Street Style- Day 10

Being the plant enthusiast that I am I couldn't help but notice all the beautiful vegetation in India. Outside our hotel was a beautiful Boganvelia tree with pink flowers.

Walking through the markets and streets the group came across many marigold flowers. These yellow and orange flowers are strung together with other leaves and hung over doors and in buildings. Traditionally marigold are used for celebration and for prayers. Back home (Toronto) marigolds are planted in vegetable gardens to keep the bugs away and are also edible!

It's a nice treat to be greeted by beautiful colours amongst the busy streets of India.

- Orli

Street Style- Day 10

May 13th 2015, team Impact India successfully completes the "Amazing Race" Mumbai. Both literally and figuratively we all crossed the finish line. Endurance, determination, enthusiasm, will power, adrenaline, self-reflection and team-work were just some of the words running through my mind over the course of the last week and a half, and more recently, in the last two hours. The staff members spread themselves out throughout the city, team Impact India was divided into four teams, each team member bringing their own strengths and contributions, and the first clue was given. I assure you however, this was no ordinary race. Not even thinking about the 35 degree weather, the 75% humidity, and the crowd of Indians hovering around to take pictures with 'stars'. This race challenged us all at every one of the six stations; mentally, in our required reflections about our collective experience in Mumbai and questioned our own strategies for furthering old and learned ideas of Tikun Olamonce we return to our own homes. Physically, as each group pushed the other to move faster, think harder and sing louder. And lastly emotionally, as we thought about our individual potentials for change and progress both within and outside of our respective communities. For many of us here, this whole trip has been a race. A race towards something greater than ourselves, a race to make a small change with a big impact, a race against the ticking clock, a race for humanity, a race to do now, and think later, a race away from pre-conceived norms, human expectation, and self-propelled limitations, and of course for most, a constant race to the bathroom. Against some brutally hot circumstances, we closed out the night possibly with even more energy and drive than we started with, while we were temporarily divided, we still grew in our shared desires to take this trip, our new knowledge and enriched perspectives, and carry it forwards on our journeys to impact the world around us. I am confident in saying on behalf of everyone, Impact India 2015 truly has been an amazing race!

- Rebecca

Food- Day 10

Keeping kosher in Toronto is such a breeze, being in India for just about 2 weeks I can now truly say I understand the difficulty of keeping kosher. 

Our first meal in the morning was at the Chabad house where we waited a long time but enjoyed a wonderful Israeli style breakfast. My favourite throughout the trip has been the shakshuka which comes with a roll, Israeli salad and a fruit shake- that morning I had pear. 

Throughout the trip we had omelette or grilled vegetable sandwiches for lunch and cereal, fruit, peanut butter and sometimes rolls for breakfast. Compared to the others our cuisine was pretty tame and North American. That is until we looked further into the matter and were able to enjoy simple rice and lentil dishes: paper dosa, idli and utapa, along with freshly squeezed fruit juices. The dosa is paper thin, chewy and crispy and served folded into what looks like a tube. Idli is steeped and it was kind of bland. The utopia was similar to a pancake and tasted great wit some sprinkledsugar. I ate mine often with some banana slices.

A second challenge of the trip was not being able to eat unpeeled fruit, as well I am allergic to mangos, but I was able to try a chikoo. The chikoo reminded me of the texture of a pear, with the sweetness of a fig or date. It became difficult some days since a lot of times we could not have access to Chabad meals and the rice and lentil dishes were very carb heavy and there is only so much fruit one can eat. We each packed our own protein bars and snacks, but we all are in need for a good cooked meal. 

For Lag Baomer we had BBQ at Chabad, where they shared with us the last of their beef that was brought into India. Since then they have not been allowed to bring it in.

Shabbat at Chabad was not too much different for me as a vegetarian; lots of Israeli style salatim such as matbucha, then, chums, babaganush, egg salad, beets and fried eggplant.The first course was a lovely light salmon and for the main they served chicken, rice and green beans with cashews and mushrooms. Dessert was a non-dairy chocolate and vanilla mousse that really hit the spot. I did not go to bed hungry thats for sure.

