As a secular Jew who never took religion very seriously, living in Israel for four months has really changed me. I never thought anywhere, even Israel would change my views on Judaism so drastically. I’m not saying the second I get back I will start attending weekly services or physically practice it any more than I have been, no. But my pride and my knowledge about my Jewish history and identity have really made me think more about what it means to me to be a Jew in the Diaspora. Throughout countless experiences scaling from just a normal day at school to traveling across Israel and learning its historical importance and even spending a week in Poland, it has all opened my mind to different aspects of Judaism and how different people conform to them.

But what I really want to bring back home after my semester is over is that now that I identify myself much more strongly as a Jew, I can share with my non-Jewish friends and their family and even my Jewish friends and their family about my experiences here in Israel and more importantly the Jewish journey I went through during Muss. It is also really useful now that I know so much about the conflicts in the Middle East because so many people don’t get the full picture and through Muss, I have a much deeper understanding of the factors that are making the area so complex. With this information, I feel that it is much easier to stand up for Judaism and the land of Israel and it has also made me very proud and honored to be a Jew and to now have the power to know what I’m fighting for in Israel. Although I believe that the current political situation is super interesting and something I will continue to follow when I return, other things like the traditions and Torah study will be things that I bring back home as well. And as for the Shoah, I had only broken the surface of the immensity of it. After the section at Muss and especially the trip to Poland I have so much more emotions towards it and I can teach others who don’t know as much about. All in all, Israel has taught me so many things about myself and my Judaism. I am so excited to return to Washington and share what I’ve learned in this unforgettable semester.