HSI was not what I expected in the slightest, and changed me in ways I never would have imagined. But the surprises and challenges the trip brought me have altered my outlook on life forever. I am so thankful I got to achieve and create goals with such amazing people in such a special place. The past two months in Israel have carved a home in my heart. Israel will always be the place I can feel united, connected to my roots, and at home. .

Living in Israel for two months has changed my life for the better, and it is so difficult to think that I will be leaving so shortly. I could not be happier with the knowledge and experiences that Muss has given me–I have been given the opportunity to form my own connection with new people and most importantly, Israel. This experience has become better by each day. I came here with friends and am now leaving with a family. I’ve fallen in love with the culture of Israel. I will leave with my eyes opened, my mind expanded and my heart bigger.

I can successfully say that I achieved all of my goals and more! The goals I set for myself was that I would manage my time more efficiently, be more adventurous, and keep a positive attitude. However, I feel as though I reached other goals such as gaining independence and growing up.

After reflecting on my goals, I have definitely met close to all of them and I am so sad that I have to go home in a few days. This trip has truly changed my outlook on the world and I appreciate my surroundings much more. Many people could stand on the historical sites we’ve visited and find no meaning, but after learning about the history, I feel such a connection to the land of Israel. These eight weeks have gone by way too quickly, but I know that I will be back soon!

Alexander Muss High School is a time for you to achieve new goals and set new standards for yourself. When I first started the program, I set goals for myself, some easy and some hard. The goals I set for myself were made to change me into a different and better person, in the sense of here at AMHSI.

It is insane how fast these 8 weeks have gone by, and unbelievable that I am already reflecting o the goals I made for myself in the first weeks. My first academic goal was to not procrastinate, and be able to take time to do my school work, even though there was always something else I could be doing that was more fun. Although this has been difficult, I definitely believe I achieved this goal. When I have school work to get done, I find a quiet place on campus, and get the work done. This always pays off, because it allows me to spend time with friends later, and not feel rushed and stressed to get the work done. My next academic goal was to participate in Jewish Studies class more. I can say this goal has been without a doubt achieved.

Going into this program I didn't know what to expect. Would I make friends, enjoy the CORE class, or even just enjoy living on my own. Closing in on the end of the program, I can say that everything that I wanted to happen happened. Every single one of the goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the program has been achieved.

Wow… time flies. When I logged onto my computer to write this blog, I couldn’t help but notice it has been over 2 months since I wrote my first one. I can see how much I have matured in this experience as a leader and in independence, as well as the immense amount of knowledge I have gained about Jewish history in these SHORT (too short) 2 months. I had many goals for myself in all different categories at the start of this journey, and I can now say that I have not only completed them, but surpassed them.

I think it is amazing the connection I have made with the land of Israel in the last 7 weeks that I have been here. It does not feel like I have only been here for seven short weeks, it feels like I have been here for one. It also feels like I have been here for a lifetime. I have done so many things on this program that I have longed to do for many years. I have also been given new levels of freedom and Independence that I do not have at home. When I go home in just 10 short days oh, I will reflect on this journey as the best two months of my life. This program has let me do everything that I have wanted to do and more and has completely exceeded my expectations.

On the first week of this program I set two main goals: to push myself outside of my comfort zone and to stay caught up on my schoolwork. I vividly remember setting these goals, but little did I know how much I would grow as a person through completing them and I would even set some new ones along the way.

Today March 4th we went to Belvoir and Tzfat. In Belvoir we learned about the Crusades and how bad it was for the Jews. We saw how the Crusaders built their fortresses and we pretended to attack as the Muslims would. When doing that we learned about the different techniques the Crusaders used when building the fortresses and saw much thought they put into it.

In the morning we woke up early and went to Sataf. Sataf was a city that was already at a disadvantage agriculturally. It was a city that was built on a rocky mountain with no soil and very little irrigation. Of course the Israelites found a way to solve the problem. First they wanted to build terraces in the mountain and put soil for crops. Everyone worked together and worked on one terrace at a time to do it faster. This showed that they weren’t selfish and because of that they were more efficient.

At AMHSI-JNF, they gain the knowledge, experience, and conviction to know who they are and where they come from. Our enrollment numbers reflect and prove this trend.

Elie Wiesel taught “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.“

Crafted in response to the growing communal needs for Jewish teen engagement, Israel advocacy and community service, on this journey, teens learn how the history of the land and its people served as a catalyst for Israel becoming a global leader in innovative environmental approaches, and how these approaches are rooted in the mission and values of Judaism.

Most of us would agree that education is a life-long process. It is a part of living a full life, and a continuous trajectory of exploration and revelation. My focus is a bit more specific: Israel Education. It’s the field that explores the story and ongoing history of Israel that can be heard beating in the hearts of our people.

It is this horrific chapter of the Polish-Jewish experience that we most associate with, still fresh in our national psyche, still available are the first-hand accounts of survivors of the Holocaust, and still the ugliest side of humanity.

When I was growing up in New York I had all kinds of neighbors, all kinds of friends. There was my Russian-American friend, my Italian-American, Chinese-American, Polish-American, Irish-American and Afro-American, friends. They knew who they were and from where their ancestors came.

Israel has been unlike any Hebrew school class I have sat through! Instead of learning through a textbooks like most classes are structured, we are learning through the environment that we are surrounded by. We get so much more out this style of learning because we are fully immersed in the environment.