politics in Israel. This seminar evolved into a discussion within our group, where we had a panel from both sides of the political and religious spectrums. Despite the ideological differences between the conservative and orthodox program leaders, as well as the differences between our own cohort, we were able to engage in positive and constructive debate with the universal goal of strengthening elongating the state of Israel. Back at the hostel we had dinner and then magal layla. So far, so good!

We're here Jerusalem!

July 5, 2017

By: Danielle Stein

Summary: We drove from Tel Aviv to the outskirts of Jerusalem and did a downhill hike through to the valley. We saw a lot of pine trees that have been planted on the hills and learned more about the nature in the area. The boys also put their feet in a pond there. We then went to the shuk to have a culinary tour with 7 stops along the way including ice cream, dumplings, pita bread, etc. We then had some free time there to buy what we wanted and headed to our hostel for the next two nights.

"Today my nose won't get sunburnt" -Howard Silverman (wears blue zinc on nose)
Hike on outskirts of Jerusalem:
"The water on the hike was surprisingly wet when I put my feet in" -Charlie Shapiro
Food tour in Jerusalem shuk:
"I had four meals for lunch. Also, the water was really cold but it was really hot outside so overall it was in the middle" -Jared Hurwitz
"I had lots of fun bonding with the guy who helped me make pita bread. He showed me how to slap the dough against the oven and how they take it out. Then they cover it with oil and throw the zatar (spice) on. He also told me if I came back I could get a job there" -Abigail Lerman
Free time in shuk:
"I got a super hot pepper and it was painful but I liked it a lot" -Ethan Harrison

Exploring the Many Faces of Tel Aviv

July 4, 2017

By: Ethan Harrison

When we all woke up from our first full night in Israel, we headed downstairs for breakfast dressed in our national colors of read, white, and blue. We took several other Independence Day related Day items on the bus with us. For example, Talia brought decorations for the windows and a big American flag to show off our American pride to make us like even more touristy than we already did.

Our first destination of the day was the museum of the Jewish people located at the Tel Aviv University. There we went on a tour to see models of orthodox, conservative, and reform synagogues from all over the globe. In another exhibit, we watched short videos of Ethiopian Jews that were apart of Operation Moses. We watched stories of their dangerous trip from their homes in Ethiopia to Israel, and the loved ones that were lost on the way. For our last activity in the museum, we split in to small groups of four to discuss the what the state of Israel means to us. The discussions were focused on the ideas of Spirituality, Relevance, A center, Escape, and Love. (If you look closely the first letter of each word spells out Israel, except the I to signify that I and the rest of the Jewish people are a part of Israel.

All of us then took the bus to a children's museum named Dialogue in the Dark where we experienced life without our eyes. In pitch black, we walked around a house, went shopping in a market, and even enjoyed a boat ride proving that blind people aren't necessarily disabled, they just have a different way of living their lives. Our tour guide, who actually was blind, explained that even without his sight, he loves to scuba dive. He has taken 414 dives, and in order to do so he brings another diver with him that carries toy fish with him, so whenever the diver with eyes sees a fish or a squid, the blind diver could feel the toy fish and see with his hands. "It was fantastic, we really saw what is was like to be blind!" Charlie explained.

We then had to go back to using our eyes and walk around the humid city of Tel Aviv for a graffiti tour. We learned that the weird aliens and characters on the walls represented so much more than vandalism. We ended the tour in a "graffiti practice area" where artists go to practice their spray painting skills. We could see the layers and layers of art that changes everyday. Our guide, who was a man named Ashley, told us that on every tour the art changes.

We ended our day with Dino nuggets for dinner (my personal favorite), festive Fourth of July sparklers, and we even got to hang out with some other International teens.

Day 1 in Israel!

July 3, 2017

By: Talia Zymelman 

Today we arrived in Israel!! WOOHOO!!! We started out by meeting our tour guide Yair. He's super nice and plays the trumpet. We got on the bus and headed straight to Jaffa. After eating breakfast, we had a short opening session! Yair then showed us around the city on a walking tour. We heard about the history and culture of not only Jaffa, but Tel Aviv as a whole. After that we got some free time in the shuk in Jaffa. Following shopping, we all ate lunch together at Dr. Shakshuka. Following lunch we hopped on the bus to Mayumana. Mayumana is a dance company that performs all over the world! They combine rhythm, dance, and song to create an amazing performance. They graciously taught us some cool techniques and dance moves. To finish up the day we headed to the hostel to relax, shower, and go to sleep. It was an amazing day!! 

Lots of love, 

Diller Fellows 2017

Our Journey Begins!

July 2--Travel Day!

By: Lauren Losin

We started off our journey in the Chizuk Amuno parking lot where we were sent off to Israel with lots of hugs, kisses, and tears from our parents. Once we said our final goodbyes for the next three weeks, we found our seats on the bus and begun our three hour our trip to Newark International airport.

A little while into our bus ride, Sam presented us with a new piece of swag: a fanny pack containing ISS survival tools. Trust me, the fanny pack becomes very relevant further into our journey. On the bus, many of us tried to sleep while the boys messed around in the back and blasted music from Charlie's speaker (something we are used to). Nearing Newark, we did an activity lead by Sara and Ilana Miller where each of us described one thing we are looking forward too while following the letters of the alphabet. Finally, we had reached the airport.

Once arriving, we immediately saw some kids from the Metro West Diller group who then joined us in line to be questioned by El Al. As each of us passed through questioning, we got through without any issues until they noticed something "suspicious" on us, our fanny packs. Immediately they started interrogating myself, Ilana Moffet, and Jared about the contents, purpose, and origin of the mysterious and apparently threatening fanny pack. We all were quite frazzled and nervous, although we knew we did nothing wrong, and after around ten minutes of investigation we were in the clear.

After passing through questioning, we traveled to our gate where we had some free time to relax and walk around before having to sit for ten hours on the plane. This time went by quickly as we bought food and did the travelers prayer before boarding, and before we knew it we were in line and ready to go.

Entering the plane, we all became excited as we realized that our trip was really beginning now. As we got onto the plane, many of us rearranged our seats and got settled down for our ten hour flight. While some of us were already asleep before taking off (Jeremy), many of us begun watching a movie-particularly Baby Boss, a movie that many of us enjoyed. I fortunately slept for about seven of the ten hours (obviously after two melatonin and a Benadryl), but for those who couldn't catch some z's they played games on their phone, old DS (Ethan Harrison), watched a movie, listening to music, read a book, or engaged in some small talk with their seat neighbors.

Finally, after ten long hours of travel, we landed in Tel Aviv, anxious and excited to experience the next three weeks together with each other and the rest of international Diller.