Lunch the next day was similar with salatim, battered fish with a spicy sauce, a green salad with candied nuts and of course chulent, followed by a moist chocolate cake. 

For me I think the hardest parts were with the lack of dairy products, green vegetables, and having to think constantly from ml to meal. I am leaving India excited to return to the simplicity, amazed at the challenges we faced, but happy I was able to enjoy a real chai tea. 

- Ruchie

Jewish India- Day 9

The Jews in Alibag

In a small village characterized by lush greenery and beautiful mountains are the historical sights for an ancient and fascinating Jewish community.

The place called Alibag, marks the location that a group of Jews arrived from Israel following the destruction of the second temple. They were travelling west when their boat crashed with only 6 or 7 couples surviving. These people remained in India and established a Jewish community built upon the knowledge they arrived with. With no textual sources, the Jews of India maintained an oral tradition of laws that they passed down throughout the generations. Some of these included reciting the Shema prayer and ensuring that their fish was kosher with fins and scales. Throughout the centuries these customs were maintained, and beautiful synagogues were established for the community to pray together.

Fast forward a few thousand years to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.Since Jews in India had Israel (and specifically Jerusalem) as a focal point in their prayers, many Jews took the opportunity to make Aliya and continue their lives in Israel.

In Alibag over the past couple of days our group had the opportunity to visit some of the remnants of this small but fascinating Jewish community. Highlights of our time included visiting 2 Shuls (one of which is under construction), visiting the oil press of Benjamin (a local Jewish resident), hearing an elderly chazzan chant a beautiful tefila (prayer), walking through a Jewish cemetery, and viewing the sight of "Elijiah's rock."

As time progresses and the community dwindles due to assimilation and Aliya, plans are being made to ensure that these historical religious sights are preserved.

- Elise Loterman

Food- Day 9

Paneer?

What is it do you ask? Paneer is a type of cheese made of just milk and lime. Most of us have tried paneer in a variety of ways throughout the trip. Whether it being as part of a vegetable mixture in a tomato sauce that is rich in Indian spices, or mixed with potatoes and peas in a paneer masala dosa, Paneer has been a hit amongst many members of the group. Paneer has also been enjoyed by many with Indian spices topped with a slice of tomato, and a slice of onion.
Overall Paneer has been a favourite of many throughout the trip!

Campers- Day 8

After four sessions together our camp experience has come to a close. In the mere hours we had to spend with the kids we were able to forge relationships with them despite the obvious language and cultural barriers. For me, there are two things which stand out that allowed for this experience to take effect in such a successful fashion.

The first is the kids' general behaviour. Many of us were unsure of what to expect in our first encounter. Would they be depressed? Visibly malnourished? Perhaps issues from home in the slums would manifest during our time together? Some of us simply did not know what to expect. All of these concerns were set aside when we experienced their excitement to participate in the activities and learn with us. Their positivity allowed us to overlook any concerns and focus on the kids and the prams we organized.

The second factor that fuelled the success of our camp was trust. Perhaps at the foundation of their positivity and eagerness to participate, the campers were able to trust us to walk with them, talk with them, and take care of them for four days (even more impressively, with no cultural or language relationship between us).

Every night upon returning to the hotel, we close the day as a group by sharing a thought. When asked to share what I wished there was more of in the world, I chose 'innocence'. The campers had every right to be reserved at the foreign presence before them, however they chose to dive in, trust us, and enjoy.

The life of a child is simple and their perspective of the world is limited. As we grow older, forgoing the childish innocence within ourselves is justifiable, living in a world that reveals itself to be increasingly complex. However, I wonder how the world would look if we could all carry a bit more innocence within us. In the Talmud's tractate of Ta'anit on page 7a, Rabbi Chanina shares an insightful thought:

והיינו דאמר ר' חנינא הרבה למדתי מרבותי ומחבירי יותר מרבותי ומתלמידי יותר מכולן
"And it was that Rabbi Chanina said, I have learned much from my Rabbi's, and I have learned more from my friends than my Rabbi's, but from my students I have learned the most."

