Roots Participant
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Stephen Muss (Miami)
I now have a higher respect and appreciation for the Chagim.
Yom Kippur is, personally, one of my favorite Chagim. Despite not eating, drinking or using electronics the entire day, I find it a very rejuvenating Chag. You take a break from all of the activities that keep us busy through the days, months and years and focus on today and reflect on what you did in the past year. Back home my family would get together and play board games throughout the day and overall spend quality time together. That is one thing I missed a lot this year.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Stephen Muss (Miami)
My experience of the holidays was completely different than what I’m used to at home.
My experience of the holidays was completely different than what I’m used to at home. I got to spend it with my friends instead of my family. We got to participate in prayers and sessions which made it very meaningful. I got to meet so many new people that I already have so much in common with. In addition, we all fasted together which made it easier, they gave me support to continue fasting and get distracted throughout the day.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Washington State
I will remember this past Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur forever.
This past Jewish Holiday was definitely a very memorable experience. I will remember this past Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur forever. For starters, it was my first High Holiday in Israel. I had an experience on the night on the back half of Yom Kippur that was one of the most meaningful experiences I have felt in my life. There’s not really too many words to describe it besides ‘life’.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Stephen Muss (Miami)
Since the beginning of the Chagim, I have had countless amazing and memorable moments...
Since the beginning of the Chagim, I have had countless amazing and memorable moments, from celebrating Rosh Hashanah and partying with my new family, to sitting in a small group and sharing thoughts more intimately. This was my first time spending the Holidays in Israel and I think it made a major difference in my experience.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Stephen Muss (Miami)
I have had so many amazing experiences here in Israel.
I have had so many amazing experiences here in Israel. I am so grateful to be here in the holy land especially during the chagim. The fast on Yom Kippur has always been meaningful to me, but this year it was like never before.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Stephen Muss (Miami)
The past two weeks have been amazing; a true whirlwind of feelings of friendship, family, community, and a connection to G-d.
Hey blog gang, its great to be back with you! The past two weeks have been amazing; a true whirlwind of feelings of friendship, family, community, and a connection to G-d. Over the past two weeks, the entire AMHSI student body has been, and is still being, bounded to the campus as there is currently a lockdown in Israel. During this period the holidays, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, have come and gone while we have all been on campus, and it has been an experience I have never gone through in my life.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Stephen Muss (Miami)
As I reflect upon the chagim spent on campus, I recall a meaningful and loving experience.
As I reflect upon the chagim spent on campus, I recall a meaningful and loving experience. During Rosh Hashana I spent time recognizing hurt I've felt in the past, and how I can let go of the power it once held over me. Being here for Rosh Hashanah was different than the past, but it was very nice and I am very pleased with my time here. I feel like I have grown a little as a person and feel happy with the place I am at mentally at this moment.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
A memorable moment from the chagim this year was learning in depth about them.
A memorable moment from the chagim this year was learning in depth about them. My family isn't very religious at home so we usually don't do much for the chagim. Most years we go to family friends and celebrate with them and then go to synagogue. This year though I was with all new people and everyone had very different experiences with the chagim.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Washington State
This Yom Kippur has been unlike any other.
This Yom Kippur has been unlike any other. I have been able to connect to the holiday and understand what Yom Kippur is really about, rather than other years where I was most excited for the break fast. I think other people felt this way as well.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Washington State
I can't believe it's been over a month since I've arrived in Israel.
I’ve been really impressed with the teachers and the classes so far. I can talk with any of my teachers and ask questions. They are helpful and very knowledgeable. My favorite class is the Israeli Studies class. I’ve learned so much already about my culture and heritage. I like that the teachers don’t have a specific agenda, but they are just trying to teach us and they are doing a really good job. Many of my friends at home in Seattle are having a hard time because their school is all online and there is little interaction.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Washington State
Yom Kippur has ended, and I am feeling fresh and reset.
