Hi all, it’s time for another update!
The past two days have been packed with incredible activities and volunteer opportunities.
Yesterday’s theme of the day was multiculturalism. We started the day by volunteering with Ethiopian children. We did different arts and crafts activities with them. We then moved on to a Bedouin museum where we learnt about the culture and traditions and even got to sit in a tent and try their food. The third part of the day was about the Jews from Cochin. We went to a museum where we saw a very informative video, after which we travelled to one of their synagogues. At the end of the day, everyone came to Shir’s house for a cultural potluck dinner. Everybody had to bring a dish typical for their background and explain its origin. We had a lot of fun leaning about each other’s history and the food was delicious!
Today, we began at Maas, an organization that provides work opportunities for adults with mental handicaps. We learned about how they function and interacted with the people. The next stop was an elderly home. When we arrived they were celebrating a few birthdays, so we naturally joined in immediately. After some song and dance, we had lunch and there proceeded to paint their outdoor area. The last stop of the day was Eshel Hanassi, an agricultural school that one of the Israelis (Ravit) goes to. We got a tour of the greenhouse and the cow farm, as well as the school’s radio station that Ravit hosts. We each got to choose a song and record a dedication that will be aired on the show.
The day is over now, and we have the evening off with our hosts!! It’s sounds like they’ve planned an amazing night for us.
Tomorrow we’re camping out in the desert, but we will be back in touch when we get back on Friday evening :)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Congress Week!
We’re back!
We’ve been a little out of touch during the past few days but we promise that it’s only because we have been very busy!
This past week has been packed. Every day consisted of several activities in our colour groups, revolving around the themes of Jewish identity and the importance of our connection to Israel. At first, the groups were composed solely of North Americans. However, on Thursday, our Israelis joined us and added a whole new perspective to our discussions. We also got some free time, during which we were able to go swimming and catch up on some sleep. At night, we went to the Teen Zulla and had a blast dancing and playing games with the people from the other partnerships.
We are currently on the bus on our way to Be’er Sheva, where we will start our home hospitality week.
Sending you much love,
Isaac and Lara
We’ve been a little out of touch during the past few days but we promise that it’s only because we have been very busy!
This past week has been packed. Every day consisted of several activities in our colour groups, revolving around the themes of Jewish identity and the importance of our connection to Israel. At first, the groups were composed solely of North Americans. However, on Thursday, our Israelis joined us and added a whole new perspective to our discussions. We also got some free time, during which we were able to go swimming and catch up on some sleep. At night, we went to the Teen Zulla and had a blast dancing and playing games with the people from the other partnerships.
We are currently on the bus on our way to Be’er Sheva, where we will start our home hospitality week.
Sending you much love,
Isaac and Lara
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tzfat and our Arrival at the Diller North American Kennes (Congress)!!!!
Hi everyone!!
This morning we took a trip to Tzfat where we visited a synagogue, a shuk and had a pizur lunch. We also went to a candle shop, where everything was handmade and so beautiful (moms, we have a few surprises for you).
We arrived at Givat Haviva this afternoon where we said goodbye to our amazing tour guide Nanak and our Bash Banash friends. We are sooo excited to FINALLY BE AT CONGRESS THOUGH!
We are incredibly proud to say that we were amazing at our opening ceremony. We worked very hard on our dance presentation, and it payed off! Everyone was very impressed and it acted as a great conversation starter. Special thanks to Uri (our leader of the day) who choreographed the entire stomp dance!
During Congress, all Dillers are split into colour groups. Each group consists of one or two teens from each cohort as well as a JC (junior counsellor) and staff. We had to step out of our comfort zones but everyone seems very nice and the bonding process has already begun.
We are currently at the “teen zula” which is the time for us all to hang out at night and to get to know each other with food and drinks in a specific area.
Tomorrow we’ll have more details for you ☺
Goodnight xo
Isaac, Uri and Lara
PS: Pictures to come very very soon!
