Living in Israel for two months has changed my life for the better, and it is so difficult to think that I will be leaving so shortly. I could not be happier with the knowledge and experiences that Muss has given me–I have been given the opportunity to form my own connection with new people and most importantly, Israel. This experience has become better by each day. I came here with friends and am now leaving with a family. I’ve fallen in love with the culture of Israel. I will leave with my eyes opened, my mind expanded and my heart bigger.

Muss has given me an experience that only comes once (if at all) in someone’s life. This place, these people, these memories, the things I would do to do it all again. Muss has helped me to improve so much as a person in the passed eight weeks. I began Muss and it became difficult to balance my Israeli Studies class with my school work from home. While it took a few days, I was able to figure out a routine to be able to complete all of my assignments with ease. Once I was able to figure out a plan that worked for me, I began to have time to do all of the exciting things that have formed my favorite memories! My memories were made because I kept an open mind about everything we do! I will always remember crawling in caves, climbing mountains, soaking in natural springs, and discovering ancient cities! I would not have had the courage to go on these adventures before I came to Muss. I always think “what if I didn’t do it”, and am so grateful that my peers and this program gave me the courage to.

I can confidently say that I have surpassed my goal that I made at the beginning of the eight weeks. It was very important to me to keep an open-mind and I feel that I have done this about almost everything we do. It is impossible to come to Israel without an open mind–there are so many different things to do and opinions to form. Not only did I keep an open mind about our tiyuul, but I kept an open mind about our curriculum. I am so grateful that my teacher, Jacob, taught us Jewish history and shared multiple points of view. I feel that I am now able to go home and have an educated conversation with someone about Israel, with many points to prove on both sides of the conversation. Overall, Muss has been the greatest experience of my life. I truly hope that more experiences similar to Muss will come my way in the future.