Community Week Day 1

July 8, 2019
By: Max Goldman

Picture the scene: A 17-year-old boy hastily wakes up at 7:45 after finally achieving a full nights sleep without the intervention of the ruthless peacocks that lived at the Bedouin tents. The day begins at the volunteer center with a check in of our first time with our host families. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed my first night, as Omer’s family is both gracious and extremely sweet. Then, we went to the Baltimore Park, which was built by both Israelis from Ashkelon and Americans, such as the Getz’s. The mosaics there were stunning and we enjoyed a nice game of catch as well. After returning, we learned a mandatory Diller lesson and ate some Israeli Pizza Hut. But then, it happened. Man met his greatest foe yet: the jellyfish. As we learned how to surf in the sea, we smiled as we hilariously failed over and over. However, the jellyfish had different plans. As I, once again, struggled to stand up, I fell off my surfboard into the water where a whole jelly was waiting to cover my whole forearm. Pain rushed through my arm, and I realized that jellyfish were not as wonderful as Spongebob portrayed them. They were officially added to my list of least favorite things, right in front of peacocks. Thankfully, a woman had a cream that apparently did something, but I was too busy screaming expletives to express my complex feelings. At least it’s an awesome story. We then returned home and relaxed for a fun night. What a day.

Welcome to Community Week!

July 7, 2019

By: Sophie Getz

Today we spent our last morning in the desert. Right after breakfast in the Bedouin tents, we took the bus to the Dead Sea. It was a lot of fun in the water itself and also in the pool. We saw lots of fellows that we had just met over the weekend and spent some time with them. Then we got on the bus to head to Ashkelon and we had lunch on the way. Next, we had an opening ceremony with the Israelis and were able to reunite with them. We then spent the rest of the night getting to know our host families.

International Shabbaton!

Shabbat Shalom: July 6, 2019

By: Eli Getz

Today was Saturday, July 6. We spent Shabbat at the Bedouin tent. We woke up to peacocks squawking and the smell of camel poop bright and early. We ate breakfast and chose our own morning services to attend. After a short break, we learned about the 10 commandments and other interesting Jewish topics followed by lunch. Then, we learned about Jewish women and had a magnificent break. During the break, we socialized with other cohorts and napped in the air-conditioned synagogue. We had dinner, a Havdalah service, and said goodbye to our new friends. Lastly, we stargazed, spent time at the bonfire, and watched Aladdin. What a great day!

Day 4: July 4,2019

Fourth of July in Israel! By: Sophie Garonzik

Happy July 4th! Today we spent our morning touring the devastating yet informative Yad Vashem. There we learned about the hardships and challenges that our Jewish ancestors experienced. We then visited the YMCA, where we were able to spend quality time getting to know preschoolers of all different affiliations and origins. This Arabic- Israeli run school teaches children in both Hebrew and Arabic. Next, we returned to the hotel to engage in an Acro- balance class. During this lesson, we were taught how to use our balance and communication skills in order to create complex torsions with our bodies. Finally, we concluded with a delicious food tour around the streets of Jerusalem. The food was absolutely mouthwatering and I encourage you all to try it someday! Again happy 4th!

Day 3: July 3, 2019

Day 3 In Israel, By Gaya Friedman

We first went to Temple Mount and we got really lucky because there was no line to get in and it was not crowded. After that, we went to the Kotel. For lunch, we had Pizur (everyone gets money and is able to choose their own lunch) in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem. After lunch, we walked around Meah Shearim, an ultra-orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem, and met a rabbi who lives there and got to ask him questions. Then we went to a lady’s house who has a challah-making business and learned how to make different kinds of challahs. The lady was so welcoming and even made babka for us while we waited for our challahs to bake. Lastly, we met with the director of Women of the Wall, a group of women who fight for equal rights at the Kotel. We learned about diversity in Jerusalem and got to hear many different people explain their views and opinions to us.

Day 2: July 2, 2019

Day 2 in Israel!

By: Teddy Cohen

Today we started off by talking to a panel of 6 individuals with different backgrounds/perspectives on life, politics, and Israel. We were divided up into groups and each individual was assigned to each group. In the groups, we heard their stories and asked questions. The main take away from the discussions was seeing different perspectives on life. Towards the end of the activity, we regrouped and could go back with one of the 6 individuals and ask more questions. At the end, we debriefed with just the Diller group. After we were done we went to the shuk in Tel-Aviv and got lunch. Once the shuk was over, we took the bus to a hike and learned about respecting the environment and early civilizations. After the hike, we went to Jerusalem and ate dinner and explored Ben Yehuda Street. Once we were done at Ben Yehuda we all went back to the Hostel for bed.

Day 1: July 1, 2019

Day 1 in Israel, by Zach Aldouby

     After a long flight, we arrived in Israel at 6:15 AM, ready to face a full day of programming. We held a small opening ceremony at a park in Tel Aviv, and then headed to our first activity: Mayumana. Mayumana is a combination of rhythmic dance and music and proved to be a challenge for most the group. However, through dedication and teamwork, we persevered and managed to stay on beat for a while (minus a few fellows). Of course, all of that dancing made us hungry, so we headed to Jaffa for some lunch and shopping. After some incredible falafel, we all went to the blind museum (Dialogue in the Dark), a place meant to simulate the lives of the visually impaired. It turned out to be a great learning experience for everyone, as we got the chance to “see” the world from a different perspective.