A year ago I would have never imagined that I would be spending a semester abroad in Israel. Six or seven months ago I was completely oblivious to the fact that my time away from Seattle would be this year. Regardless, I could not be more excited to embark on this journey.

To be honest I do not know what to expect. I have ideas in my head about the experiences I will have and how I am going to go about my time in Israel, but they can only be so accurate. The truth is that I have never spent months away from home, and although I like to think of myself as a relatively self-sufficient person this will be my first time experiencing life in such an independent way. I am expecting to learn a lot about myself as an individual and how I thrive in certain situations and not so much in others. I am going into the program with an entirely open mind, and a willingness to learn.

I hope that I can experience Israel through a lens that many cannot see it through, and develop my ideas about my Jewish identity. I believe that I am so incredibly fortunate to be presented with the opportunity to visit such a meaningful place. I love learning and I hope to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible. I also hope to create unique memories so that I can look back on my AMHSI experience later in my life and be grateful for all the things I get to experience.

One of the main reasons I chose to go to AMHSI and to apply for the impact fellowship, is that the Jewish community in Seattle is not very large. Especially living in West Seattle, I know very few other Jews. My school is about one percent Jewish and because of that many of the people I am surrounded by everyday are insensitive about my Jewish culture. I wanted to spend time around people who share the same experiences as me, and grow as a person and as a Jew. My hope is that the things I learn about myself and my identity while at AMHSI will help me share my experiences with those who may be less understanding. 

I know that my time spent at AMHSI will be everything I have hoped for and more, and I cannot wait for the journey to start.