Israel Isreallly Fun: CONGRESS

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Since arriving at Congress it has been a very busy past 2 days for the fellows. 

Following a free Shabbat, where teens experienced life throughout the Golan, on Sunday the fellows arrived at Congress after a leisurely drive to Tel Hai, especially in comparison to Cohorts such as Eilat which left at 3.30am.

After arriving at our accommodation in kibbutz Manara (photo of the beautiful view attached), and meeting the other partnership communities located at Manara, the fellows attended the Opening Ceremony for Congress. This was a beautiful evening with food stalls and an opportunity to start mingling with some of the 700 fellows. As well as an evening filled with videos, dances and lots of fun, the fellows were privileged to hear from Helen Diller's daughter, Jacqui Safier. It was a lovely, but very hot, evening, with beautiful photos to come as Diller had drone photography the event.

On Monday morning the fellows went to Tel Hai University campus where the main seminar is located. Throughout the day they explored their origins, noting the major differences between Australians and American heritage, and explored their connection to Israel and Judaism. 

The fellows also participated in a Diller Community Fair,  with each partnership presenting their communities and the fellows learning about each other. The atmosphere was incredible, with music, fairy floss, popcorn, slushies, and many goodies throughout the day. The Australians gladly convinced many others to try "Australian Chocolate" which was actually vegemite, with great delight in watching the reactions. 

It has given me great joy to see the fellows meeting new people and embracing the Congress experience, which can be overwhelming with the sheer number of people around (and the heat! It was 40 today!). 
Their enthusiasm and ruach (spirit) is becoming known to all on Congress, with just a snapshot for you in the videos.

The fellows returned to our accommodation for a relaxed evening discussion of Jewish dilemmas, enjoying the cooler mountain air and a beautiful view.

We have just arrived at Tel Hai for an exciting Day 3 of Congress, where they have just received their Diller Tshirts for the official group photo to be taken today. I will send an update after today, and a blog post from one of the fellows.







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