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Diller Teen Fellows Summer Seminar in Israel
July 22nd, 2007 - From the desert to Jerusalem ...
Dear Diller Teen Fellows’ Family and Friends,
We are thrilled to report that the Diller Summer Seminar in Israel is in full
gear. As you have seen in the arrival pictures, your children were welcomed at
the airport by their American and Israeli staff. The entire group then traveled
to Park Canada, a beautiful nature reserve outside of Tel Aviv. The teens played
introductory games, faced the challenge of learning everyone’s name, and ate a
light Israeli lunch. Nicole Miller, Diller National Director, and Charles
Herman, Nesiya's Executive Director, welcomed the group and spoke to them about
the opportunities and challenges of being chalutzim, pioneers, as the
first teens to participate in the national Diller program in Israel.
The Diller Teen Fellows then journeyed down to the Har HaNegev Field School that
sits atop the Ramon Crater, also known as the “Grand Canyon” of Israel. On
Tuesday morning, after a well-deserved night’s sleep, the group began their own
nesiya ("journey") in earnest by examining the Lech Lecha biblical
text, in which God commands Abraham to leave his home to begin a journey into
the wilderness. The biblical text served as a jumping off point for participants
to explore the idea of personal journey, and the group was asked to chart their
own past and future course using masking tape. The creative results were a study
in both individuality and cohesiveness, with the tape often crossing paths and
taking unexpected twists and turns. The enjoyable activity also enabled a
serious exploration of goals, with a discussion of what to bring into the
journey and what to leave behind.
In the afternoon, each group embarked upon their own “Noded” (wandering camp in
the desert) going down into the Ramon Crater. Following dinner around a bonfire
the groups slept under the stars on the crater floor.
Wednesday morning, your children awoke to a glorious sunrise. During the day of
hiking, the participants explored themes of the desert and used it as a backdrop
to ask questions about what it means to be a creature and what it means to be a
creator. They looked at the children of Israel’s journey in the desert from
Egypt to the land of Israel, and used the biblical journey to reflect on the
beginnings of their own journey in Israel as a group. They studied about the
geology of the area, prepared outdoor meals together, and star-gazed late into
the night. We were pleased that almost all of the participants completed the
Noded, many of whom surprised even themselves by accomplishing this intense
desert experience. (Rest assured that despite getting hot, sweaty and dirty
together, they drank plenty of water!)
By Thursday afternoon, the groups had returned to 'civilization.’ Back at the
base of Har ha-Negev, the staff led a program exploring how to celebrate Shabbat
in a diverse community of Jews. The teens then divided into “Shabbat
Committees.” Each committee was responsible for leading a different part of
Shabbat programming.
On Friday, the desert experience continued as the Diller Teen Fellows
participated in their first creative arts workshops, including drama, creative
writing, visual arts, movement and photography. The theme of "home" and
"journey" were expressed through these various media. We encourage you to ask
your children to keep their writings or mementos of their presentations, so that
they can share it with you after they return home.
On Friday afternoon, the Diller Teen Fellows prepared for their first Shabbat in
Israel. Shabbat was a pleasant variation from the challenging hikes of the week.
While the weekend gave your children a chance to reconnect with the other
cities, it also provided some rest, relaxation, and time for personal reflection
on how to both compromise and to feel part of a larger community. The prayer
service options and alternative activities afforded a personal approach to
spirituality, which was further enhanced when each group had a morning activity
led by one of the Nesiya senior educators. The program continued to explore the
origins of the Jewish People in the desert, this time through looking at the
text of the spies. In this story, the Jewish people are preparing to leave the
desert, where God took care of their needs, and enter the land of Israel, where
they would live more independently. The group explored the parallels with their
own lives as they journey to Israel and face the challenges of forming a new,
diverse community.
In the afternoon, after a few hours of Shabbat menucha (rest), Charles
introduced a dynamic discussion on modesty and sexuality, within the context of
responsibility and community. Each group then divided into separate boy/girl
break-out sessions in which they spoke about relationships, modesty and
intimacy, and the different backgrounds and assumptions that each participant
brings to this new community they are forming.
This morning (Sunday), the teens concluded their time in the Negev by visiting
Ben Gurion’s grave (at “Sde Boker”) and discussing how Judaism and Zionism
stemmed from the desert experience. The groups then continued their upward trek,
traveling northward to Jerusalem.
Today, the group arrived in Jerusalem, to begin a new unit of their journey -
"Taking Place: The Struggle for Renewal in Judaism and Israel Today." This part
of the journey will see your children immersing themselves in the realities of
Judaism and Israeli culture today, and trying to understand the fundamental
dilemmas and choices of Jewish life both now and in the future. The Jerusalem
opening began with a visit to the Haas Promenade (known in Israeli vernacular as
the "Tayelet") overlooking the Old City, where they had a beautiful view of
Jerusalem, and spent some time reflecting on what it felt like to be in this
city.
I look forward to keeping you updated as we continue our journey together!
B’Shalom,
Rachael Gelfman
Senior Educator
Diller Summer Seminar in Israel
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