Alexander Muss has been more than I ever thought it would be and I have only been here for two weeks. The first day we got to Alexander Muss, I felt beyond welcomed and I knew this trip was going to be something special. The campus is beautiful and very lively. When students aren’t on trips or in class, many kids will be outside enjoying the beautiful weather Israel has to offer. Alexander Muss is so different from school at home and I think thats what makes learning so fun here.

I am in a dorm with 18 students from all over the United States. We all met at JFK and we all clicked right when we met each other. We had a 10 hour plane ride and I talked the whole way there, learning about their families and where they come from. Ever since these two weeks, I can definitely say we are all so close. It feels like I have 4 new brothers and 12 new sisters. We all get along so well and it couldn’t have worked out any better. We have dance parties basically every night and we help each other with whatever one person needs.

We get to go on tiyulims once or twice a week, which is always the highlight of my week. The tiyulim that touched me the most was our trip to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. I have been to the Western Wall before in 8th grade and I didn’t feel anything when I went there. I would see women crying on their hands and knees, but I wouldn’t shed one tear. I was nervous to go to the Western Wall this time, because I didn’t want to be the odd one out. Before we entered the Western Wall my core teacher Yossi, sat my group down and talked to us about the meaning of the Western Wall. That talk he gave us, opened my eyes to so many new things about myself and the Jewish people. He explained to us on how you can look at the wall in two ways. You can see it as some bricks that people pray to or you can take it in as the holiest site for the Jewish people. He said that even if we don’t feel anything, to look at the people around you and notice how much they are feeling. When I entered the Western Wall, I sat down on a chair and wrote a note. I wrote it out to my friends and family, making sure I pray that they are all healthy and happy. When I walked up to the Western Wall to put my note in, I stood next to an orthodox women who was crying. She then looked at me and told me that she had lost someone in her family. She explained to me that she feels close to them at this wall, because it’s the only thing she has left of her loved one. I started crying right there, because now I understand why this wall means so much to so many. I learned that the Western Wall means something different for each person and I think thats what makes the Western Wall so special. You can look at the Western Wall in so many different ways and there is no wrong way to look at it. The Western Wall is whatever you make of it.

Alexander Muss is amazing and I don’t even have words to describe how much fun I’m having here. I can’t wait to see what is in store for the rest of my trip!