The most unique part of this experience of HSI is the feeling of your classroom coming alive. Coming on this program in Israel, has given me so much more educational opportunities than I could receive back In the United States. Not only are the things we are learning about so different than anything I would be learning in a public high school, but also the ability for us to be able to visit these sites, that hold so much historical significance is so extraordinary.

After more than 7 hours of dangerous and tedious hiking, I can only imagine how angry God must have been with the Israelites to force them up and down and around these cliffs for 40 years. The hike up to Hod Akev and back through the Negev valleys was a similar path Moses took his people on, highlighting how brave and determined they all were to reach Israel and follow God’s words.

At Alexander Muss High School in Israel, everyday is different. Some days, its 7 am wake up, and I grab my apple and am off to my 4 ½ hours of core(Jewish history). From there it’s lunch, than my next 5 hours of class from home. Finally I get back to my dorm, do all my work, and go to sleep. This routine, although physically and mentally draining, is only a few days each week. It’s the two or three days that make it all the hours of class worth it-- the Tiyuls. Tiyul in hebrew means a tour, or a trip, but this minimal definition doesn’t begin to express what a Tiyul is at AMHSI.

Today we went to Jerusalem and I took a picture of my favorite story I heard all day. When you told us about the man who engraved a message of Jewish hope into the side of the Beit Hamikdash, while running from the Romans who wanted to kill him, I thought it was incredible.

Today on our tiyul we went on a major hike down mount Gilboa and afterward swam. We learned about Joshua and how he was the only one who had faith in God and himself when none of the other spies did. We also learned about the different stories of Judges such as Ehud, Barak and Devorah, and Gideon.

On this tiyul we hiked on a trail on the side of the mountain. We also went to the Jerusalem water tunnels near King David’s palace and Ben Yehuda Street. This tiyul was extremely enjoyable for me because I got to learn so many new and interesting things.

On February 7 we traveled to Jerusalem, the center of the world's existence. It is impossible to determine the time period of this great city, because it has been prevalent in ancient to current history. Jerusalem was first established as the capitol of Israel in the era of Kind David, but was also the the destination in which the world was created.

I really enjoyed today’s tiyul and my two favorite parts were hiking in the nature and walking through the tunnel. I really enjoyed walking through the tunnel because I know that if I was doing the walking alone, I would have been terrified. But I was surrounded by my friends. We were united as one and singing together which brought me comfort. This is one of the biggest reasons that I decided to come on to Tiferet.

Today, February 21 was something special and truly breathtaking. I was filled with knowledge that I’d never thought I would be filled with before. The first location we ventured off to was a trip to the old city in Jerusalem. As I stepped out of the bus and took a look outside, I was hit with a very miraculous realization. I realized that this was the same city that had been called a polis.

Second Temple Tiyul, February 21, Judean Desert, Second Temple Period. Over the course of the day, we learned about the Hellenistic Jews and the Roman/Greek period. After a day of a lot of learning and being told information, it was nice to relax and reflect at this site. We went to the mountain at sunset and individually spent 10 minutes looking at the scenery and experiencing the view ourselves.

Today is February 11th and it was our 4th tiyul. Megiddo was taken at the time period of the Israelites, the Kings Period. Megiddo was very beautiful and lush. When we were learning in this beautiful view I couldn’t look away from the view because it was so amazing and stunning.

Learning in Israel surrounded by nature has been the most effective and interactive way that I have ever been taught information. At home, sitting in a classroom for a total of six hours can be extremely boring and I tend to lose my focus, but learning outside creates a very engaging environment. Recently we learned some of the most difficult information we will have discussed in this eight-week period, and I cannot imagine retaining any of it if I had to learn inside. The tiyuls have really allowed me to grasp the concepts and history while actively participating and being attentive, especially on our longest day, the trip to Masada.

So far my time in Israel has been amazing, especially since I am getting to experience everything I am learning about outside the classroom. I find it amazing that I can learn something in class and then actually go see it at the site it actually happened. Experiential learning is the best part about this experience for me. At school here on muss, I am fully engaged in what we're learning when we are outside using the outdoors as our classroom.

AMHSI is unique in tons of different ways. We live in dorms with four people, have an Israeli studies class, have to be able to manage ourselves, but the thing that makes AMHSI truly special is its living classroom. We are able to learn about one thing in Core class, and then the next day go, learn and see about from where the event or thing actually happened. It is truly amazing.

Going to school here in Israel, has enabled me to learn in such a unique environment that would not be possible back in the United States. Not only are the things we are learning about so different than engraving we would be learning about in school at home, but also the ability for us to be able to visit these sites, that hold so much historical significance is so unique.

This opportunity so far has been an absolutely incredible way to experience Israel. The program is designed so we get to travel to the places we are learning about and really get to see them with our own eyes. Muss is giving me the opportunity to truly experience Israel in a different lense. I am living here, I am not a tourist. The places we go we are not just visiting, but rather sitting down and taking notes. I find this one of the most cherishable things about this experience.

Learning and being in Israel is one of the coolest opportunities I have ever gotten. It is effective, engaging, and so enjoyable, especially when paired with incredible core teachers who do such an amazing job at showing off and teaching about the land. Our tiyul are when I would say I spend the majority of my time outside of campus, enjoying Israel and using it as my classroom. Therefore, where we venture to is determined by the information that we are learning.

The opportunity of having Israel as my classroom has been truly amazing. Learning history in the place that it actually happened is something I never thought I would be able to do. When I learn about history at the site it took place, I not only feel connected to the story, but Judaism as a whole as well.