During my time in Israel so far, I’ve noticed the many differences between Israeli and American culture. Things like food and language are the more obvious differences I already expected before I got to Israel, but there are other differences that I did not really think about ahead of time. The food here is not better or worse, in my opinion, than the United States, but just a little different. In the United States there is a lot more fast food. The US also has a lot of restaurants based on Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican food. In Israel, there are a lot less restaurants like that and a lot more restaurants with their own individual styles. Another obvious difference is the primary language of each country. The primary language in Israel is Hebrew, but there is still a lot of English all over the place. There are English signs, menus, and there is almost always someone that speaks English everywhere you go. Here are some random observations that my friends and I have had: the ads in Israel have people’s faces on them for some reason, movies and TV are not nearly as popular as they are in the US, and there are not as many small neighborhoods as there are in the US. The whole vibe in Israel is a lot more calm and relaxed; people don’t always seem to be in a rush the way that they do in busy cities in the US. People are still hardworking in Israel, but everyone is just more relaxed about their work. Since Israel is a Jewish State, there are definitely a lot of differences in culture that stem from that. Unfortunately, the reality in Israel is that the citizens don’t always know if they will be safe the next day, so they enjoy the days that they know they are in the clear. There are a lot more Jews walking around than you ever see in the US. Also, there are tons of Kosher restaurants and Judaica stores in all of the major cities, which you don’t ever get in the States. Surrounded by so much history, many Israelis are constantly thankful to be living in Eretz Yisrael, which nowadays, I do not think is so true for the majority of US citizens. There is also a greater sense of community in Israel. People feel more responsible here for their friends and their towns because a lot of people have more in common. In the US there is a lot greater diversity and differences within communities. While both very different from one another, I consider both the US and Israel my home and I am proud and happy to live in either county.