The kids from our camp showed me the results of unconditional trust. While more experience can present us with greater wisdom, it can often blind us from simplicities of life that can have adverse affects on our respective cultures (familial, religious or national). Blind trust and complete naïveté is unwise, however maintaining an awareness of our approach to "the other" can help us to forge deeper relationships with our communities.

-Koby

Jewish India- Day 9

In our short time here, we've seen so many things that starkly contrast our lives back home. If one digs a little deeper it's easy to see that we are all just people and are very similar in many ways, but the immediacy with which I noticed parallels between the Jews and Jewish communities of Mumbai and Toronto really amazes me.

A first, on-the-surface connection came from our time at the Knesset Eliyahoo in Colaba on Friday night and Saturday morning. It eerily reminded me of my own shul in Toronto: Congregation Knesset Israel (aka the Junction shul, or the Maria Street shul). Both are housed in beautifully constructed relics that are over 100 years old, both are in neighbourhoods that are no longer centres for the Jewish community, and both feature a dwindling and aged population that commutes from far distances to come to shul.

I look at these amazing places, and I love their respect for history and strong sense of tradition. But I am forced to ask the same questions about their futures: what will happen to these places in the next 10 years? 20? Who will be the next generation? If these places do survive, will they look anything like what they do now? Are they worth preserving? Accounting for size would suggest that things may look more bleak for Knesset Eliyahoo due to the relatively tiny Jewish community of Mumbai, but I would still answer the last question with a resounding yes for both shuls. It's an interesting situation that both communities face concurrently, and one that will inevitably sort itself out in the very near future, for better or worse.

More parallels presented themselves upon visiting the local JCC on Sunday afternoon. We met a bunch of Mumbai's Jewish youth there, and participated in competitions in chess, table tennis, and a local game called Carom (the game is effectively billiards, but it is played with your hands on a square tabletop, and wooden discs the size of checkers pieces are substituted for balls).

The youths were very interested in us, and were eager to share their experiences of what it is like to be Jewish in Mumbai. Many seemed to be highly motivated academically and professionally; lots were either studying or young professionals, many engineers and lawyers. I fielded tons of questions that I didn't expect to, like 'what's it like for telecom engineers in Canada?' and other sector specific questions about the job market back home. On a very basic level, the impression I took away was that many of them reminded me of a lot of young people that I know back home. While these similarities are amazing and important, there were some major differences that stood out in my mind as I reflect after the fact.

Namely, I was surprised to discover that I was the first grandchild of Holocaust survivors that many of them had ever met. Moreover, some had never met anyone as closely related to someone that was effected by the Holocaust as me. One local named Effie said that he considered it an honour to have met me, but the pride in my family and heritage that I felt as I shared a few stories with him made the experience an unforgettable one for me as well.

Adversely, many of the Indian Jews said they were able to trace their roots back to the time that their families arrived in the city of Mumbai (mostly from other villages on the Konkan coast). For many, this was about 8 or so generations ago, and their families have been in the city for over 300 years (to say the very least, my family's story is very different). As an homage to their ancient, pre-Mumbai home villages, many Jews have last names that incorporate the name of their village. The formula basically works like this: [insert name of village]-kar (it's just the name of the village with 'kar' thrown on at the end. My grandfather was from Chmielnik in Poland, so if I apply this formula to myself, the name produced would be Chmielnikar... People from Chmielnik are referred to as Chmielnikers, so perhaps this concept isn't so foreign after all).

A final, notable difference relates to infrastructure associated with Kashrut. There are a few local people that are trained shoychets, but they rarely work for money and often do it on the side for family and friends. People must go out of their way to find an appropriate time (usually at odd hours due to the shoychets' jobs, families, etc) and take chickens to be slaughtered themselves. From there, they need to take the meat home and properly salt it before storing. Again, if we dig deeper, maybe this process isn't so foreign, as it was standard just a few short generations ago in Toronto. But it is an interesting sign that this small community within such a gigantic metropolis is strong, tight knit, and not going away any time soon.

