After a late night due to the Diller International Mega Event in Tel Aviv, we were
treated to a late start on the day, meeting at 10:00 (thank you, Yerucham!).
The day, planned by some of Yerucham Diller’s finest Diller teens, began with a visit to a
nearby Bedouin tent, where we listened to a Bedouin woman, Nora, explain how
she became a Bedouin and the life style of the Bedouin. Interestingly,
hospitality is a fundamental aspect of the Bedouin life, something the Bedouins
and Diller have in common. Additionally, because the Bedouin life seems to me
to be very oppressing for women, Nora’s perspective was enlightening. Exposure
to Bedouin culture was also interactive; while Nora spoke, we relaxed in a
Bedouin-style tent and were given Bedouin tea and coffee to enjoy. Needless to
say, we were excited to thank Nora and her husband with a “Diller woosh”
afterwards.
We then took a 45 minute drive south to Mitzpe Ramon. There we split in to two groups. My group started with rappelling, or walking down the side of a cliff with a rope. Those who went down did not come up for a while, choosing instead to support the next Dillers to descend and watch the rams nearby. Although rappelling was definitely the “thriller,” it was not the main attraction. I suppose you could say that it “co-mained” with a museum on Ilan Ramon, the astronaut who represented Israel on the American shuttle
Columbia, and the Mitzpei Ramon crater (which have no connection – I asked). The museum featured several short films, an interactive learning area on geography, and a film on geography based on a shifting thing (?) acting as the earth’s surface. While my group enjoyed the tour, the second group went rappelling. The two activities were followed by a program led in English by Arava, a Yerucham Diller. Arava did an amazing job directing a conversation which examined why the Torah was given in the desert.
Mitzpei Ramon was followed by the first Limmud Yerucham (Miami Diller also participated in Miami’s first Limmud last year). Many of the girls enjoyed a session on rikkudei ahm, Israeli folk dancing, where we learned and made mistakes together – a Diller must. Dinner, couscous with a vegetable soup, was served at the Limmud. After dinner and a conversation with Mandy, we split off. Some of us played basketball. A few of us went to our Israeli homes for some much needed sleep.
Although the day was long and much went on, the most important part was certainly Arava and Dolev, yesterday’s teen coordinators, who demonstrated how a leader needs to act, such as stepping out of our comfort zones by using a foreign language. So thank you, Arava and Dolev, for an amazing day.
Yesterday we spent the morning volunteering by stocking shelves and organizing at a second hand store. 
Today we began with an art workshop during which we painted rocks from Yerucham to take home with us. This gave us not only a fun souvenier to take home but also taught us that all stones can turn into gems and these stones will remind us of the unforgettable memories that we have made here.
We started off our day today by going to an army base 5 minutes outside of Yerucham. At the army base we participated in a shooting simulator which all soldiers go through before fighting in the fields. We then toured the base where we spoke with Golani soldiers and saw armored vehicles. These vehicles weigh 65 tons and safely transport soldiers in and out of combat. We were then treated to an extravagant breakfast at the Yerucham teen club, Machsan 52. After the breakfast we heard from IDF air force pilot, Ido Frumer, who spoke to us about morals and ethics when fighting in the IDF. We then visited the statue in Yerucham that commemorates both soldiers and civilians that were killed in action. Lastly, we enjoyed a couple of hours of Cohort bonding through games and sports. Throughout the day we learned the true hardship that Israeli teenagers go through when joining the army. And we got end the night by going to a white night party with all the teens in Yerucham. 
After a LONG day of traveling, we made it! All 16 of us got through both flights as a group, and luckily everything ran smoothly. As we walked past the immigration services in Ben Gurion Airport, we couldn't believe what was before us. Every one of the Israelis was there in the airport waiting for us with balloons, treats, and a song. It truly was an exciting moment, reconnecting with our pen pals, only this time on their home turf. 
The dinner was lovely, and it was super fun to meet the Israelis with their families. We were very lucky to have the mayor of Yerucham, Michael Bitton (father of one of the Yerucham Diller teens), in attendance. He spoke about Diller and how happy he was to have us here in Yerucham. If there is one that thing really stood out to me from the first day, it was how American I am. Being surrounded by Israeli teenagers, out of my own element, in the middle of the Negev, I truly felt different from my peers, yet united through our shared religion and values. I hope to further look into this idea of being different yet united throughout the remainder of the trip, and am excited for all that's in store!.JPG)
