Ashkemore Heads to Congress!

Wednesday July 29th

Today we departed Ashkelon with heavy hearts as we left our new Israeli families behind and journeyed to Congress in Givat Haviva. However, in the morning before we left Ashkelon we visited the Lynn Stacey Getz Park, which was built by Baltimore families in 2008. Hallie, LJ, and Jack, who helped with this mission seven years ago, explained their part in building this special playground that exemplifies the partnership between Baltimore and Ashkelon (aka Ashkemore).         

After a nice bus ride, we finally arrived together with Ashkelon at Congress. Since we had been anticipating this incredible opportunity for so long, all of us were really excited to meet 500 other Diller teens. At the opening ceremony we cheered, sang, screamed and showed off our Ashkemore pride. To fully integrate ourselves into the group, we were divided into "tribes" - groups of about twenty fellows with at least one representative from all twenty-two Diller Cohorts. After some icebreakers and name games in our tribes, we discussed the topic of family. This activity enabled us to appreciate not only our families at home in Baltimore, but also our Jewish family worldwide. Now, looking back on our five days at Congress, I can confidently say that we created our own international Diller family including fellows from Israel, North America, and even South Africa. On this first day, I remember both the excitement and the anxiety of gathering together with 500 other Dillers. With this unique and incredible experience behind us, I now have many new perspectives, a stronger connection to Israel and my Judaism, and most importantly tons of new friends.
💗, 
Emma Silverman