-Eric

Street Style- Day 8

Today we started a new leg of our journey - our one night excursion to Alibag to learn about Indian Jewish history. The trip started off at 7am where we checked out of our hotel and had breakfast. We headed over to the Gate of India which serves as a port for ferries to local islands, there we hopped on a 45 minute ferry to Madwa. Once we had arrived into the Madwa port, we took a bus into Alibag - the place where the first Indian Jews settled 3000 years ago. Alibag, a small village, has much more greenery then Mumbai and sits on the coast of the Arabian Sea. It was nice to be in a quieter setting and we got a chance to take time to sit by the beach and relax. After dinner we joined in an impromptu birthday celebration happening on the street. There were five drums who were drumming around a horse and carriage with the birthday boy. Beyond the rich history of Alibag, the people and the culture are fascinating. More later about the early Indian Jewry.

-Jacqueline Craig 

Camp Program- Day 4

This past Friday we shared camp day 3 with the children. Our location for the day was the Prince of Wales museum, an arts and history museum. The day started off like all of the other days with our group meeting the children in front of the museum for breakfast. We then divided into groups and began exploring the museum. After viewing different exhibits we came together for the activity portion of the day.  The theme of the day was teamwork so all of the activities were based on performing tasks together.  The group prepared four stations each requiring participants to work together to achieve a common goal. As each small group made their way through the stations the excitement and energy could be heard from all around the lobby. Orli Schwartz ran the first station which consisted of a rubber band with strings attached to it and plastic cups. The goal was to build a pyramid with the cups by only using the elastic and strings to stretch over the cups and lift them.  The next station was run by me , Leeat Perlman, here the children were given a puzzle which they had to complete as quickly as possible. By working together to complete the puzzle the teams were able to complete them quite fast. The third station was run by Carly Arch. Here the kids played human knot, a game where they all hold the hands of those across the circle from them and need to untangle themselves without letting go. Finally, Koby Spiegel prepared a game where a rope was tied up and all of the participants needed to get over the rope to the other side without touching it. All in all it was a good day. The children learnt that by working together they can not only achieve things faster and more fun fashion.  They also learned that by working together they can achieve more by sharing ideas.

-Leeat Perlman

Jewish India- Day 6

Growing up in Toronto, my Jewish identity was defined by the family, friends and community around me. Although religion and faith is something so personal, it is the people around you that allow you to find yourself and find your love for God. Having such a vibrant and involved community around me back home, my perception of a Jewish community has been quite narrow minded. This past day the impact group had the opportunity and privilege to spend an afternoon at the local Mumbai JCC. We ate lunch, played ping pong, chess and Carem with Jewish Indian young adults just like ourselves. Just like myself, these are young Jewish people who came out to their community centre to enjoy a nice Sunday afternoon. The facilities were different than what I was used to as well the size of the group was smaller too, however, what spoke to me was this idea of Jewish community and how Judaism can thrive in any community. Over the past week in Mumbai I have noticed how strong the Jewish community is and how passionate the people are. It may not be big but it still has that feel of love and togetherness. It has been a true pleasure being able to spend this time with the amazing local Jews here in Mumbai. 

-Russel

Bike Tour- Day 6

Today with some reluctance most of the group woke up at the break of dawn for one of our much anticipated adventures of our trip. All that we knew going into it was that it was going to involve a bike and the busy streets of Mumbai. At 6am we made our way to reality tours where we found our two wheeled companions and headed out. As the bike tour started there was a rare calmness that flowed through the streets; which is not  the norm where the melody of horns and honks fill the days. Our first stop was the waterfront where we got to capture the picturesque sunrise. We weaved through the back streets,  main highways and even experienced some urban portaging carrying our bikes up and over a train bridge. Some of the places we got to see: a mosque, Hindu temple, fruit and fish markets, animal welfare centre and famous piers gave us an opportunity to immerse ourselves in the true Mumbai culture. Being able to really throw ourselves into the hustle and bustle of the hectic and vibrant street life of Mumbai was one of the the many adventures that has made this trip so special. It's so amazing to be able to see how something as universal as riding a bike can be worlds different based on geography yet so similar like the honking of horn on a busy road. 

-Carly

Jewish India- Shabbat

United We Prosper 

To me, a synagogue symbolizes the peak of community, tradition and unity.