This morning we took a trip to Tzfat where we visited a synagogue, a shuk and had a pizur lunch. We also went to a candle shop, where everything was handmade and so beautiful (moms, we have a few surprises for you).
We arrived at Givat Haviva this afternoon where we said goodbye to our amazing tour guide Nanak and our Bash Banash friends. We are sooo excited to FINALLY BE AT CONGRESS THOUGH!
We are incredibly proud to say that we were amazing at our opening ceremony. We worked very hard on our dance presentation, and it payed off! Everyone was very impressed and it acted as a great conversation starter. Special thanks to Uri (our leader of the day) who choreographed the entire stomp dance!
During Congress, all Dillers are split into colour groups. Each group consists of one or two teens from each cohort as well as a JC (junior counsellor) and staff. We had to step out of our comfort zones but everyone seems very nice and the bonding process has already begun.
We are currently at the “teen zula” which is the time for us all to hang out at night and to get to know each other with food and drinks in a specific area.
Tomorrow we’ll have more details for you ☺
Goodnight xo
Isaac, Uri and Lara
PS: Pictures to come very very soon!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Reconnecting with the Partnership
Hi again!
Yesterday morning (July 17th) we finally met up with the Be’er Sheva teens again! We visited the Kotel tunnels together, learning about the history of the temple, the Muslim quarter, and the findings of archaeologists.
We then travelled to the Kinneret where we visited the cemetery where Naomi Shemer is buried. Melanie led an amazing activity where we formed our own poems about Jerusalem using lyrics from the song “Yerushalaiym shel zahav”. We also learned about the history of women in agriculture in the beginning of the 20th century (during the second aliya).
We ended our day by going to our hostel where we had dinner and an incredible ma’agal laila.
Today, July 18th, we woke up bright and early for a three hour hike on Mount Arbel. We took the time to paint the beautiful landscape we saw and played a few games on top of the mountain. We successfully made our way down a steep path and were very proud of ourselves when we finally arrived at the bottom.
To cool off from our morning workout, we went to the beach and had a great time taking underwater pictures. This really gave us the chance to bond and reconnect with our Israeli friends. We then walked to the Tiberias boardwalk where we had more time to shop and eat.
The day has come to an end and we are all extremely excited to head off to congress tomorrow, where we will be meeting all the other North Americans (LA, San Francisco, Baltimore, New Jersey, Pittsburgh).
Keep checking in ☺
Lara, Isaac, Danielle and Sydney
Yesterday morning (July 17th) we finally met up with the Be’er Sheva teens again! We visited the Kotel tunnels together, learning about the history of the temple, the Muslim quarter, and the findings of archaeologists.
We then travelled to the Kinneret where we visited the cemetery where Naomi Shemer is buried. Melanie led an amazing activity where we formed our own poems about Jerusalem using lyrics from the song “Yerushalaiym shel zahav”. We also learned about the history of women in agriculture in the beginning of the 20th century (during the second aliya).
We ended our day by going to our hostel where we had dinner and an incredible ma’agal laila.
Today, July 18th, we woke up bright and early for a three hour hike on Mount Arbel. We took the time to paint the beautiful landscape we saw and played a few games on top of the mountain. We successfully made our way down a steep path and were very proud of ourselves when we finally arrived at the bottom.
To cool off from our morning workout, we went to the beach and had a great time taking underwater pictures. This really gave us the chance to bond and reconnect with our Israeli friends. We then walked to the Tiberias boardwalk where we had more time to shop and eat.
The day has come to an end and we are all extremely excited to head off to congress tomorrow, where we will be meeting all the other North Americans (LA, San Francisco, Baltimore, New Jersey, Pittsburgh).
Keep checking in ☺
Lara, Isaac, Danielle and Sydney
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Hi fam and friends! It’s been a while…
Since it was Shabbath, we took a blogging break and now we’re back with not one, but TWO guest bloggers, our leaders of the past two days : Samantha and Brian!
Yesterday, was a heavy and moving day for our group. We began at Yad Vashem, a holocaust museum, located in Jerusalem. The exhibit was put together beautifully and included photographs, videos of survivors, artefacts and other forms of documentation. Walking through the museum brought out many emotions in us but also helped us connect more strongly to our past.
