August 1: International Congress (Ilana Golzman)

August 1, 2013

Blog Author: Ilana Golzman

Starting the first official full day of International Congress 2013 was like opening the first page to a chapter of a book after getting past the prologue. You get a brief introduction to the characters and the story that is about to unfold but now you finally dive into the intriguing plot. After a great breakfast we began our day with a continuation to the activity called ‘Journey of a People - Part B’. After exploring the history of the Jewish people from centuries ago (yesterday), Part B of this unit focused on more recent history of the Jewish people. This really helped our tribe notice repetitive patterns in the experiences of our people, understand why Jews are dispersed the way they are today, and made what seemed to be ancient and unfamiliar history much more relatable. Next we were fortunate enough to listen to an incredible guest speaker, Avraham Infeld, about Jewish peoplehood, the 5 legs that hold the table of Judaism up, and their importance (presented to us in a very interesting and humorous manner). We got time to process the strong points and rich material that Avraham Infeld gave us during our lunch break and relaxing pool time. 

The day continued with an activity called ‘Looking Kadima’ (literally, 'looking forward') lead by two junior counsellors which helped us reflect on the lecture and learn how to further apply this information and use it for deeper analysis of our life and what being Jewish means to each one of us. Later on, all of the Jewish Diller Teen Fellow teens from eight different North American cities had the pleasure to be the audience of an artistic, musical, and meaningful cultural evening with Robbie Gingrass. This talented individual was able to communicate to us the concept of Israel’s flaws and why people decide to live ‘b'eretz Israel’ through live music, story telling, and impersonations. After this amusing event we split into our tribes to discuss one of the songs called ‘Rak Po’ (also known as ‘Only here’) that was sung to us by Robbie Gingrass (originally by Hadag Nachash). This lead us into an interesting discussion about the meaning of the cultural evening and what we find special about the place we live in. To end the day off, each city cohort met for their ma'agal lilah (night circle) and we then got to go meet with one another and experience different North American Jewish life face to face under the famous Diller White Tent.

July 31: North American Kennes (Karin Kazakevich)

July 31, 2013

Blog Author: Karin Kazakevich

Think back to when you were an exuberant and curious child. Do you remember the shrill of excitement that ran down your spine the night before Hanukkah? Or can you recall checking each day on the calendar before Purim because you were eager to wear your costume and celebrate? Well, while the end of the North American Kennes would seem presumably upsetting, it is undeniable that this morning there was no greater force felt than the sheer power of anticipation that filled the air of Givat Haviva. After an early breakfast the North American cohorts sat waiting anxiously for their Israeli counterparts to come the same way you would wait for a close relative at the Arrivals section of the airport. Indeed, the yelling, cheering, hugs, tears of joy, and more that all the Diller Teen Fellows felt was parallel to finally spotting dear “Saba and Safta” as they come through those familiar doors ready for their usual visit. Although it has only been [barely] two days without the Israelis, the feelings in our Toronto cohort were unanimous; we missed them more than a child misses their favourite toy. Indeed, having finally reunited with our other half was incredible and what was just North American Keenness had magically transformed overnight to the Diller International Congress. Perhaps that’s a major part that I haven’t yet touched on, the incredible fact that there are currently Diller Teen Fellows from 16 Israeli and North American cities and that have finally all been united. Right down to the roots, we’ve been on the same journey and with the opening ceremony led by Tal Gale and Liat Cohen-Raviv, it is impossible to ignore the overwhelming sense of community and even more importantly, the true sensation of unity between the fellows.

After the opening ceremony, a handful of Israelis from all over Israel (including places like Upper Galilee, Haifa, Bash Banash, and more!) joined our respectfully named tribes as we started another round of [literal] “icebreakers” (No really, one of our “Getting to know you” games including breaking a huge block of ice, and it was totally awesome) After this we started into what I can now call the beginning of our intellectual journey on the topic of Jewry and looking back on it, we had no idea how stimulating and eye-opening the next couple of discussions were going to be. As mentioned in the previous blog, the incredible speaker Avraham Infeld mentioned the 5 legs of the Jewish table and our next few units including looking at the legs in depth. Over the course of the afternoon and evening we studied two in specific detail, Family and Covenant, and what they meant to the world of Jewry and more importantly, to ourselves. From sharing rich family history to debating the story of Mt. Sinai the discussions that were led today were streamlined through a highly intellectual and thought provoking process that I see as very unique to Diller itself. Nothing about these units seems prescribed but rather, the fellows are free to interpret them as they please which is perhaps one of the most valuable facets of the program. After the nightly “Magal Laila” with the Toronto team, it was time to have fun and let loose at White Tent after such an exhausting [mentally just as much as physically] day. Congress itself is like nothing we could have imagined but equally, we really can’t imagine ourselves anywhere but here.