As a Bene Israel Jew, tradition has always been emphasized in my upbringing. Attending synagogue has always been seen as a historical, spiritual experience that goes back to the days of my ancestors. From parent to child, the Jews of India have been able to maintain their spirituality and tradition. They prove to us that the only way to do so is with a unified community. This was evident when we attended services at the Iraqi synagogue, Keneset Eliyahu.

My personal experience was filled with mixed emotions. To think this 150 year old synagogue, like many others in India, was once full and now, after most of the community members have made Aliyah, it services with just enough for a minyan. It was so beautiful to see Iraqi and Bene Israel Jews come together to maintain the spirit of the Jewish presence in the area.

It was clear that put visit had brought extra Ruach and life to this aged synagogue. With the community getting smaller with time, we have the privilege to say that we prayed with the Jewish community in Mumbai- an opportunity not many will be able to have.

My prayer for the next 6 days is for myself and the rest of the Impact India team, to take every moment in. We will be having more new experiences and it is important that we experienced it all to its fullest, so that we can take everything we have leaned, like the importance of communal unity, back home to Toronto.

-Ariella Daniels

Camp Program- Day 3

Day two of enrichment camp began with a breakfast of Indian donughts and chutny outside of the aquarium with the children. After breakfast we split into groups and had an hour to explore the aquarium. The little girls that I had the privilege of walking around with were so excited to see all of the fish , turtles, sharks, and octupi and were happy to teach us the Maharati words for all of those sea creatures. As there were only two rooms to walk around in, a fresh water and a salt water room, it did not take the full hour to walk around and we had an impromptu game of stella ella ola. This smaller game with a few of the kids turned into a very large game with all of the children and some of the staff paticipating. As is common with our group, we then turned into a spectacle.

After a short bathroom break we all got back on our busses and drove to a garden for our afternoon programing. We began with a game of rock paper scissors tournament where the winner went on to play another person who won. Those who didn't win had to walk behind the winners cheering their name. At the end of the game there are two groups of people cheering on the last pair of players. The children got really into the game and we ended playing the game again. We pulled in our aquarium theme of the day by playing a few games of octopus. When we saw that the children were getting exhausted we calmed down by teaching them a song. This was the crocodile song, which continued our animal theme and had many motions which the children loved. We were very impressed as the children picked up the song and the words very quickly. We then spread out poster paper, finger paints and stickers for the children to create their own aquariums based on what they saw in the morning.  This activity was very successful and all the children real enjoyed getting creative with their artwork. After some hand washing to get off all of the paint we sat down to eat lunch. After our goodbyes we all got back on the bus exhausted but happy with the day and rewarded by all of the smiles and laughter that we had a hand in creating.

-Judy Gerlock

Camp Program- Day 2

Yesterday team trip squad organized a day of programming for the group of beautiful, energetic youth that we are volunteering with. The day began with an ice breaker game in which we stood, holding hands, in a massive circle, impact India participants and children standing side by side. Each of us introduced ourselves and called out our favourite fruit, which the children loved. We made our way into the science centre and ate a light Indian breakfast in the cafeteria. After we ate, the kids made an impromptu performance consisting of songs and dances, it was incredible to see how proud of each of other they were. We then watched an IMAX movie on aviation in Hindi. After the short film the group moved into a large hall to begin the activities. We started with an egg drop style event, with plastic eggs as we had no interest in being wasteful. We split the kids up into teams, had them name themselves and then gave them plates, cups, bowls, popsicle sticks, string and silly puddy to protect their 'eggs'. After three rounds of dropping from a significant height each teams contraption was successful and we had five teams of winners. Working with the kids so far has been a profound inspiration. Their ability to trust and even love twenty strangers of a different skin colour in almost no time at all is astonishing. I am obviously in a different space entirely, the other side of the world to be exact, but their conduct has made me feel as though my reality has shifted. I can't even say how much I am looking forward to the next 3 days of camp with these beautiful kids and the perspective altering experience that is intrinsic to their nature.

