At home, I constantly find myself falling asleep in class or zoning out due to boredom, but while on Muss, I’m so glad I can say i haven’t found myself bored once. The tiyuls we go on are incredibly eye opening, and knowing that I will never experience trips like these again makes them 10 times more special. Living in my own personal classroom on Muss is truly the most amazing experience and I wouldn’t trade anything for it.

When it is all said and done my favorite part of the interactive classroom is it is fun. To simply put it, I see myself countless times wanting to learn more and being interested in class, something that does not happen very often in my school at home. This is why I love an interactive classroom.

Without the constant stress of tests, and with the constant fluidity of the program, I am not only able to take in the material, but I am also able to experience the feelings of the places we visit. To be able to immerse oneself in something makes the experience all the more impactful. I’ll never forget laughing with my class as our teacher sang to us about the bizarre Canaanite rituals that used to take place at Tel Gezer. I’ll never forget how I felt when I reached the final few steps of our trek up Mount Gilboa, and I know I’ll never forget the view of Jerusalem from the edge of the city that took my breath away. I stand by my original statement; this program is not a living classroom. It is simply living

The opportunity to have Israel as our living classroom helps to separate us from being a tourist because we become familiar with the land and its past. Not only are we able to learn about Israel’s history at different sites, but we are also able to learn how to be more independent and responsible through our experiences on tiyulim and living in a dorm. Being able to shop by ourselves in the shuk, manage our time with school work, live with others, and stay organized has taught every single one of us new responsibilities that will help us throughout life. The experiences we have at Muss expand our learning in ways that just sitting in a classroom could not.

This is just one tiyul, but one that deeply touched me and gave me a deeper look into something that I may not have fully understood in a classroom. Israel has become my living classroom and I could not be happier.

My ultimate goal for this trip is to make this trip as memorable and amazing as possible with the hope that one day I will share my experiences with others in order that they may share my joy of Israel.

Before leaving, I thought about the time difference and how I would be 7 hours ahead from home. It sounded really scary and upsetting at first but then I realized that it will be a good thing. I can disconnect. The only people I would be able to talk to would be the other people in Israel with me. I could literally leave my phone in the dorm all morning and not be “missing out” on anything at home. So one big goal I have for myself during my time here is to look around and really soak in what's going on around me and not just sit back and feel bad for myself when I’m not having the best time ever all the time.

The goals I have set for myself while on this trip mean a lot to me and I am excited to accomplish them with all of my friends while on AMHSI!

Another goal I have is to try new things. During my time here in Israel I want to try new foods and be open to all of the activities Israel and HSI have to offer. Overall my major goal is to make the best out of my experience here at HSI and live every day to the fullest. I have had the best 10 days here and I can’t wait to continue the next several weeks here with my friends accomplishing more goals.

tiyulim have contributed to this strong connection, and I know that this will only deepen as we continue to travel across the country guided by ideas in our curriculum. A final goal of mine is to leave AMHSI being more open-minded. In our Israeli Studies core class we have already begun learning about the importance of understanding, in addition to studying different perspectives throughout history and about current events. I want to keep this mindset with me when I come home and interact with people that have different beliefs and ideas. Already, Muss has been one of the most impactful experiences of my life, and I look forward to how amazing the rest of the trip will be.

Little by little, these goals turned into a fresh, positive outlook on my experience, an outlook free from constraints of expectation. These goals, although seemingly minuscule in the grand scheme of things, became the foundational building blocks for my own story here at Muss, the one that I write.

I really hope that by the end of this journey, our group as a whole will feel so closely bonded that our friendships will last a lifetime and continue out of these two months. I hope that we all feel comfortable with each other and feel like we can go to each other with any problems we all have!

Currently living in a dorm 6,000 miles away from home is allowing me to become more mature and self-sufficient. All of these skills that I’m learning and improving on, will make such a difference in my future. They will help me throughout making friendships, job interviews, and my transition into adulthood. This program is a life changing experience that will create unforgettable memories, as well as prepare me for the future. I am having a great time at Muss, and I cannot wait for the remaining 7 weeks. I know the best is still yet to come!

Another goal of mine that I want to achieve on this trip is to widen my horizons on my knowledge of Judaism. When I was younger I went to synagogue regularly and I went to Hebrew school. Now I am finished Hebrew school and I volunteer at my local Hebrew school, but I was not learning anything new, and I feel like I was losing what kept me close to my religion, so I took my chance and applied to AMHSI to continue my hunger for a connection to my roots. Now my favorite class here is my Jewish studies class. I am learning so much and the best part is that my teacher is the best at keeping us interested and interacted.

I have heard so many great stories from my friends who have gone in past years and I am excited to bring back my own stories to share with friends and family. I am beyond excited and I can’t wait to begin this amazing journey on Tuesday!

This fellowship means so much to me for many reasons. One of the main reasons obviously being that I’ve always wanted to go to Israel. But another big thing for me was that I could write an essay simply about me. My individual experience with Judaism and how I want it to grow. This essay I wrote, this story about me, could give me such a big opportunity that I never would have even imagined possible. ​

As I am preparing to leave, I am excited, nervous, and hopeful. I am excited to learn more about my religion, Jewish culture, and Israel in general. I have never been intense hiking before or visited mountain sites so I am very excited to the tiyuls. As I am starting to talk more to the other students, I can’t wait to meet them and get to know them all. However, I am very sad to leave my parents, friends, and my dog, Riley, because I know I will miss them a lot but I know there will be many activities to keep me distracted from missing home. I also have never been that far across the world before so I am anxious to see what it is like. Although, I am hopeful this will be a life changing experience for me that I can tell other people about in hopes that they will do it too. I am hopeful that this group of students will become so close with one another that for many years in the future, we will all stay so close. Lastly, I am thankful for my family and AMHSI for giving me this incredible opportunity that I can not wait to be apart of in five days!!

Growing up in the suburbs of Pennsylvania, my life has not been too adventurous. I can’t wait to climb Masada, ride a camel, and float in the dead sea. A few days ago, my mom showed me her scrapbook from when she went on Muss. It’s crazy how looking at those photos still puts the biggest smile on her face. As the days are counting down, I am constantly receiving swarms of stories, memories, and places my mom wants to me to check out when I get to campus. Listening to all of these stories and hearing her experience, clearly shows that the memories I will make on this trip will last a lifetime.

The packing process has begun and the trip I’ve been planning in my head is actually going to happen! I feel nervous to adjust to a new school, time zone, and daily schedule in a new home across the globe. It is nerve-racking thinking of how different life will be in Israel and the adjustment to this new lifestyle, but that doesn’t change how excited I am to have this incredible opportunity.

I look over all of my materials once again that will soon be Tetrised into my big blue suitcase, again overcome with the stress of packing. I take a deep breath and leave the room. You know what? If a tiny country in the Middle East can fit thousands of years of history in within its borders, I can fit my stuff in a suitcase.