My expectations of Israel and AMHSI are moderately high because I know that they are guiding me further along my road of success. I hope that I will do exceptionally well in adjusting to the big change that is occurring while flying across the globe. I know that AMHSI will teach me about important educational topics that affect the community and add to my understanding of the basic High School curriculum. I think that this school will help me appreciate and fit into this new culture along with making me feel at home and comfortable. While I’m here I will be given the chance to expand on my leadership qualities and social abilities.

Hi!!! My name is Jules Cohen. I am a junior and I go to MAC (Miami Arts Charter) in Wynwood. I’m from Aventura, Florida. All my life I’ve always dreamed of living in Israel one day. Since I’m half Israeli, I’ve always wanted to celebrate and I’ve always been proud of that part of me. My mom is American and my dad is Israeli. So my grandparents, aunts/uncle and my cousins all live in Israel.

Hello, my name is Zohar Steinmetz, and I am only 4 days away from the best experience of my life! I will be entering my sophomore year and I can't believe I have been given the opportunity to study abroad. Although I don't go to a Jewish school I am part of many youth groups including NCSY, SNFTY, BBYO, and tzofim. Being a part of all of these groups helps me feel connected to Israel and my Judaism.

A year ago I would have never imagined that I would be spending a semester abroad in Israel. Six or seven months ago I was completely oblivious to the fact that my time away from Seattle would be this year. Regardless, I could not be more excited to embark on this journey.

Everyone I’ve talked to, whether they have been on Alexander Muss or not, has told me that the next four months are going to be a life-changing experience. I believe them. My hope for my time on Alexander Muss is that I will learn and connect to Israel and the Jewish people in ways beyond the classroom or from simply touring around.

16 weeks of unknown adventure awaits me. The thought of leaving Washington, which has been home to me for the last fifteen years, fills me with immense amounts of thrill and curiosity. However, I’m also overwhelmed by the fear of the unknown. As much as the mystery of where this journey will take me excites me, the thought of not knowing what friend groups I will fit into, if my teachers will like me, if I get along with my roommates, and about a hundred other questions that cannot be answered until I am actually on the program, makes me very anxious.

At the beginning of this trip I had set a number of goals that I would like to accomplish by the end of it. First of all I made so many new friends and made a lot of memories with them. I had such a great time traveling all over Israel. I wouldn’t want to do it any other way. I learned so much stuff that I never knew about before. I had so much fun.

Tiyul. A tiyul is a trip that we go on. A tiyul that was very meaningful to me was the one to the Golan Heights. In this tiyul we had learned the history behind it. The Golan Heights are up high mountains that are right above the Hula Valley. They are right by the border of the country. It is very important to keep it a part of Israel. The reason why is because if another country had control then it would be easier for them to attack Israel. We need to protect the borders of Israel so the rest of Israel doesn’t face as big of a threat.

My time in HSI has honestly felt like some sort of mind trick because on the one hand, the first week felt like a year and I was sure it would never end, but on the other, the past six weeks have gone by faster than anything I've ever experienced. In this amount of time so much has changed about me and about my expectations that I feel like a whole new person coming out of it.

Many of my tiulim experiences here have included some of my best memories in HSI overall. The trips here genuinely stuck out in my mind because of how unique they are in the way they are planned out. Although all of the trips have been meaningful to me, the one that has made the greatest impression on me has to be the first trip to Jerusalem. Not only was it the first overnight trip of HSI but it also happened to be my first time in Jerusalem that wasn’t for family.

On our tiyul to the Negev on July 23rd, we started off the day with a seemingly easy hike with some pretty pools. We then continued this hike past the water, and it turned into something much harder than before. The hike was Masada-like: extremely steep stairs and even some ladders. I personally loved the hike itself. It was a beautiful area and the hike was both fun and challenging. However, the scorching sun made it almost unbearable. I could barely make it to the end and I got so tired.

Six weeks have gone by so quickly. It is absolutely insane to me that six weeks have passed. It feels as if yesterday I boarded the flight, landed in Israel, and discovered this beautiful country. It has been such a spectacular several weeks. I had a great time and I am so sad it is over already. In the beginning of the trip I set goals for myself. The goals revolved around what I wanted to achieve and accomplish while at High School in Israel and in Israel in general, this summer.

All of the Tiyulim were very meaningful to me. Many stood out to me in comparison to others. They stood out based on the material we were learning, the people I was surrounded with, and the places I was in. One that stood out to me in particular was Masada. I really enjoyed Masada.

At the beginning of this amazing program, I wrote about some goals I want to accomplish here at HSI. While I didn’t spend this entire trip drilling these ideas into my head, I feel as though I have definitely met my expectations. One of the most important goals that I wanted to accomplish was coming out of my comfort zone and meeting new people.

On July 9, I volunteered with Save a Child’s Heart. This was a life changing experience that I will always remember.

I think that the most impactful part of this tiyul for me was actually seeing the place where Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated.

On the second week of this amazing trip, we hiked Masada and swam in the Dead Sea. Before I even left the United States, I knew that this day would be absolutely unbelievable. The trip began at four o’clock in the morning. Everyone was half asleep and half awake but we were all still so excited to embark on our hike up Masada. We did not hike as separate classes, we moved as one unit. Everyone was helping each other, whether they knew them or not.

Reaching the halfway mark in HSI has really made me realize just how quickly this program moves. I genuinely remember the way I felt on the first day as if it was yesterday and I'm shocked at just how much I've changed since then. In class, we have finally moved on to the segment that focuses on Judaism and Zionism within the past 1,500 years.

In the mind of any teenager the word school invokes thoughts of rotating between classes every hour to once again sit in a chair and hold a pencil. It’s tedious and overwhelming. Its boring and repetitive. What I have learned thus far on HSI is school is not just that. School is creativity.

This weekend, our dorm celebrated Shabbat in Jerusalem. This truly was like a Jewish awakening for me and an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. Starting with going to the Shuk during the Friday Rush and getting a taste of Jerusalem and all the yummy food, to interacting with all the other people of different backgrounds who were rushing to get everything they needed to prepare their Shabbos meals.