Cohort 2: Workshop 7

At our 7th workshop in Homewood-Flossmoor we all got to experience the kind of travel it takes Melinda to get to all our meetings. It gave me great respect for her dedication! 

After an opening circle where we discussed our experiences of the JCM, we began a workshop focused on discussion of opinions about Israel. As Israel is one of the Diller pillars and a very complicated subject, the respectful open dialogue was a great experience. We began by each choosing which of many drawings representations of Israel best represented our feelings about the country. The pictures ranged from a cartoon of Herzl to Israel made of broken glass, and hearing different interpretations was fascinating. Then we participated in a program where controversial Israeli topics were introduced with background information and we were asked to give our opinion by voting with differently colored Hershey’s Kisses. After every question we had an in depth discussion of the reasoning behind everybody’s choices. I learned a ton about Israel and my fellow Fellows. We discussed topics such as Israeli cost of living, marriage laws, and the relative merits of shawarma and falafel. 

We ended the program with a check in about planning for community week and a short program planned by our JCs. A great end to a great day!

By: Lia Bauer-Goulden

Cohort 2: Wrapping up the JCM

Volunteering at Pushing the Envelope Farm

Our last day in the JCM was an exciting and tiring day. We hit the road from JUF and headed to Geneva, IL, where we volunteered on Pushing the Envelope Farm. We planted trees, made flower beds, and weeded old beds. It was hard work, but the weather was great! After we finished, we got a brief tour of the rest of the farm, from the honeybees to the blackberry and blueberry bushes and then to the little pagoda/sukkah in the woods. We learned about the farm’s Jewish roots and how it observes the Shmita year, or letting the land lie fallow. The Margulies family was also nice enough to give us a tour of the envelope factory next door. And then it was our final bus ride to lovely Oak Park for the last 6 hours of the JCM. We were all tired from the car ride, so we laid around and played on the playground until it was time to set up for dinner. We had a delicious dinner with all of the Israelis, Americans, and their families. Near the end of dinner, Matan, Hili, Barb, and Hadar gave terrific and heartwarming accounts of their time spent hosting and being hosted. Then we watched a great slideshow from Lia of all the pictures of the fun activities we did while we were together. We were still holding on to our tears. We, the fellows, listened while Jessica and Maya gave their thanks to the various people who made everything happen in the JCM, especially our JC’s. Then the fellows stood up and whooshed the coordinators and JC’s, still not crying. We did one round of Achim and it was time for final goodbyes. This is where the tears come in. I made sure to hug everyone goodbye and wish them a safe trip home. It was an emotional goodbye and no one wanted to leave.

Final dinner

It wasn’t until the next day, when I didn’t have to wake up at 6, take the train at 7, and be on a stinky bus with 37 sleep-deprived teenagers, that I fully realized the impact the JCM had on me. I felt like a stronger leader, a more knowledgeable, more sensitive person. I felt saddened that the Israelis had left, but I knew that in a short period of time we would be reunited again, and that made me feel good.

By Jared Vergotine

Cohort 2: Highlights from the JCM Shabbaton

Shabbat shalom!

The Shabbaton was an amazing experience that brought all of the Kashlash Diller Fellows together. On Friday, we all met in a circle so we could share what we wanted to gain form the Shabbaton. On Friday night, some of the Chicago Fellows lead Kabalat Shabbat and ended it with a meaningful discussion with the other Fellows on what Shabbat meant to them. Everyone agreed that Shabbat is a time where friends and family can come together and enjoys time together, and that is exactly what we ended up doing on that weekend. 

Post-Shabbat bonfire

The next day, the Fellows did an activity called "Café Dilemma," in which four fellows sat together to discuss Israeli society. This was particularly interesting because many of the American Fellows had the opportunity to learn about the pressing issues in Israel from Israelis. When the Fellows had free time, they all hung out and got to play their favorite game, Sumo. That night, we ended with Havdallah, which then became a dance party. The Fellows ended their night on a more serious note in the Ma'agal Lailah, as they all shared their deeper thoughts on how to be better people. 

Planning community week

This Shabbaton deeply connected all of the American and Israeli Fellows together, and everyone is extremely excited to reunite in Israel!

By: Henry Wolle