We walked from Yad Vashem to Mount Herzel where we saw the Herzel memorial and the soldiers’ cemetery. We visited the tomb of Josh Friedberg, a Montrealer who made aliah and devoted himself to defending his home country, Israel. This hit pretty close to home. Talia, Danielle and Isaac organized a group discussion to express our views and sentiments regarding this emotionally heavy day.
After having lunch on Mount Herzel, we had leftover sandwhiches which we brought along with us to Machane Yehuda, a market in Jerusalem. We gave this extra food to homeless people for Shabbath. At the market we saw many cute shops and fresh produce stands.
Last night we ate dinner at the hotel with Helen Diller’s family, who were very interested in hearing about what we have been up to. We then travelled to the Kotel, singing and dancing along the way. Once we arrived at the wall, everyone was immediately moved and felt spiritually connected to the site and to our proud heritage.
Today was a lighter and more relaxing day. First thing this morning we took a trip to a nearby park, where we played will balls, kites, frisbees, gimp and BUBBLES :) So far we’ve spotted fourteen different weddings!!
This afternoon Nanak gave us a tour of the old city, pointing out important sites such as David’s supposed tomb, the room where the last supper took place and the different mountains in Jersusalem.
We ate dinner at the hotel and then headed out to Ben Yehuda street where, you guessed it, we did more SHOPPING. We spotted several other Diller cohorts, which only got us more excited for Congress which is coming up in the next few days.
We’re off to pack now because we are (sadly) leaving this gorgeous, holy city.
Sending you all much virtual love,
Brian, Samantha, Lara and Isaac
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Jerusalem, Here I Am... Jerusalem... Je T'aime!
Hey again!
We would firstly like to introduce to you our guest blogger of the evening, and today’s “leader of the day”, Jackie!!!
Today was a very productive and energetic day. We started the morning off getting introduced to the Jaffa Institute, an organization dedicated to fighting the very present poverty in the city of Jaffa. They have wonderful programs catering to kids and teens throughout the entire year and have been continuously expanding. We had the privilege of volunteering with them this morning. First, we helped put together boxes of food and came up with an effective system for getting the job done. We then travelled to one of their after-school/camp centres where we had the chance to meet some of the children that benefit from their program. Though our visit was brief, we had an immediate connection with the children and were very happy to see the “fruits of our labour”.
After a pizur lunch in the Jaffa flea market, we moved on to the Palmach Museum. If you ever have the chance, we highly recommend that you make time to see this unique museum. It was a very educational and moving experience that reinforced out strong connection to Israel and its history.
Towards the end of the day, we finally made our way to Jerusalem!! After checking in and having dinner (and of course, delicious deserts) at the King Solomon Hotel , we took a trip to Mishkenot Shananim, where we saw a night view of the holy city. Nanak gathered us for a prayer and gave us a little background information regarding some of the buildings we found in this neighbourhood during a fun game of “I Spy” (organized by Dani and Noah).
It’s been a draining day, so we are all off to bed. Laila tov ☺
We would firstly like to introduce to you our guest blogger of the evening, and today’s “leader of the day”, Jackie!!!
Today was a very productive and energetic day. We started the morning off getting introduced to the Jaffa Institute, an organization dedicated to fighting the very present poverty in the city of Jaffa. They have wonderful programs catering to kids and teens throughout the entire year and have been continuously expanding. We had the privilege of volunteering with them this morning. First, we helped put together boxes of food and came up with an effective system for getting the job done. We then travelled to one of their after-school/camp centres where we had the chance to meet some of the children that benefit from their program. Though our visit was brief, we had an immediate connection with the children and were very happy to see the “fruits of our labour”.
After a pizur lunch in the Jaffa flea market, we moved on to the Palmach Museum. If you ever have the chance, we highly recommend that you make time to see this unique museum. It was a very educational and moving experience that reinforced out strong connection to Israel and its history.
