My semester at Muss so far has gone very well. My classes and the schoolwork that comes along with it have been working their way into my daily routine and life here in Israel. Comparing the school here to my school back home really doesn’t have that many differences apart from the schedule where I only have a select few classes that change depending on the week day and the class size are much smaller, also we have trips once or twice a week. But other than that school feels very similar. Wake up, and then wake up my roommates because they sleep in, rush to class, casually make it through the long day with a smile, a water bottle and a bag with a notebook and a pencil. Procrastinating all day and doing my homework when I should be sleeping or sleeping when I should be doing my homework are all pretty much exactly what I do during a normal day back at home. But what really makes Israel such an amazing classroom and blows school at home out of the park are one: the day/overnight trips we go on frequently and two: the huge culture change of living in the Middle East. These tiyulim make the lessons even more interesting and stick in your mind instead of sitting in a cold classroom for an hour or two. One day you’re learning about how the Jews used guerilla warfare and the next your standing where the Maccabees used to sneak attack Greek soldiers. Just one month in and the semester class has gone to ancient Jewish civilizations that critical battles took place. On top of these mind blowing historical places, the introduction to Israeli culture is quite life changing. Just listening to my friend ordering pizza with someone who speaks little English is a memorable experience on its own. All in all, having Israel as my classroom for four months is such a huge opportunity. Thanks to my amazing Jewish studies teacher I’ve been able to explore so much of my Jewish identity and helped me learn about the meanings and origins of this religion. The class field trips we partake in make school more interesting and fun than I thought learning could ever possibly be.