While being in quarantine at AMHSI, I have had a lot of time to think about the different goals that I want to fulfill during my time in Israel.
While being in quarantine at AMHSI, I have had a lot of time to think about the different goals that I want to fulfill during my time in Israel. I haven’t had any time to really explore Israel due to being in quarantine, but I have been eating a lot of good Israeli food and have an Israeli Madricha that I can talk to about any questions I have about Hod Hasharon. I have three main goals so far, learn Hebrew, get good at bargaining at the shuk, and meet new people. I am very excited to be able to talk to everyone on campus which will start on the 16th! I feel that I have already made a few lifelong friends just from being in quarantine with other girls my age. I am so happy to be in Israel and I feel like I have already become a better version of myself although I know there is always more work to do.
The Israeli studies class has made me think about things that I have never had the opportunity to think deeply about. I have reflected on how my past has made me into the person I am today. In this program I have had time to think about my past and all the different places I lived and the essential virtues and values my family has taught me. I am grateful for my friends who have helped shaped me into the social person I am today.In class I learned the difference between letting the past define you and letting your past teach you to be a better person. I am especially grateful that I am able to learn both in Zoom, and soon in person because I know that if I was back home in Bellevue, WA I would be learning entirely online which is much harder for me and many people I know. There is going to be a three-week lock down that is enforced by the Israeli government because Coronavirus infections have reached an all-time high in Israel. Since we quarantined before this, we will be able to see everyone on campus, but we will not be able to leave and explore Israel just yet. I will take this time to meet new people and build more connections. I am just happy that I will be able to learn some in person and be able to hang out with other people! I am so thankful to the Samis Foundation, the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, JNF, Herzl-Ner Tamid and AMHSI for this amazing opportunity to meet new people, learn in Israel, and make more lifelong Jewish friends!