Towards the end of the day, we finally made our way to Jerusalem!! After checking in and having dinner (and of course, delicious deserts) at the King Solomon Hotel , we took a trip to Mishkenot Shananim, where we saw a night view of the holy city. Nanak gathered us for a prayer and gave us a little background information regarding some of the buildings we found in this neighbourhood during a fun game of “I Spy” (organized by Dani and Noah).
It’s been a draining day, so we are all off to bed. Laila tov ☺
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Our first FULL day of the ISS!
Hi there to all parents and friends!
Today was an AMAZING day!!
As you may have been informed, every day a different Diller Teen Fellow is chosen to be “leader of the day”. This person is in charge of making sure that everyone is with the group, happy and safe. Today’s leader was Alexa, and we are very happy to have her help us out with the blog tonight!
We started our day by going to visit the Independence Hall. We were very lucky to have a funny and energetic speaker who kept us all engaged and shared the information in a really interesting and enjoyable way. We learnt about Meir Dizengoff, the first mayor of Tel Aviv, and how he envisioned and achieved in establishing a successful Jewish society.
Afterwards, we travelled to Rabin Square, where we were split into groups and were given a questionnaire about the late Prime Minister and his assassination. We had a great time approaching the locals and getting their opinions on the subject, as well as seeing the memorial monument. We then spread out on a pizur lunch where many of us enjoyed falafel and shawarma (YUM!).
Our next stop was the scavenger hunt. Every group had two hours to solve all the clues and get to every destination. Throughout the afternoon we explored many new sites and learnt about their origin. We had a blast running around Tel-Aviv figuring out where to go, and the afternoon couldn’t have lasted long enough!!
After cooling off with cold juice drinks, Nanak gave us a tour of Neve Tzedek and taught us about its history. We then went to Shainkin street for a little shopping in the shuk and a pizur dinner.
We have all been getting especially excited for Congress next week and it allowed us to bond a lot today.
We all rushed to the showers after a long day of walking around in the sun (don’t worry–always with covered shoulders, hats, reapplied sunscreen, sunglasses while always drinking water!).
Goodnight and stay tuned for tomorrow’s exciting news!
Alexa and Lara
PS: Our guest blogger would like to say: HI DADDY!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! ☺ I LOVE YOU.
Today was an AMAZING day!!
As you may have been informed, every day a different Diller Teen Fellow is chosen to be “leader of the day”. This person is in charge of making sure that everyone is with the group, happy and safe. Today’s leader was Alexa, and we are very happy to have her help us out with the blog tonight!
We started our day by going to visit the Independence Hall. We were very lucky to have a funny and energetic speaker who kept us all engaged and shared the information in a really interesting and enjoyable way. We learnt about Meir Dizengoff, the first mayor of Tel Aviv, and how he envisioned and achieved in establishing a successful Jewish society.
Afterwards, we travelled to Rabin Square, where we were split into groups and were given a questionnaire about the late Prime Minister and his assassination. We had a great time approaching the locals and getting their opinions on the subject, as well as seeing the memorial monument. We then spread out on a pizur lunch where many of us enjoyed falafel and shawarma (YUM!).
Our next stop was the scavenger hunt. Every group had two hours to solve all the clues and get to every destination. Throughout the afternoon we explored many new sites and learnt about their origin. We had a blast running around Tel-Aviv figuring out where to go, and the afternoon couldn’t have lasted long enough!!
After cooling off with cold juice drinks, Nanak gave us a tour of Neve Tzedek and taught us about its history. We then went to Shainkin street for a little shopping in the shuk and a pizur dinner.
We have all been getting especially excited for Congress next week and it allowed us to bond a lot today.
We all rushed to the showers after a long day of walking around in the sun (don’t worry–always with covered shoulders, hats, reapplied sunscreen, sunglasses while always drinking water!).
Goodnight and stay tuned for tomorrow’s exciting news!
Alexa and Lara
PS: Our guest blogger would like to say: HI DADDY!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! ☺ I LOVE YOU.
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