Tiyul. A tiyul is a trip that we go on. A tiyul that was very meaningful to me was the one to the Golan Heights. In this tiyul we had learned the history behind it. The Golan Heights are up high mountains that are right above the Hula Valley. They are right by the border of the country. It is very important to keep it a part of Israel. The reason why is because if another country had control then it would be easier for them to attack Israel. We need to protect the borders of Israel so the rest of Israel doesn’t face as big of a threat.

My time in HSI has honestly felt like some sort of mind trick because on the one hand, the first week felt like a year and I was sure it would never end, but on the other, the past six weeks have gone by faster than anything I've ever experienced. In this amount of time so much has changed about me and about my expectations that I feel like a whole new person coming out of it.

Many of my tiulim experiences here have included some of my best memories in HSI overall. The trips here genuinely stuck out in my mind because of how unique they are in the way they are planned out. Although all of the trips have been meaningful to me, the one that has made the greatest impression on me has to be the first trip to Jerusalem. Not only was it the first overnight trip of HSI but it also happened to be my first time in Jerusalem that wasn’t for family.

On our tiyul to the Negev on July 23rd, we started off the day with a seemingly easy hike with some pretty pools. We then continued this hike past the water, and it turned into something much harder than before. The hike was Masada-like: extremely steep stairs and even some ladders. I personally loved the hike itself. It was a beautiful area and the hike was both fun and challenging. However, the scorching sun made it almost unbearable. I could barely make it to the end and I got so tired.

Six weeks have gone by so quickly. It is absolutely insane to me that six weeks have passed. It feels as if yesterday I boarded the flight, landed in Israel, and discovered this beautiful country. It has been such a spectacular several weeks. I had a great time and I am so sad it is over already. In the beginning of the trip I set goals for myself. The goals revolved around what I wanted to achieve and accomplish while at High School in Israel and in Israel in general, this summer.

All of the Tiyulim were very meaningful to me. Many stood out to me in comparison to others. They stood out based on the material we were learning, the people I was surrounded with, and the places I was in. One that stood out to me in particular was Masada. I really enjoyed Masada.

At the beginning of this amazing program, I wrote about some goals I want to accomplish here at HSI. While I didn’t spend this entire trip drilling these ideas into my head, I feel as though I have definitely met my expectations. One of the most important goals that I wanted to accomplish was coming out of my comfort zone and meeting new people.

On July 9, I volunteered with Save a Child’s Heart. This was a life changing experience that I will always remember.

I think that the most impactful part of this tiyul for me was actually seeing the place where Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated.

On the second week of this amazing trip, we hiked Masada and swam in the Dead Sea. Before I even left the United States, I knew that this day would be absolutely unbelievable. The trip began at four o’clock in the morning. Everyone was half asleep and half awake but we were all still so excited to embark on our hike up Masada. We did not hike as separate classes, we moved as one unit. Everyone was helping each other, whether they knew them or not.

Reaching the halfway mark in HSI has really made me realize just how quickly this program moves. I genuinely remember the way I felt on the first day as if it was yesterday and I'm shocked at just how much I've changed since then. In class, we have finally moved on to the segment that focuses on Judaism and Zionism within the past 1,500 years.

In the mind of any teenager the word school invokes thoughts of rotating between classes every hour to once again sit in a chair and hold a pencil. It’s tedious and overwhelming. Its boring and repetitive. What I have learned thus far on HSI is school is not just that. School is creativity.

This weekend, our dorm celebrated Shabbat in Jerusalem. This truly was like a Jewish awakening for me and an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. Starting with going to the Shuk during the Friday Rush and getting a taste of Jerusalem and all the yummy food, to interacting with all the other people of different backgrounds who were rushing to get everything they needed to prepare their Shabbos meals.

An amazing aspect that is part of the Alexander Muss program is the outdoor learning. Almost three times a week, our teachers make the outdoors our classrooms. We learn about the historical concepts of each site while actually standing on them. We do this through classes while on hikes, in parks, and on top of mountains. We also go on tiyulim (field trips) to museums, archaeological sites, and historical sites to have our lessons.

Israel has been my outdoor and living classroom. On June 20 I went to Tel Gezer. One of the things I saw there was Abraham’s gate. On this tiyul we walked around and saw some history of the Babylonians and heard the story of why Judaism was created. The gate that we were at people could exit and enter the city.

On June 26 I helped volunteer with Leket. Leket is the biggest organization in Israel that helps feed the poor. They ask different places such as grocery stores, restaurants, and even the army to give the extra food they have to them that would otherwise go in the trash.

June 25th, 2019, we started our day off in Sataf. Sataf is a modeled town during the times of Shaul and David. Located on the mountains of Jerusalem. This trip helped us focus on the day-to-day life during ancient times. We learned about the several agricultural laws as well as the water system this terrace style village used.

With my first week at AMHSI already finished, I have an idea of what the next five weeks in Israel are going to be like. In this first week alone, I feel as though I've lived a month worth of experiences. I've already learned so many new things about the land of Israel and its physical history as well as its biblical history. I've also been already on two amazing trips to brand new places that I have never seen before.

The object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result. Goals. It is important to make goals in your life. I have some goals that I would like to accomplish by the end of this trip in the one and only Israel. I have seen so many great places already in Israel.

After a week has passed since I have embarked on this adventure, I have already experienced changes in myself. In all terms, maturity, for example, I feel as if I have already been able to develop myself and grow through my short time thus far at Alexander Muss High School In Israel Summer Program.