Dear Future AMHSI students,

Tomorrow I leave for America, because I am done with my eight weeks here. This journey has been the most life-changing experience of my entire life. I have learned to look more into my Jewish identity and I feel that I officially have a Jewish home, which is called Israel. If you are planning to come to Alexander Muss, I want to give you a few tips on what to expect and pack. First of all, bring lots and lots of socks. I go through socks here like there actually nothing. Sometimes they will get ruined from all the hikes we go on or they get lost in the laundry. Let’s just say I came with 25 pairs of socks and I’m only coming home with 5 pairs. Also, I suggest buying a hydration camelback backpack. This came in handy a lot, because you always need to be drinking water while you are in Israel. Dehydration is very common, because it gets very hot here. On the note of a backpack to bring, I would bring a couple baseball hats too. You are required to wear a hat at all times during our trips. This is to make sure you don’t get burnt in anyway. When I was packing for Alexander Muss, I wasn’t aware of this rule, but you’re not allowed to wear tank-tops, so don’t bring any. Some other tips I have is to bring water shoes, because we did a lot more water activities then I expected to do. My biggest regret on this trip was not packing a little duffle bag in my suitcase for overnight trips. I would bring a little duffle bag like a little Vera Bradley bag to shove all your stuff in. Our overnight trips are packed, so you need to pack a lot of materials. When you are packing your carryon bag, I suggest if you are bringing textbooks from home then pack them in your suitcase, not your carryon bag. The airport sometimes weighs your carry-on bag and I know a lot of my friends had many issues with that. Something I didn’t realize when coming to Alexander Muss is that I expected to the campus to be surrounded by some type of farmland. There is actually a city right next to campus where you can get different types of food and go shopping. You’re allowed 2 and a half hours of free time in town, which is more than enough time even if it doesn’t sound like it.

Attending Alexander Muss has been the best decision of my life and I suggest going if you have the opportunity. The things you learn at Muss are all things that you will never forget. You get to create everlasting friendships, try new foods, and learn all about who you are as a Jew. Not only do you get to learn about your Jewish identity, but also you become a lot more knowledgeable on the land of Israel and all the things it has to offer.