Yom Kippur has ended, and I am feeling fresh and reset. Almost every year, I get this feeling of relief, but something about this year was exceptional. Despite the sadness of being without my family on such a special day, I feel I had a deeper reflection this year than ever before. Being without my parents gave me the space to think deeply about my past year—experiences I've had and how they have shaped me to be a different person.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Stephen Muss (Miami)
The chagim are sources of great happiness and help us as Jews to reflect on how we are each the continuation of the story of a great people.
Jewish holidays are central to the Jewish identity’s of many non-religious Jews. The chagim are times of shared laughter among family in my house and those of many diaspora Jews. I am not going to lie, being over 7,000 miles from home during days I normally dedicate to my family has been difficult. Regardless of how extremely fun Rosh Hashanah was I inevitably missed my mom’s brisket (best in the world, for the record) and playing pranks on my older cousin. Regardless of where I am, I love using the holidays as time to reflect on the year: both on the people I am grateful for and the things I want to do moving forward.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
I can say with confidence that I will remember that Yom Kippur for the rest of my life.
On Yom Kippur night the surprise activity was a walk through the streets (in the boundary of course). Except for because it was Yom Kippur no one was using their cars, so the usually very busy streets of Hod Hasharon were empty. Not a single car in sight. Everyone was either walking, praying, or riding their bikes, scooters, etc with family, friends, and even pets.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Washington State
Spending the High Holidays in Israel is something I will never forget.
Spending the High Holidays in Israel is something I will never forget. I loved being surrounded by a whole country full of people who celebrate the same holidays as me. The Madrichim gave us such an amazing opportunity to be able to hear about different ways Israelis celebrate Yom Kippur. During the High Holidays we had just enough programming to keep us engaged, but also had enough alone time to be able to reflect on the past, the present, and the future. We learned more about the reason behind why we fast, and dug deep into the story of Jonah.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
The week of chagim was honestly one of the best and most memorable weeks I have spent here.
The week of chagim was honestly one of the best and most memorable weeks I have spent here. Which is ironic because back home I have never enjoyed the holidays as I’ve never truly connected to them. You can imagine my surprise then when I found myself enjoying them and learning more about myself and the religion.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Stephen Muss (Miami)
I know that by reaching these goals, along with many others, my time in Israel will be beyond phenomenal.
Spending two weeks in quarantine with not much to do allowed me a sufficient amount of time to think about the goals I want to reach while I am in Israel. To begin with, I definitely want to be able to speak Hebrew by the time I leave. The madrichim have already been very helpful in this. I only speak to them in Hebrew and ask them to do the same. I know that between this and the Hebrew classes that will start in a few weeks, I accomplish this.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Nothing beats the feeling of reaching a goal you’ve set for yourself.
Nothing beats the feeling of reaching a goal you’ve set for yourself. That why while at AMHSI I plan to set and hopefully reach a couple goals of my own. I think that setting goals for yourself is super important because then you have something to work towards each day.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Washington State
The main goal that I am setting for myself for my AMHSI journey is to deeply connect with this land and the people here.
The main goal that I am setting for myself for my AMHSI journey is to deeply connect with this land and the people here. Back home I have little to no friends that are Jewish. When first landing in Newark and walking to my gate to board my flight to Tel Aviv, I already felt I was at home. I saw more Hasidic Jews than I had ever seen in my life, and I felt surrounded by my people.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Washington State
Being in quarantine for these last two weeks has really given me a chance to think about what goals I want to set/reach while here at AMHSI.
Being in quarantine for these last two weeks has really given me a chance to think about what goals I want to set/reach while here at AMHSI. I applied to AMHSI because I wanted to improve my Hebrew, leadership skills, and better my knowledge about this incredible country.Read More
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Impact Fellowship Blog
Washington State
My time quarantined in Israel is coming to an end and surprisingly, it is bittersweet.
My time quarantined in Israel is coming to an end and surprisingly, it is bittersweet. Going into the two-week quarantine, I was excited, but honestly a little bit frustrated. I didn't want to sit in my capsule all day on zoom classes, I wanted to go out exploring Israel, trying new foods, and meeting new people. I am happy to report that my actual, real-life quarantine experience was completely the opposite, filled with lots of great memories.Read More