Impact of Jerusalem- Liliane Sutton

My name is Liliane Sutton. I have lived in two different countries. I was born in Mexico City and moved to Miami Florida at the age of twelve, this has given me the opportunity to experience different cultures, traditions and communities. I have always loved to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and sukkot with my family and friends. In both Mexico and Miami we would go to the synagogue and have dinner. 

Now for this Fall semester I spent the holidays in Israel far from home and my family. Being in Israel for the holidays has changed the meaning of every Shabbat when we do Kiddush and rest on Saturdays, walk to the synagogue in Yom Kippur etc. it made me feel more connected to this country and religion. We celebrated this Yom Kippur in Jerusalem, it has been one of my favorite moments so far. Thanks to our Israeli studies teachers I learnt more in depth about this holiday and what is the purpose of the fast.

The once in a lifetime experience of walking in the streets of Jerusalem to the synagogue is unforgettable, you can notice the silence on the streets because of the lack of cars, and you can see many people walking on these streets. In addition to the synagogue the Kotel was a heart touching moment for me. Feeling that close to my religion gave me one of the best feelings. I have met incredible people in AMHSI that I can relate to and have fun with but also learn from at the same time. They make this semester and HSI feel like home. I am excited to be able to come back home and show my parents and siblings my experiences and learnings from Israel. Also to be able to remember these holidays in the future and feel the same connection to Israel that I felt in these past weeks. 

Liliane Sutton 
9/23/21