The Journey Begins

DAY 2: The Journey Begins! July 3, 2017
Storyteller of the day: Gabby Ripstein

Blog day 2:

After a very long flight, Diller Cohort 5 of Toronto started out on our first day with a trip to a Moshav called Netiv Ha'asarah, which is located right next to the Gaza Border. To wake ourselves up and get active, when we arrived, we began our trip with an Acro Balance workshop. This workshop  involved many different stunts that each of us had to perform, some of which we believed would be impossible. After learning how to attempt them, we each tried to do the moves that were demonstrated by the instructors and were all extremely surprised as well as impressed that we could step out of our comfort zones in that way and do something that we did not believe would be possible. I think this really sums up a large part of the Diller experience and that is trying new things while testing your limits to see what you can achieve. While this was only a small way to show us that we can step out of our comfort zones and succeed, we can all apply this to other aspects of our lives including the prosperity of our future Jewish community. After the Acro Balance workshop, we heard from a local Israeli resident, Tzameret, who has grown up and continues to live on this moshav right next to the Gaza border. It was so amazing to hear stories from her about what it is like to live so close to where many rockets have struck. Tzameret's mission is called the Path to Peace and one way she has demonstrated this Path to Peace is by completing a mosaic design on the dividing wall of the Gaza border. This mosaic is promoting peace and was a very special way for all of the fellows to connect to those who are living in this area and dealing with these conflicts each and every day. We each placed a stone on this wall to show our continuous support and effort to reduce the conflict. Then we returned to our beautiful kibbutz and had a lovely dinner and Ma'agal. In our Ma'agal, we each discussed one goal that we had for the trip as well as what we wanted to name our story. This was really special because it helped us to look ahead for what we want to achieve throughout ISS. We are all so excited for what is to come and can not wait to see what our Community Week and Congress brings!

Diller ISS 2017 begins!

DAY 1: LET'S GO TO ISRAEL! July 2, 2017
Storyteller of the day: Dubie Ellis

On July 2, 2017, Diller Toronto Cohort 5 left (slightly delayed) to Israel. We excitedly gathered in Terminal 1 and checked in, collected our brand new diller hats and shorts, said bye to our parents and walked through security. As a result of the 1 hour delay, we had some free time so people spent time playing on the iPads, grabbing a bite to eat, and quickly getting last minute Tim Hortons before saying goodbye to our beloved Canadian coffee shop for 3 weeks. Once at the gate, we gathered together to listen to some facts about Israel and going over logistics. Something interesting that you won't see flying anywhere else is that people began to pray mincha (the afternoon prayer) in the gate. At 6:00 PM, we took off and began ISS 2017.

Date: July 21, 2016
Author: Nicole Smith
Theme: Congress, Day 4


Today was the last day of Congress! In the morning we learned all about the many opportunities in Diller after we finish our fellowship. It was very inspiring and enlightening to know we can continue in such an amazing program. We also talked to past participants and asked them questions and learned about the amazing things they are doing now. 

After lunch, we had a very thought provoking program on our Impact Projects. I p,ersonally, was inspired and got a general idea of what I want to do for my project. I now feel ready and excited to go back home and work on my project. After this we went back to our hotel and got ready for the closing ceremony and party! It was very bittersweet. It was so much fun to dance with all the friends from around I made during congress, but very sad to say goodbye to them. Overall, congress was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget.

Date: July 20, 2016
Author: Arielle Shannon
Theme: Congress, Day 3

After eating a delicious breakfast, made divine by the presence of chocolate milk and coffee, the cohort embarked on a journey to Tel Hai Memorial site, where we were to watch a meaningful presentation and be sorted into our groups for the next part of our day. Each of the tribes was partnered with another, and together we went on seperate buses, every bus to its own unique activity. The tribe in which I was a member went to see a news reporter and a spokesperson, both experts on the issues present in the Golan. They described some of the difficulties faced by reporters, their jobs made more challenging by the rise of social media, forced to balance the importance of confirming the accuracy of information and being the first to publish a report. They also outlined how one can look for different angles in a potential story, and use them to engage people in bringing change. When the hour of lunch began to draw near, we departed on our bus to return to the campus wherein resides the most amazing machine in existence: the hot drinks vending machine. Now, some may dispute this point, asserting that the outputs of this marvelous contraption lack the quality that they desire, however, having personally examined these drinks in great detail, I can attest to the inaccuracy of these accusations. Upon arrival at the campus, we consumed our meals of sandwiches with water and chocolate wafers, accompanied by the heart shaped chunks of ice cream that we called dessert. We were also given the opportunity to interact with members of other cohorts before heading to our next program. We had a total of two programs, that afternoon, the first, a discourse on the relationship between Israel and jews abroad, and the second consisting of "inspiration dates". The "inspiration dates" were meetings with current jewish leaders, where they led discussions on topics they considered relevant. Afterwards, we returned to our hostels for our nightly menu of ma'agal and networking space, before heading off to our rooms for our journey into sleep.

