“Hey guys, let’s play lap tag”

“What’s that?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.”

And thus begun a great friendship between the nineteen Diller teen fellows.

We started out on Friday afternoon with icebreakers before we hopped onto the bus for a weekend of leadership training and fun. Our excitement started right away as we lit candles using flint stone, after which we enjoyed a nice Shabbat dinner. We played lap tag until late at night at which time the boys went into our room and continued to talk until early morning; our friendships growing the whole time. We woke up in time for early breakfast and a hike. The leader of this hike was a man named Gabe. Gabe showed and taught us countless interesting things about nature. We then had pool time, after which we relaxed for the upcoming leadership training and havdallah. We ended this night the same as before: with several hours of lap tag. The next morning, Gabe took us on another hike, accompanied by his incredible knowledge of nature. As we rushed to eat lunch and get back on the bus on time, Cohort 3 arrived, showing me and my cohort our predecessors. We eventually left and got back to Pittsburgh. Once we were off the bus, our parents couldn’t tear us apart because we had become such good friends.

In all, I think it was a pretty good weekend.

I would like to thanks our two junior counselors, Orly Olbum and Felicia Tissenbaum. I would also like to thank our coordinator, Lisa Sobel, for putting together this great shabbaton.

-Jeremy Olbum

This was our first shabbaton. We went to EKC in West Virginia and had a blast! We did many leadership games that we learned a lot from. We also had a visitor... Gabe from California. He knew so much about nature and Judaism and I think he taught us many things. Like the fox walk and how to make our C4 da bomb bracelets. There were two memorable moments I had on the trip. The first was taking the hike Saturday morning, while listening to Gabe's stories, to the top of the hill where we sang the Shema and I felt very close to G-d. The second was bonding with all my Diller fellows while playing laptap. It was an amazing experience and I can't wait for the next workshop.

-Zane Braslawsce

Lisa Sobel

Pittsburgh Coordinator

Diller Teen Fellows Program

Office: 412.521.1101 x3200

Fax: 412.521.1120

LSobel@ajlpittsburgh.org

www.ajlpittsburgh.org/teens/diller

Find us on Facebook at Pittsburgh Diller Teen Fellows Program!

Follow our blog at www.PittsburghDillerTeens.blogspot.com!

Lisa Sobel

Pittsburgh Coordinator

Diller Teen Fellows Program

Office: 412.521.1101 x3200

Fax: 412.521.1120

LSobel@ajlpittsburgh.org

www.ajlpittsburgh.org/teens/diller

Find us on Facebook at Pittsburgh Diller Teen Fellows Program!

Follow our blog at www.PittsburghDillerTeens.blogspot.com!

Two weekends ago, the 19 members of cohort 4 met for the first time since our Shabbaton at EKC. Besides learning that lap tag is only meant to be played at night, and that Jonathan has a low threshold for pain, we learned more about ourselves as Jews. We attempted to answer the question “what is a leader?” with this week’s Torah portion. After sharing our experiences from last Rosh Hashanah, we discussed a poem by Edgar Keret. Later in the workshop, we worked on “elevator speeches” to pitch the Diller program to prospective applicants, and signed up for committees, which managed to do with only one person ending up on the floor. We concluded by sharing our favorite part of the session and a word to describe how we felt. Some people felt energetic, others even claimed that they felt invigorated, but the general consensus among the group was that we were all excited about what was to come in the Diller program.

D’var Torah and Reflection written by Lindsay Gorby

D’var Torah:

At some point in their life, every human being questions the origin of their existence, whether it be the existence of the human race as a whole, or the existence of his or her self. This week’s Parsha is Bereshit, the first passage written in the Torah. In the beginning of Genesis, as G-d is creating heaven and earth, water and land, the same phrase is repeatedly broached, “And G-d saw that it was good.”
What does this mean in our personal lives, exactly? It means that you are a piece of creation, and therefore have a piece of G-d in you, a piece of good. G-d created us in his image and ensured that we all started out with our own personal piece of good. On the seventh day of creation G-d rested, letting his creations prosper on their own without his guidance. What we as humans do with this piece of good and freedom, however, is entirely out of our own volition.
As humans got free will to choose their own actions, less and less people were using this newfound freedom responsibly. Rather than acting as images of G-d, they became selfish and unfaithful, and this made G-d unhappy. As a result of the humans’ irresponsibility, G-d decided that the entire population would be destroyed by a flood. However, this changed when G-d saw a light within us through Noah and his family.
The futures of himself and the Jewish people, were extricated entirely by Noah’s strong core values. Because of the strong set of values exemplified by him, after what precedent do we evaluate our own individual set of values?
What makes one’s core values of more worth, more commendable, than another’s? Do we strive to make positive impacts throughout our daily life in order to develop these values? Do we only attempt to influence the situations when we suspect we will regret not having done when our Arc of opportunity is closed?

And so, we ask ourselves, are we lacking guidance?

