My parents originally weren’t sure about sending me to Israel, but after receiving the Stephen Muss Impact Fellowship in Miami, they couldn’t help but send me. The chance to come study in Israel for four months for free is amazing, and I owe it all to the JNF. While I have been working hard, I’ve loved this trip and I’m going to be really sad to leave. I always post pictures about the school and all my friends make fun of me that I am an HSI advertiser. When I get home, I have a few things that I am hoping to be able to carry out. Besides encouraging others to come here and telling them about my experience, there are also a few things I’ve learned in Israeli Studies class that I want to bring home with me. I’ve become a serious Zionist during my time here, and I hope to educate others so they can really understand the complexities of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I also plan on fighting anti-Antisemitism whenever I can and as much as I can.

I also think it is ridiculous that people actually deny the Holocaust, and after going to Poland, I feel like I have enough personal experience to hopefully disprove those people (if I ever come across someone like this). Some of the responsibilities that came along with the Impact Fellowship include informing people about HSI and explaining what my personal experience was like. I am looking forward to doing both when I get back to Miami. I already have one friend that is planning on doing the summer program, and I am really excited to share some of my experiences with him. I really loved (and continue to love) my time here on HSI and Israel, and want to continue to talk about it when I get home. Unfortunately, in a few weeks, this trip will only be a memory. I know this semester has already improved me as a person, but I think the effects will continue to change me as I grow. I will miss life here, but hope to keep traveling to Israel and visiting campus now and then as an alumnus. I could not be more proud of being in Israel on HSI, and I’m eager to tell friends about my time here.