Date: July 19, 2016
Author: Rachel Himmel
Theme: Congress, Day 2


Today was the first full day of Congress and it was full of amazing activities. Once we got to Tel Hai University, our home base, we began our day with Opening Ceremony. Afterwards, we split into our tribes (groups that have 1 fellow from each cohort) and got a tour of the beautiful Tel Hai campus. Before lunch we heard a lecture from Avraham Infeld who gave us an introduction to Jewish Peoplehood. The lecture was both informative and hilarious. People in our cohort have been quoting his words ever since! We then had lunch and afterwards did an activity on Jewish language with our tribes. We saw how Hebrew is different from English in the way that if you change one hebrew word it will not have the same meaning. We also looked at a song called the Hebrewman trying to figure out why most of the song was written in English if it's called the Hebrewman. 

We returned to our hostel where we had dinner followed by networking time (when we got to talk with the other cohorts that were staying at our hostel). Throughout the day we all met different people from around the world and made strong connections that will last a lifetime. Overall it was a great first full day at Congress!

Date: July 18, 2016
Author: Adina Benia
Theme: Congress, Day 1

Today we finally made our way to Congress!
When we got off the bus we were welcomed by Tzama (Diller's Past Participant logistics team) and other cohorts who were just as excited as we were! Upon arrival, we received more Diller swag - BUCKET HATS!! When all of the cohorts arrived, we were divided into groups called "Tribes". For the next hour and a bit we participated in ice breakers in order to get to know our new friends from around the world! Tribes were lead by a Coordinator from another Diller community, JCs and Tzama leaders. When we got to Kfar Giladi (the sleeping accommodations during Congress), we all got dressed up and made our way to Gan Gomeh were dinner was served and the opening ceremony for Congress began. 

Opening Ceremony gave us a huge opportunity to mingle and meet new friends and reunite with the friends we made at Keness! Overall, today was an amazing transition into congress!

I can't wait for the next few days ahead! Adina

Date: July 17, 2016
Author: Hartley Gelkopf
Theme: Community Week, Partnership Day B


Today was the last and final day of Community Week. The group responsible for planning today was Partnership B, and as part of Partnership B, it was exciting to see my day come to life.
In the morning, we started off with a visit to a kibbutz called Grofit. This kibbutz is a home to one of the Eilat-Eilot fellows; Itay. This kibbutz specializes in therapeutic horse back riding for individuals with emotional, physical and mental disabilities. It was really meaningful for me to see the work that they do. 

The next stop was to another kibbutz is called Ketura. This kibbutz specializes in renewable energy and the development of third world country aid. It was really fascinating to see the cool projects that go on in this kibbutz. They have methods for farming in the desert, cooking with recyclable energy, keeping cool in the heat, and so many other innovative ideas. This kibbutz taught me to be more appreciative of what I have, and how easy I have it. I now have a deeper appreciation for Israel and other countries that provide technological innovations for clean drinking water worldwide. 

The last stop was to the city of Sderot, which is one of the cities bordering Gaza. This community has been torn apart and put back together. This city is often targeted by the terrorist organization known as Hamas. Most buildings are bomb shelters. For the people on the street when the alarm sounds, there shelters every 20 meters. Since operation Protective Edge, Hamas has not been as active and the threat is not as severe as it once was. Hamas has been acknowledging the cease-fire. One of the most impacting parts of the day was when we met with teens our age that live in Sderot. They shared their stories, experiences, and the reality that they live. They are incredibly normal, which was very unexpected because they live in a "war zone". They live a normal lifestyle. They are prepared for the worst with a positive attitude. We got to ask any questions we wanted, and they were happy to answer. Many people want to physically try and help this community, but really, this community just needs metnal support. They are stronger than any of us could imagine. I'd like to end this blog post by thanking the other members of Partnership B; Nitzan, Itay, and Sarah. This was definitely the best way to end Community Week. -Hartley Gelkopf