The moment a parent no longer leans over their child to make sure they’re doing homework, the times when the teacher leaves the classroom, what do we do? Do we live up to our own expectations of greatness, of G-d’s goodness, or do we disappoint these expectations? Because in the end, the times in which we are not being examined, are the times in which we are truly tested. We were meant to live in order to sustain ourselves, but the moment we strayed from our potential, began the downfall of our people. It is our values that empower us. The constant voice inside our head driving us with the idea that, “no, you can be better.”
Regardless of what our individual inner values be, they are all guided by a voice, a spirit, which is deep inside of us. We inquire, where did this everlasting ambition come from? And Bereshit teaches us that this will to achieve is derived from that personal piece of good which G-d has instilled in each and every one of us.

As leaders of Diller Cohort 4, we will utilize this good, and may we use it to benefit both ourselves and our communities.

Workshop Reflection:

I have never seen a group of people bond faster than the members of Cohort 4. This workshop began in full swing, with everyone enthusiastic about the day and excited to see each other again. This month, we explored the topic of our individual values. We analyzed different texts and discussed a scenario where we must choose a leader, with biographies about our anonymous prospects who were actually influential Jewish leaders in biblical times. Through this activity, we discovered what leadership qualities we look for in both ourselves and in others. After taking a brief playground break and a much appreciated sandwich bar recess, we learned about the current happenings of Gilad Shalit and how his life is affected today. We wrapped up the workshop with the history of the hamsa and decorated our own, labeling sections of them with our core values and actions we take exemplifying those values. It was such an informative and fun workshop and we're all so excited to see what's next in store for Diller Cohort 4!

D'var Torah:

The rite of passage for every child reaching maturity is largely due to generating and fulfilling their own set of values. As Jews, and as human beings, we all are united with the same determination to fulfill our values to the best of our abilities. Our shared values connect us as a community. Today we explore the Torah portion of Vayeira, a controversial and much-debated parsha, as G-d’s wrath and judgment is greatly displayed through this portion of the Torah.

                The parsha begins with Abraham and Sarah. Three days after Abraham is circumcised, the day which is distinguished as the most painful day after the procedure, G-d appears before Abraham's tent in the form of three angels. Despite Abraham’s pain, he welcomes the angels into his home with open arms. Also, he scurries around and hastens to make a feast for the strangers, despite his great discomfort. This behavior is demonstrating the act of hakhnasat orchim, meaning hospitality. As Jews, we all share the value of sharing what we have with those in need, which is exemplified in the Talmud, which states that “our houses should always be warm and welcoming to strangers.”

                As the three men are eating, they tell Sarah that in exactly one year from that date she will have a child.  Sarah disregards this and laughs since she is 90 years old at the time, clearly too old to bear a child. However, this offends the strangers and they ask “is anything too wonderful for the lord,” which pretty much means that G-d was offended by Sarah’s disregarding of the prediction of her to-be-born child.

One year after the strangers visited Sarah, she ends up bearing a child, who is named Isaac. Once Isaac is born, a servant’s son, Ishmael, mocks Isaac. This offends Sarah, so Abraham sends Ishmael and his mother, Hagar, out into the desert. Although at first Abraham doesn’t want to cast him away, G-d tells Abraham that Ishmael will end up being the ruler of a great nation. In the desert, Ishmael is about to die from thirst, and after Hagar has already laid brush over him, G-d shows her a source of water, and essentially saves Ishmael’s life. As Jews, we all share the value that G-d is a driving force in many situations. In synagogue, every week the mi sheberakh is sung, where we pray to G-d for healing for those who are in need.

                Also in this parsha, G-d plans to destroy the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and give Abraham the land to rebuild people because they have become corrupt. So, he tells Abraham of his plan, but Abraham debates with G-d about how those who are righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah should not suffer the same fate as those who are evil, and G-d agrees. Abraham ends up negotiating all the way down from 50 commendable people in each city to 10 people, that G-d won’t destroy the city.

When G-d appears in Sodom in the form of two angels, Abraham’s nephew, Lot, takes these strangers into his home. Soon after, a mob surrounds Lot’s house, wishing to sexually abuse the two strangers. Lot refuses to let them. This is the act of Gmilut hasadim, or free acts of loving kindness. This is a value which all Jews derive their everyday behavior from. Eventually the strangers finally reveal that they are angels sent by G-d and essentially end up saving Lot and his family.

                Afterwards, they help Lot’s family get out of Sodom before it is destroyed, although Lot’s wife looks back and is instantly turned into a pillar of stone. Lot and his two daughters eventually end up fleeing to the hills, at which time they believe that they are all that is left of mankind. For this reason, Lot’s two daughters end up getting Lot drunk and having sexual relations with him. This causes each of the daughters to become pregnant, and therefore attempting to “save” mankind, although they are not the last humans to exist.

