In a big country with so much diversity like the US, it's easy to forget that people in other countries have different cultures. For us, maybe there are differences between the coasts or regions, or city vs. rural, but we are all part of the same American culture. I’ve only been in Israel for three weeks, but in this time as a foreigner in another culture, I’ve been able to notice some of the differences between Israelis and Americans.

In terms of school, I am afforded greater freedom at Muss. Much like in college, we are simply expected to find our way to our classes and may return to our dorms at any time. In general, the academic atmosphere here is informal when compared to America. We are allowed to refer to teachers by their first names and the relationship dynamic is, in general, less strict than back home. Overall, Israel is unfamiliar to me; however, I am confident that it will feel like a second home to me soon.

I have been living in Israel for about three weeks and I have encountered so many differences than living in Seattle. I noticed that in Israel everything is faster especially the aggressive driving. The currency is different so knowing the exchange rate is crucial and helpful so you know if you are getting a good deal or not. The service can be on and off where I get my falafel the employees are very nice but sometimes when I go to a place for the first time they’ll try to scam me to make an easy dollar.

I feel the difference in culture because pretty much everyone is Jewish, but Jewish is such a broad term. You can think of it as one religion but inside that religion there are many other, such as how religious you are in the sense of orthodox, or Conservative. They still are both Jewish and believe in the same god just have different ways of showing it.

I’ve been in Israel for three weeks so far on this amazing program and I am having the best time. Being away from home for this long can be very hard. At first I was overwhelmed but I adjusted fairly quickly because I found how connected I am with the land of Israel and the people. In Israel, the people are not afraid to speak their minds.

I left the United States nearly about 3 weeks ago and arrived in Israel. When I first stepped off the plane to get on the bus that brought us to AMHSI everything felt a little different. Obviously the big differences that I noticed first were the amazing architecture, it's so diverse from what I see in America. Another big difference is the people, they have different versions of manners here. Israelis will tell you the truth straight up and definitely don't wait in line.

When I got to the city I looked around expecting to see many American chains everywhere. Instead, I was greeted with Hebrew and Arabic words everywhere, and I was instantly hit by the real, authentic Israel, which has a much more unique culture and lifestyle than I could ever have imagined.

The fear of anything beyond one's comfort zone. What a perfect phrase to sum up how I am feeling before embarking on my journey to Israel. Growing up in Miami, Florida I was sent to a Jewish private school for over 10 years where I got a thorough Jewish education. Over the years I had learned about all the holidays, major historical events, and even knew how to read and write in Hebrew. Having had the opportunity to learn all of this I was always curious about where it all happened.

Arriving at Ben Gurion, my aspirations for this trip were the last thing on my mind; all I wanted to do was get to my room and go to sleep. However, now that I have finally recovered from the exhaustion of travelling, I am starting to focus on my goals. Making friends is, of course, near the top of my list. Although I have only been in Israel for a few days, I have already found a group of people that I fit in with. Even though it is impossible to befriend everybody, I aim to continue to broaden my horizons and be on good terms with everyone on the semester program.

I have carved out some goals for myself. I know how fortunate I am to be able to spend 4 months in Israel so I am setting a goal to be more mindful of the present moment. I’m so incredibly lucky to be here in Israel and I don't want to waste any more time being involved in pointless drama, worrying about what I’m missing out on at home, or scrolling through my phone for hours on end. I want to cherish and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Regardless of what my goals were when I first got here, I am completely certain on how I want my experience at AMHSI to be. And because of the people I have met and the places I have already gone, I know that they are completely achievable.

Another goal I have is to improve my Hebrew. I have learned Hebrew in varying classes before because I went to Jewish Day School, but I’ve always struggled most with speaking. The opportunity to take a Hebrew class and even better, to be surrounded by Hebrew speakers, is something I have been looking forward to about this program. My goal is that I will be more comfortable speaking in Hebrew while I am here - in shops, restaurants and in class; and that when I return home, I will be able to keep this knowledge.

Hello, my name is Shlomie Assouline, and I am extremely excited to be an Alexander Muss High School in Israel Impact fellow. For months I have been telling people that I will head to Israel to study abroad, receiving massive kudos and some disbelief. I have been buying and trying on clothes, packing for four months, trying to manage a social life, and keeping a day job as a counselor. But for what?

During the four days I have spent here I have learned that I have much to work on as a person and a student. There is always room to improve yourself and there is no better place to do it then here at Alexander Muss High school, where we are in an extremely supportive community.

I have been in Israel for five days, and it has been such an awesome experience so far. At the beginning when I first got there, I have to admit, I was pretty overwhelmed. The jet lag was getting to me and so was the time difference. Now, I am starting to get used to everything little by little. We just started classes so I'm not fully adjusted to them yet, but I'm getting there. I have a lot of goals for this semester that I want to accomplish. I have already accomplished my first goal which is to branch out and meet a bunch of new friends!!

Goals is a big topic considering I have minor ones and slightly more major ones. Some of my minor goals included making friends and keeping up my grades. While I feel like I have already accomplished the first goal, the second goal might take a little longer to achieve. Other minor goals included keeping my dorm neat and organized and making sure to stay hygienic. While these were only small things to focus on, they could be very important.

Over these past few days, I've been asked what I want to achieve from this program, or why I'm here. I've thought about it for a while, and I've realized that I have many goals and reasons. One of the most obvious things that I would like to accomplish is getting good grades and keeping them up the whole semester. I want to make good habits and keep up with them. For example, I don't want to put aside homework and tell myself I’ll do it later, or I don't want to tell myself I cant. I now know that when I want something all I need is dedication and belief in myself.

Hello, my name is Shlomie Assouline, of Miami, Florida, and I am just embarking on this new journey of doing High School in the ancient but modern land of Israel. This experience is incredibly exciting for a multitude of reasons, the first is that this is my first time in the Jewish homeland.

My other goal is to find a way to connect with my Jewish identity better. I already started to by our Israeli/Jewish studies class with my teacher Michael. I like that we have the chance to think for ourselves and what we want to believe in. Growing up, you’re made to believe that everything happens a certain way, you’re parents tell you what they believe in and ultimately, that’s what you follow. However, when you’re not surrounded by your parents and their beliefs, you start believing in your own. In class, Michael relates life issues with the Tanakh, which I found myself doing that as well. I love this class because it’s starting to make me love Judaism even more and connect with it so much better.

Although it has only been a few days at Alexander Muss High School Israel, the feeling of living at home in this new and exciting country with friends from different parts of the United States is unlike any experience I’ve had before. With all the fun I know I will have on the trip; I also want to make this experience a journey of character growth and a way to learn new skills that I could only get out of a program like this.