I have been in Israel for five days, and it has been such an awesome experience so far. At the beginning when I first got there, I have to admit, I was pretty overwhelmed. The jet lag was getting to me and so was the time difference. Now, I am starting to get used to everything little by little. We just started classes so I'm not fully adjusted to them yet, but I'm getting there. I have a lot of goals for this semester that I want to accomplish. I have already accomplished my first goal which is to branch out and meet a bunch of new friends!!

Goals is a big topic considering I have minor ones and slightly more major ones. Some of my minor goals included making friends and keeping up my grades. While I feel like I have already accomplished the first goal, the second goal might take a little longer to achieve. Other minor goals included keeping my dorm neat and organized and making sure to stay hygienic. While these were only small things to focus on, they could be very important.

Over these past few days, I've been asked what I want to achieve from this program, or why I'm here. I've thought about it for a while, and I've realized that I have many goals and reasons. One of the most obvious things that I would like to accomplish is getting good grades and keeping them up the whole semester. I want to make good habits and keep up with them. For example, I don't want to put aside homework and tell myself I’ll do it later, or I don't want to tell myself I cant. I now know that when I want something all I need is dedication and belief in myself.

Hello, my name is Shlomie Assouline, of Miami, Florida, and I am just embarking on this new journey of doing High School in the ancient but modern land of Israel. This experience is incredibly exciting for a multitude of reasons, the first is that this is my first time in the Jewish homeland.

My other goal is to find a way to connect with my Jewish identity better. I already started to by our Israeli/Jewish studies class with my teacher Michael. I like that we have the chance to think for ourselves and what we want to believe in. Growing up, you’re made to believe that everything happens a certain way, you’re parents tell you what they believe in and ultimately, that’s what you follow. However, when you’re not surrounded by your parents and their beliefs, you start believing in your own. In class, Michael relates life issues with the Tanakh, which I found myself doing that as well. I love this class because it’s starting to make me love Judaism even more and connect with it so much better.

Although it has only been a few days at Alexander Muss High School Israel, the feeling of living at home in this new and exciting country with friends from different parts of the United States is unlike any experience I’ve had before. With all the fun I know I will have on the trip; I also want to make this experience a journey of character growth and a way to learn new skills that I could only get out of a program like this.

I have only been at Alexander Muss High School in Israel for 6 days, and I feel that I’m building close bonds to each and every person. While everyone is here, we are going to be learning many meaningful things about ourselves. So far, I have learned that I want to grow be a better person for not only myself, but the people surrounding me.

I have many goals for my time in Israel that I hope to achieve by the end of this semester. Becoming fluent in Hebrew is something that I want to work hard for so that I could interact and socialize with Israelis in town and other people who speak Hebrew. Learning Hebrew would open my opportunities to try new and interesting Israeli foods while visiting plenty of shops around town.

As a Jewish teenager, I feel that all Jewish teenagers should know about this program and also have the opportunity I'm getting. Most of my family lives in Israel which is awesome because I will feel even more connected. Putting aside this excitement, I'm also very nervous. I’m mostly nervous about forgetting something like really big. I think I have everything packed. Well, Sunday is very close, and I am ready. I am ready to get on that flight to Israel and start this new chapter in my life.

Today is the 20th of August; on the 25th, I will endure an early morning ride to the airport and depart on my journey to Israel. My palms are sweating and my heart hangs heavy in my chest, my head spinning in a cyclone of nerves and anticipation. I picture myself as a conquistador about to board some rickety wooden ship and sail off into the great unknown.

Since I’ve been here and even before this trip I always thought “Life is a journey make the most out of it” and I believe this is exactly what I’m doing, I’m coming to Israel to see things I’ve only seen in documentaries or movies with my own eyes. I want to bring everything I learn and experience about the language, the people, and the food home with me. I can’t wait to create new lifelong friendships while exploring the deep meaning behind this land.

I chose to apply for the impact fellowship because I want to become more skilled at conveying my ideas to my community through public speaking and media. The impact fellowship looked like a perfect way to be able to experience an amazing program like Muss and also learn how to be a better leader so that I can bring something back to my community coming home.

A week from today I will be in Israel. I am very excited about this trip as I have been looking forward to it for a long time. I am looking forward to meeting new people and making new friends and connections all around the United States.

My expectations of Israel and AMHSI are moderately high because I know that they are guiding me further along my road of success. I hope that I will do exceptionally well in adjusting to the big change that is occurring while flying across the globe. I know that AMHSI will teach me about important educational topics that affect the community and add to my understanding of the basic High School curriculum. I think that this school will help me appreciate and fit into this new culture along with making me feel at home and comfortable. While I’m here I will be given the chance to expand on my leadership qualities and social abilities.

Hi!!! My name is Jules Cohen. I am a junior and I go to MAC (Miami Arts Charter) in Wynwood. I’m from Aventura, Florida. All my life I’ve always dreamed of living in Israel one day. Since I’m half Israeli, I’ve always wanted to celebrate and I’ve always been proud of that part of me. My mom is American and my dad is Israeli. So my grandparents, aunts/uncle and my cousins all live in Israel.

Hello, my name is Zohar Steinmetz, and I am only 4 days away from the best experience of my life! I will be entering my sophomore year and I can't believe I have been given the opportunity to study abroad. Although I don't go to a Jewish school I am part of many youth groups including NCSY, SNFTY, BBYO, and tzofim. Being a part of all of these groups helps me feel connected to Israel and my Judaism.

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.

Everyone I’ve talked to, whether they have been on Alexander Muss or not, has told me that the next four months are going to be a life-changing experience. I believe them. My hope for my time on Alexander Muss is that I will learn and connect to Israel and the Jewish people in ways beyond the classroom or from simply touring around.

16 weeks of unknown adventure awaits me. The thought of leaving Washington, which has been home to me for the last fifteen years, fills me with immense amounts of thrill and curiosity. However, I’m also overwhelmed by the fear of the unknown. As much as the mystery of where this journey will take me excites me, the thought of not knowing what friend groups I will fit into, if my teachers will like me, if I get along with my roommates, and about a hundred other questions that cannot be answered until I am actually on the program, makes me very anxious.

At the beginning of this trip I had set a number of goals that I would like to accomplish by the end of it. First of all I made so many new friends and made a lot of memories with them. I had such a great time traveling all over Israel. I wouldn’t want to do it any other way. I learned so much stuff that I never knew about before. I had so much fun.