                In a time where every issue is so fiercely pressed to the public, where we are so compelled to divide and distinguish ourselves from our neighbors with yard signs and political buttons, how do we return to a sense of normalcy for the usually tight-knit and dependable Jewish community?  In light of the election, where so many of our morals are weighed against each other, how do we determine what is most important to us?

The people of Sodom and Gomorrah had no shared values, nothing driving them to strive to be a stronger unit, a stronger community. Therefore they became wicked, because they were not connected, an only out for themselves. Rather than citizens contributing to a greater, common good, the towns just became centers of corruption. The fact that there was a mob wishing to sexually abuse the two strangers in the town of Sodom just goes to show how heinous life without shared values would be. As Jews, we have a code of values, The Torah, to guide us. These shared values bind us together as a community and give us a roadmap to live together in a peaceful, moral, and cooperative way.

Workshop Reflection:

During our third workshop, we were lucky enough to have guest speaker Rabbi Dr.  Danny Schiff. This workshop, we tried to answer the question, "What are our shared values?" Parents were welcomed, which brought a whole new set of views to the table. What better way to learn about shared values than with the people who raised us? After discussing what we, as individuals, thought were the most valuable qualities in a leader, we looked at the most qualities by some of our nation's top business leaders. After the Rabbi's and parents departure, and a short "recess," we analyzed array of different songs, including Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror, and John Mayer's Waiting on the World to Change. As a cohort, we were surprised as to how deep these songs meanings really were, and how we had failed to see them in the past - despite knowing every lyric by heart. Finishing up the workshop, we attempted to draw figures with our eyes closed, having a partner's voice as our only guidance. After we had finished our drawing, we attempted to determine what it was that we had actually drawn. This showed how important communication truly is. At the end of the workshop, our cohort discussed how we were feeling about the Diller program as a whole. The general consensus was that everyone was enthusiastic and excited for all to come.

-From Jonathan Schermer

D’var Torah and Reflection by Zane Braslawsce

A LIFE LESSON

In this week’s parsha, we learn about Joseph and his brothers. Joseph is Jacob’s favorite son and his brothers soon become jealous and hate Joseph. Joseph has many dreams throughout his life and becomes good at interpreting them.

 One day...

"Joseph dreamt a dream which he told to his brothers, He said to them ... we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field, when ... my sheaf arose and ... remained standing; then ... your sheaves ... bowed down to my sheaf." (Genesis, 37:5-7)

Most of us all have someone that we need to answer to in one way or another. Whether it's a supervisor at work, a teacher in school, or a parent at home, there's usually someone in our life that plays an authoritative role. Sometimes these "bosses" enjoy reminding us constantly of their authority and like to talk down to us. And other times they'll choose to treat us with the utmost respect and kindness.

Interestingly, we all find ourselves in the exact same authoritative position countless times throughout the day. There are many people in our lives over whom - if we choose to - we can exercise an enormous amount of dominance and control. We can treat these people most any way we see fit, usually with little or no consequences. For example, this can happen every time you interact with a waitress, a store clerk, or any hired help. Since these people are required to listen to us, we have the potential to treat them with outright rudeness and disrespect.

The reason why you'll sometimes see people acting this way is that they believe it gives their ego a boost. We all have a desire on some level be in a position of authority in business, politics, or the community. So, in an unconscious effort to fulfill this desire, some people will simply choose to treat others in a manner like they rule over them and act like their sheaf arose and remained standing.

This is the mistake that Joseph made with his brothers and why they really disliked him and eventually plotted to kill him.

You can instantly learn about a person's self-esteem by observing just how they treat people to whom they don't have to be nice. Sadly, many people will act one way toward their boss and people they want to impress but then become demanding or rude when speaking to others that they do have authority over.

Joseph got carried away with his authority over his brothers and he treated them unfairly and he talked down to them. His brothers soon became angry and plotted to kill him. They threw him in a ditch in the middle of the desert where he could no longer be arrogant to others.

In Diller we are learning how to be good leaders in our community. Joseph’s story teaches us as leaders to treat those people which we lead with respect and kindness so as to not get plotted against. We must realize their worth and not become full of ourselves. If we do so, we will eventually be leading no one and we would basically end up like Joseph sitting in a hole in the middle of the desert.

This is why being a good leader is such an essential part in a community. Diller is teaching us the skills we need so that we can grow and develop into good leaders within our Jewish communities and elsewhere. I would like to thank Lisa, Felicia, and Orly for helping us get to this point and for sculpting us into better leaders.

After the reading of the D’var torah, we discussed the recent events of Israel’s campaigns to take the Gaza Strip back with Adi our Shlicha. We talked deeply about the bombings on Israel and the effects it has not only of the people living there but everybody who has a connection to Israel. After this we discussed mission and vision statements.

            We learned the key points in making each as well as seeing examples of different companies’ vision statements. We then used our newfound knowledge to create a mission and vision statement for our Chanukah party. Our committees then discussed our tasks for the upcoming Shabbaton. We ended the night with a little partying with our Diller Alumni, a little dancing, and a lot of Jelly Doughnuts!