Israel has been unlike any Hebrew school class I have sat through! Instead of learning through a textbooks like most classes are structured, we are learning through the environment that we are surrounded by. We get so much more out this style of learning because we are fully immersed in the environment.

The trips that we have taken in the passed four weeks have been unreal! I truly consider the entire country of Israel my classroom. Some of my favorite classrooms have been Masada, Sataf, and Gilboa. Gilboa was one of my favorite especially considering it was one of our first trips. It was exciting to be able to be active and learn at the same time. We broke up our trip into increments between hiking and taking notes. The hike was really fun because it started out easy and we didn’t expect much of it. However, quickly, it became more challenging and exciting! I really enjoyed this. We were able to stop at a lookout and take notes on the mountains. This is what I believe truly proves that Israel is my classroom.

At Sataf, our experience was very similar. This hike was more of a nature walk. It was less challenging, but still just as exciting. When we reached our notetaking point, we were surprised by going into a cave that the ancient Israelites used. It was a surreal moment when we all entered the cave, turned off our lights, and stopped talking–it was complete darkness and silence. Then, we began to sing songs in the darkness. It was a one in a lifetime experience.

Masada was also so special! At 5AM we began to hike so that we could make it to the top of Masada by sunrise. The evolution from the utter darkness to the sunrise was surreal. We stayed at the top for hours before we walked down. Our time was spent taking notes, observing artifacts, taking pictures, and taking in the beautiful sights. It’s crazy that I was standing on so many years of history–and in same place that so many important events took place and people stood.

MUSS has been a great experience and has handed Israel over to me as my classroom. This is a gift that I will get nowhere else. I’m so excited for the next month full of adventures.