- Jacob (Yaakov) Walker

Campers- Day 3

Children have the luxury of youthful ignorance. They cry when they get a scratch on the knee while we as adults can brush off such an injury with ease. They overflow with happiness without the aid of monetary stimuli when we as adults and young adults are scratching and clawing for our next pay check regardless of social class. Children don't know what their circumstances entail, all that matters is the next activity of the day and playing with their friends. Luckily, myself and the rest of the Impact India participants are able to be that next activity for some of the most rambunctious and eager kids I've ever came across. These are Indian children from the slums of Mumbai and all they care about is having fun and they crave human interaction and attention. It's amazing that with the language barrier all of us here on the trip are able to communicate and bond with these incredible children through body language, energy and human emotion. One might think children who come from the slums of India may not have the best manners or ability to cooperate but I was blown away when my friend Nicki and Himbi tried to clear my plate for me after lunch without even asking. Their parents work hard to make a living and their grandparents worked even harder throughout their lives. I wonder what the future holds for these wonderful children who are ambitious, determined, energetic and no different than the kids back home in Canada - however, these kids don't have iPhones and computers to spoil they're time, just each other and the next fun activity in their way. I look forward to spending another few days running activities for these amazing children and I'll be sad to say goodbye.

-Jonah Osher

Touring- Day 2

Today was a busy first day for the Impact India crew. After a day of getting to know our surroundings in a more relaxed setting, we started branching beyond the immediate 25 of us. This morning we met the energetic children from Project Gabriel and had a wonderful time with them at the science museum. We saw an imax, had a contest to make an egg drop safely, learned cheers and dances, enjoyed meals, and had an amazing time meeting new friends. Following the science museum, our group went on an eye opening tour of the Dharavi Slum in Mumbai. 

The Dharavi slum is the largest slum in the city of Mumbai, home to one million people. We met up with our tour guides from Reality tours and they explained to us the purpose of why they give the slum tour. Many would think that the tour is just a way to make money and exploit the neighbourhoods, but the purpose of this tour is to bring a light to the way people view the slums and help others understand the way of life. Honestly, I was very nervous for this tour. I was prepared to see poverty, but what I actually saw was people. We began on the industrial side of the slum. Dahravi is home to one of the biggest recycling plants in India. They recycle things like plastics, aluminum, cardboard, and more. The industry side of the slum employs people from different cities and countries that come to work and send money home to their families. We were told that a handful of the individuals working there now are from Nepal and sending money home to their families. The workers sleep upstairs in their factories which emit a large amount of pollution from melting the materials etc. I was astonished at the risk thathese people put themselves in for their families. The average life expectancy in the slums is 45-50 years. The husbands move away from home and work in these conditions because they are devoted and don't think about themselves. All the factories involve strenuous work in small dark rooms ingesting hazardous waste products on a daily basis. To counter a lot of the stereotypes, a question was brought up about the age that children begin to work. The government made education mandatory up to the age of 14 and then they can start working. We then went to the residential area and saw the way that the residents of the slums live. There are between 5-10 people living in each house which has four walls and covered with an aluminum roof. The houses are attached and are on narrow alleyways that contain the smells of the slums and little fresh air. When we walked through the alleys, children waved to usand said hi. Some were playing cricket and others were running in the streets. 

They seemed happy with their way of life. As we walked through the slums each participant had their own judgements based through the eyes of the university majors. The nurses were concerned about the occupational hazards and pollution, the child and youth care students were concerned about the number of children walking around barefoot and playing in dangerous areas, the environmental majors were concerned about the river of waste products running through the city and emptying into bigger seas. 

Finally, from a psychological and therapeutic sense some mentioned the concern of differing abilities within the individuals, how those with physical and or mental disabilities navigate and live in such a physically straining environment.  The experience overall was very eye opening and enlightening about the realities of the slums. We are all going to go into the rest of the enrichment camp with insights on where the children come from and grasp their appreciation for the experiences that they will have.

Jewish India- Day 3

Lag Ba'Omer in Mumbai
We began our celebration with a large bonfire on the roof of the chabad house in downtown Mumbai. We discussed the symbolism of fire as pointing towards the jewish soul that is always aspiring and wanting to grow, just like the upward direction of the flames. This conversation was especially meaningful because of where we were. The roof top that we were sitting on was the same location that terrorists brutally murdered 6 people, including the chabad rabbi and his wife, in 2008. For Jews to gather at this place and sing jewish songs around a bonfire served as testimony that the Jewish people are a people of grit and persaverence. Am ha-netzach lo yipached miderech arucka-the eternal people are not afraid of a long, circuitous path. We will march forward with determination and comitment.

