As a fellow, you have pre/during/post program responsibilities. An example of a pre-trip responsibility is participating in Plant Your Way To Israel, a great fundraising opportunity where half of the money you raise goes to JNF and the other half gets set aside for your trip. When in Israel, you get to practice your writing skills by writing a weekly blog and participate in a special leadership class once a week.

I decided to go to Israel because I want to explore and learn all about the holy land. I hope to come out of this experience having knowledge on everything in Israel. Specifically, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I want to come home and have the knowledge to educate other people from my experience.

It’s almost a week until I leave. I have not felt this excited in so long! I’ve been waiting all summer to have this experience; and here I am finally packing and getting all my stuff together. After an unusual end of school year I am so ready to be back as a student again.

Hey! I’m Ruby and this year I’ve been fortunate enough to receive a fellowship to attend school in Israel! I’ve never been, however, since I was very little I was always so envious of my two older siblings who got to participate in the AMHSI program. My brother came back from his trip and gave me a chocolate bar that he’d purchased in Israel.

I am so excited to be spending my fall semester of sophomore year in Israel! It is unreal to think that my twin sister and I are leaving the country in less than a week! I hope to make lifelong friends and have the chance to meet Jewish teens from across the world. This is important to me because there are not a lot of Jewish teens at my public high school, which means I have to actively seek out connections with other Jewish teens.

Coming on this program in Israel, has given me so much more educational opportunities than I could receive back In the United States. Not only are the things we are learning about so different than anything I would be learning in a public high school, but also the ability for us to be able to visit these sites, that hold so much historical significance is so extraordinary

One tip I can give anyone coming abroad is always have your wallet, and I mean always. It takes a few days to get a new card and also it just isn’t a good feeling because you have nothing. Another tip, download a converter app. I have one called Currency and it hasn’t done me wrong. One more tip, just be responsible. Just because everyone is going out every night doesn’t mean you have to also. The food on campus won’t kill you

With time management and money skills, there shouldn’t be many other problems on this trip because these are definitely smart, independent skills teenagers should learn in their life!

By managing your time, keeping up with your classes and making the best out of your time here at AMHSI you will have the best trip ever.

In my opinion, time management is the single most important skill one can and should develop on this trip. Each day on campus I face a similar “dilemma”: do I stay in and get work done or experience all that the amazing town of Hod HaSharon has to offer?

When I got to Israel everything was new to me. Yes, I had been to Israel before, but going to school in Israel and taking classes is a whole different type of experience. You are forced to learn how to manage your time between school and friends, and you have to learn when to prioritize what. It is very easy to fall behind if you are not smart about time management, so that is one of the things you learn how to do first, in my opinion. For example, we have to write photo journals after each tiyul (field trip), and because we go on tiyulim so frequently, it is hard to find time to write them. I have found that writing them on the bus rides home are the most efficient.

This experience is truly one of a kind, and as I begin my sixth week here, my heart breaks knowing I'll be heading home in a few weeks. I cannot stress enough that going out of your comfort zone and making the most out of every experience handed to you will make your trip unforgettable.

To some extent, I said the most important skills to have or learn to develop on this trip are time management, so you do not get constantly swamped with work, as well as finding good friends who can help you through tough times and cheer you up. Along with being there to help you study and as resources to help you with anything from school to life.

Being on campus at HSI has honestly been a phenomenal experience. I have already made so many memories on this trip and have learned important values of Judaism which will last a lifetime. However, keeping up with all the work is essential to having a great experience. Based on my experience so far, I have created a “Students Guide to Life in Israel” to help incoming students be successful here at Muss.

Having the opportunity to learn while in a new environment with new people contributes a lot to life here; take advantage of the extra support, the small class sizes, and the fun things you learn. Going with the flow is another aspect that makes living in Israel even better. You are able to enjoy yourself more when you know things will happen that you are not expecting.

If I were to hike Masada with my family, we would most likely just walk up, check it out at the top then go back down. But with AMHSI, we toured the entire thing and I learned what each and everything was and why it was there. When we were about to go down, we went to the end of the mountain where we saw other mountains and even some people hiking far away. We then were told to scream “Masada shall not fall again” but in Hebrew. We yelled it word my word and it echoed throughout the desert. Nothing has ever been so special to me before this experience and I truly thank AMHSI’s living classroom concept because it is teaching me things not only about history but about myself too.

We had to put ourselves in the mindset of a people who just lost maybe the most important battle of their peoples’ history, and just three years later were being once again threatened with certain death. The fact that we were sitting where the Zealots may have actually sat and planned their escape placed us very close to the mindset of the people 4000 years ago. I am a very visual learner, so my being at the sight made the experience much more memorable.

For example, hiking Masada was definitely the hardest activity we have done so far on our tiyuls. This really helped our class gain a perspective on how the Jews had to do this thousands of years ago without the materials we have now that we used to hike it, such as hiking boots, lights, and backpacks with water. When we made it up to the top of the mountain, we started learning about the Jews’ past and how the Romans surrounded every side of the mountain waiting for them to come down. It makes the class extremely entertaining when we’re at the spot that we are learning about. We also called out from the side of the mountain, “Masada Shall Not Fall Again” which was absolutely incredible because it felt so real, everything we were learning about and actually being there. It really is an indescribable feeling getting to learn at the site which we once learned about in a classroom. It opens your eyes up to more perspectives than you would ever think.

To map out a typical Tiyul day, it starts with a relaxing bus ride. Shortly after we arrive to the location, we start taking some quick notes. After that, the day is focused on observing and experiencing what the Jews did thousands of years ago. These days seem to fly by, as the day is packed with activities and sites to visit. Being in these symbolic locations, allows me to not only fully process what is happening, but to relate more with the lives of the Jewish people back then. I cannot put into words how much I love this program and the memories that I have already created. I am so appreciative of this amazing opportunity I have been given and look forward to the rest of this adventure.