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.

I want to start this journal off by saying that I am having the time of my life right now on this program. I am writing this journal in my room past lights out, which has become a habit because I really believe I write the best late and I can really express myself onto this document and not have anything in my mind, especially school or social circles. This is not only for this journal, but I also do this with my own daily journal and CORE photo journals, which I have to write a couple times a week.

We went to hike Chod Akev on Thursday 2/14/19. This is a picture of my friend Maggie and I on our hike at the top of the mountain. This hike was extremely challenging both mentally and physically. Even though I had some trouble, it was one of the most interesting and fun hikes I have been on because it wasn’t just walking but also included some climbing as well.

I loved this tiyul. In the old city our story was brought to life, and I felt deep pride in my ancestors. I had this voice in my head “you can’t kill us!” I adored the meditation up in the desert. I felt to deeply connected to myself and the earth, and I felt clarity about God. At the hostel, the moon was full, and this clarity I felt, about connection, continued.

What is culture? Is it defined by ethnicity, values, blood, time period or religion? I don’t know if there’s one distinct answer to my open ended question but I do believe that everyone is a combination of multiple cultures. For the past 3 weeks in Israel, I’ve tried to distinguish the “Israeli” culture-- this was much more complex than I expected. People are cultural smoothies, so picking out what makes Israelis different from me due to their lifestyle opposed to what makes them different as an individual person has been a sticky process.

Israel and America could not be more different, but it’s a good different. I came here to experience another culture, Israel’s culture. The difference are noticeable, it’s not like going to another state and seeing little road signs saying welcome to New Jersey instead of Welcome to Pennsylvania, it’s a whole new language.