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.

Akko and Bubble Balls, July 22

We started off our day going to Kibbutz Chanaton. This Kibbutz was unique because it has almost all sects of Judaism represented in it but only has one synagogue so Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jews pray together. There, we learned and discussed the differences and similarities between all of those sects. Next we drove about 30 minutes to the old city of Akko. There, we took a tour of the Templar tunnels from the time of the crusaders. We learned about the crusaders as well as archaeological tels or cities under cities, under cities. Next, we had free time in the Arab market in Akko which was quite different from the markets we had previously been in. After that, we went back to the hostile and had rest time until dinner. After dinner, we had an activity with bubble balls which was a great way to end the trip and then we had free time afterwards and then we went to sleep.

Written by: Zach Zaiman 

Shabbat Shalom, July 21

This past Shabbat came just as expected. This week provided us with lots of meaningful and interesting experiences awaiting to be analyzed and reflected upon. Shabbat is the time of week when we choose to focus on the mysteries of creation rather than creation itself. So often we let the trials, tribulations, and chores of the week rule our lives; however, it is Shabbat that allows us to realize why we endure all of this. Shabbat is the day that we can really see what motivates us: friendship, beauty in nature, family, pursuit of knowledge, self reflection, etc. There is an image beauty in shabbat that forces us to put down our devices and not focus on taking pictures. When we leave these desires behind we can focus on making memories themselves, rather than making the pictures the memories we remember. We ought to learn from this and remember that pictures are not a replacement for enjoying beautiful views; being present in the moment offers so much more than one million pictures. Providing us with ample opportunity to reflect on our thoughts, the staff organized and led many thought provoking activities for the fellows. We, as fellows, spent time admiring the beauty that G-d places around us, discussed what Shabbat meant, and reflected on our experience in Israel as a whole. Shabbat came to us as a gust of holy wind that carried away our impurities and left behind the main structures of ourselves, leaving us bare and ready to begin the next week.

Written by: Jason Straus