Living in Israel for two months not only means that I get to study in a different country and meet a lot of new people, it also means I get to have a lot of experiences that would never happen elsewhere, or just wouldn’t be the same. A lot of this is because of the different cultures of Israel and America, but also just because of how special a place Israel is. I have felt this way many times throughout this program. An example of how special Israel is was when we spent Shabbat in Jerusalem. Friday night we went to the western wall to have a Shabbat service and later have free time at the wall. We were able to talk to many different people, and sing and dance with complete strangers. It was such a special and fun evening that could have only happened in Israel. The next day, we had the option to wake up early to go to services. If I were back in America, I never would have chosen services over sleep, but here I did. We went to a Sephardic synagogue in Jerusalem, and it was an amazing experience. The synagogue was beautiful, and I really enjoyed services there. There was something about having services right in Jerusalem that just made it so much more special for me.

Another time where I felt I was experiencing something that would only happen in Israel was on Purim when we went to the town of Sderot. We were delivering packages to families who have been affected by terror attacks. Each time we went to a family, they invited us in to talk and they also gave us a bunch of food. Even after everything they had been through, they were able to be extremely hospitable and they ended up giving us more than we even gave them, and that was amazing to see. Right after that, we were waiting for our bus to pick us up and a family that was having a barbeque for Purim invited us to come join. It was so nice of them, and it was so fun for my friends and I to get to know these Israelis and see different ways the celebrated Purim. It was just amazing to see how nice and welcoming Israelis were to us.

In addition, all the hikes that we go on are really special. Today, we went to the Negev and went on a really beautiful hike. We have also hiked Mount Sataf, Massada, and many more. I love going on these hikes because not only are they extremely beautiful, but it is really fun to learn right before or after a hike and then visit the site where a major event in history took place. I barely ever get to visit the actual places where things took place in America. All of what I mentioned is what has made Alexander Muss High School in Israel so extraordinary and Israel itself such an amazing place to be.