Our lag Ba'Omer  celebration  continued the next morning in a beautiful park overlooking the Arabian sea. We gathered with 30 kids from the slums played games, taught them a new song and shared a tastey  pick nick lunch together. We provided these smiling children with a boost of confidence and comradarei.

In short, lag Ba'Omer  in India was memory making. 

- Rabbi Noah Cheses

Assistant Rabbi Shaarei Shomayim

Food- Day 2

Our Indian food journey began on the plane ride from Frankfurt to Mumbai, when a small mix-up occurred. Unfortunately, the flight attendants were short on kosher meals so some of us were given vegetarian Indian style meals instead. My meal consisted of white rice with a curried sauce and Indian rice pudding on the side. I ate the meal with great satisfaction, and as I did so, I turned to the Indian brother and sister sitting next to me who I had recently befriended. They informed me that the food would only get better from there.

And sure enough, they were right. On our first day in Mumbai and since then, we have been given a choice to eat our meals at Chabad or at nearby "pure veg" restaurants. Both options have given us rich and flavourful eating opportunities. Those of us who ate at the restaurant experienced our first authentic taste of India. We had chapati dipped in baji, which is a hot tomato-based dipping sauce with mangoes, and samosas with dal and panjabi on the side. This was the Indian equivalent of chickpea and potato bourekas. My initial reactions? The weather and food here have a lot in common, as they are both incredibly hot!

For me, the most memorable meal so far has been at a restaurant where my table ordered mushroom paneer masala with naan and some other delicacies whose names I cannot remember or pronounce. Many of the flavors were ones that I had never before tasted. Eating at these types of Indian restaurants has proven to be an interesting social, and unique cultural, experience because everyone ends up sharing their dishes with each other. This makes it easy to sample a whole bunch of Indian dishes at once. When the meal was done I looked down at my finger nails and saw that they were yellow from all the dipping of breads into various sauces!

But, for all the satisfaction we get from it, Indian food also has a dark side. For one, some of us agree that that eating Indian food for every meal does not agree with our stomachs. I've also been hearing group members say that all the different foods are starting to look, smell, and taste the same once you've had a few meals in India. Thankfully, meals at Chabad offer a nice change of pace, with a mix of Israeli and American style dishes such as shakshuka, chicken sandwiches, and Israeli salads. I am excited to celebrate Lag baomer tonight, which we will celebrate with a  bonfire and barbecue, and am looking forward to the other tasty dishes ahead!

- Tovi

Music- Day 1

JCC Camp Programs- Day 1

Photography- Day 1

     Our first day in India has been different and exciting in ways I never could have expected. The food, the people, the smells, and the noises have been mostly unfamiliar, often inviting, and always intriguing.

     That being said, there were two photos that I captured today that really exemplify the beauty and unique qualities of this country. The first is a photo of the Taj Hotel, a famous old hotel. The architecture of this building is what really caught my eye. It is the type of old school, dramatic, and detailed architecture that we have seen in numerous buildings throughout the neighbourhood. These buildings offer a startling contrast to many of the stray animals and more poverty stricken communities, but also seem to make perfect sense in this majestic land.

     The second photo is of a couple of chickens who shared our sidewalk with us during our tour of the neighbourhood. Earlier in the day, we also saw two cows tied to a metal post on the sidewalk. This, too, is different than anything we experience in Canada.

-Simone

Jewish India- Day 2

Tonight we welcomed in Lag Baomer  at Chabad of Mumbai. The celebration included a bonfire, singing, and words of Torah. It was a great end to a long and fulfilling day.

Sitting around the bonfire, I felt the fire was symbolic of my time in India so far. Like India, it was hot and moved to its own unique and unpredictable beautiful rhythm. And just as fire sheds light on its surroundings, I hope this experience enables me to view my surrounding in a clearer and more nuanced lens.

Chag sameach!

Justin

JCC Campers- Day 1

Street Style- Day 1