The free Shabbat was really awesome!  At my house, we had a big Friday night dinner with eight fellows at my house.  We then spent the evening playing some board games and card games.  Then all of the guys went to one house and spent the night together, while some of the girls did the same at another house.  Then during the day on Saturday, since we were keeping Shomer Shabbat, we spent the morning together and rested.  Then in the afternoon, we decided to walk to lake Michigan.  On our way to the lake, we had to walk through Fort Sheridan and it was really fun to show the Israelis the different architecture and the history behind the old fort.  Finally we got to the lake, skipped some rocks on the water, and just had some real human conversation.  I think the best part about the Shabbat was the bonding that came out of it.  Since we (the Americans) don’t normally keep Shomer Shabbat, we found it extremely nice to not have any electricity and especially our phones.  By not having any of these distractions we were able to learn more about each other and just spent time breaking the barriers that we may of had when we first met.  I want to end with a quote that I feel describes the Shabbat and the whole week, “Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.” - Unknown"

-- Ben Zavell

On Friday, one of the last days of JCM, we visited schools. We started the day by going to Rochell Zell Jewish High School. We davened and then ate breakfast. After breakfast, we got to talk to the rabbi at RZJHS about the school and how everything works. The Israelis had time to ask questions about how the school works compared to the schools they had visited Wednesday and compared to their school. When the rabbi left we had an in depth conversation about each person’s time volunteering Thursday and the importance of volunteering and how people may come into these situations. We left the high school and ate lunch at Mizrahi grill. After lunch, we went to Northwestern. At Northwestern, we went to the Hillel there and got a tour of the campus. We then talked about BDS at Northwestern and world wide and its significance for Israelis and american jews. We took the bus home and went to our homes for shabbat. Lidor and I went to stay with Garren and Ariel for shabbat. We also had shabbat dinner with Ben, Tevel, Einav, and Annie. We had a nice dinner at the Zavell’s house and then went back to the Kalter’s to go to sleep.

-- Arie Sztainberg

On Thursday, April 14th, the Israeli Diller teen fellows, along with some Americans, took a couple trips into different neighborhoods of Chicago to experience community service.  The first thing we did was visit The Arch.  We learned about the services The Arch offers to mostly Jewish underprivileged citizens of the Chicago area. We discussed what we thought about the Arch’s services.  Then, we got on a bus and drove to Bronzeville, where the Bright Star Church is located.  There, we met Pastor Harris, who talked to us about his relationship with Israel and the Jewish people.  He also discussed the violence done to black people that takes place in Chicago.  It was extremely impactful to hear what he had to say.  He truly left a large impact on both the Israelis and Americans.  I learned that we must also stand up for Blacks and their rights.  It was a beautiful experience.  After, we visited a modern orthodox temple and learned about their synagogue and community.  Finally, we went to the Uptown Cafe.  It was a cafe where underprivileged people can come dine for free.  We wore aprons and acted like waiters.  It was an awesome experience and it was helpful to the community.  In conclusion, so much was learned on this day by both the Israelis and Americans.  I am very glad I participated in this day.

-- Miriam Berkson