I'm super excited to meet so many new people from different backgrounds and cultures!

So, as many of you know, I am going to be flying out on September 1 to HSI! For 4 months, I am going to be part of Alexander Muss High School in Israel's Impact Fellowship program! This program, in partnership with JNF, is going to allow me to study abroad!

Now, HSI is nothing to scoff at. I'm very grateful to have even been considered for the Impact Fellowship program, much less accepted into it. I'll be honest, it's a pretty scary thought. Being away from not only home, but everyone I know for 4 months is kind of crazy to me. I know that HSI is going to be a life-changing experience for me. At least, that's what the upperclassmen told me!

I'm super excited to meet so many new people from different backgrounds and cultures! Not only that, but I can't wait to see how Judaism is in other parts of the world! One of the main reasons I applied is to get closer to the Jewish side of my culture! Judaism has always been a big thing in my larger family, and I found it hard to connect with. This is exactly why I wish to deepen my ties to it by spending a whopping four month in the land of my people! It's honestly something I think about every day! I've got to say, being away from home for that long is super scary to me, but that's the whole point behind why I applied! I am both excited and TERRIFIED to be gone for that long! It's part of the reason I chose to apply.  

Not only do I want to deepen my ties to Israel and Judaism, but I want to find myself! Honestly, that's exactly what I'm so excited for! 

This is Noam Alexander Benartzy, and I am one week away from starting my AMHSI Impact Fellow Experience!