23 days to close the semester, and what am I left with? I have not only grown as a person but also as a Jew. When I come home, there are many things I want to implement into my everyday life. For starters, I want to celebrate Shabbat with my family at least one week each month. I cannot even recall the last time we all celebrated Shabbat together as a family. I also want to start attending services each Saturday morning when I can. On this journey, I have learned the importance of prayer which has now become part of my daily life. In my BBYO Region and chapter, I want to start leading programs about Israel and educate other Jews about Zionism. Before attending AMHSI, I had absolutely no idea what Zionism meant to me along with the people that had fought for it in the past.The entire concept of Zionism is one that I think every Jew needs to learn about. You do not necessarily need to be a Zionist but it is crucial for your understanding of Judaism as a whole. The next concept that I want to bring home to my community is eating Israeli foods. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Israel; but you cannot live your life without Schnitzel or Shakshukah!! I hope to find some Shakshuka back in Seattle and eat there as much as humanly possible. Currently, I am one of the only people in my family that has been to Israel and that NEEDS to change. When I get home, I am hoping to start Hebrew tutoring and hopefully become fluent. My biggest regret growing up is that I was never given the opportunity to learn Hebrew. It is ironic that I attended Hebrew school for seven years but never learned the language. Before coming to Israel, my Jewish Identity had never truly been accepted. I found myself constantly being left out of Christmas dinner parties and Easter egg hunts. I also missed school for the high holidays and fell behind in hours of work. In Israel, you are never left over. Everyone is celebrating together and enjoying the holiday with no worries. I also plan on giving presentations about Israel and HSI to my temple in Seattle. After their bar/bat-mitzvahs, most kids think they are “done”. By this concept, after you are an official woman or man, your studying of Judaism is completely over and your duties are completed. This should be the complete opposite for Jewish teens. Your bar/bat-mitzvah should be the very beginning of finding your Jewish identity. I want to change this idea within my community and inform teens on Israeli politics.