In a big country with so much diversity like the US, it's easy to forget that people in other countries have different cultures. For us, maybe there are differences between the coasts or regions, or city vs. rural, but we are all part of the same American culture. I’ve only been in Israel for three weeks, but in this time as a foreigner in another culture, I’ve been able to notice some of the differences between Israelis and Americans. 

Before coming to Israel, I had thought of Americans as rude. We are loud, brash and aren’t all that considerate, but here in Israel, we’re the polite ones who can’t get to the front of the lunch line. During my first few days here, I was actually confused about why the line wasn’t moving and then I learned that I just needed to push forward and reach in to get what I wanted because that’s what everybody else was doing. And although there is a lot of chaos in the cafeteria, Israeli directness is actually really nice. They aren’t passive-aggressive, Israelis just say what they mean, or reach in and grab the fork. (I am aware that this is a stereotype, but so far in my experience, it’s true.)

For being so direct and borderline aggressive, Israeli’s are surprisingly laid back. A moment where I really noticed this difference, was the day after Hezbollah launched a missile into Northern Israel. Our madrichim (counselors) were taking us on a tour of the campus pointing out the places to go if there was a rocket-bombing raid. This entire situation would have been quite terrifying if the attitude of our madrichim and the other Israelis around us wasn’t so nonchalant. While our madrich calmly explained to us about the danger of shrapnel and where the bomb shelter is in the other dorm building, it occurred to me, that if there had been a similar attack from a terrorist group in America everybody would be panicking. Although (thank G-d) there were no casualties, it is a scary thought that terrorists can land explosives only miles away from where you are living, but strangely, I feel perfectly safe. After a more recent attack from the Gaza strip, some of the Israelis on HSI were actually telling funny stories about how they and their family members were on the toilet when an alert when off, or wanted to go outside to watch the Iron Dome intercept the rocket. In America, or at least Seattle, it often feels like everybody is sure the world is going to end. We are constantly in a state of freaking out, and although sometimes this reaction isn’t entirely unjustified, it is so pleasant to be around people who aren’t intimidated by the actions of others; who are able to carry on living and laughing despite what seems like a war.