Here at HSI, I hope to accomplish many things. First off, I would love to form an amazing bond with the rest of my classmates which will stay with me for the rest of my life. These friendships will help me to feel more at home, and I will begin to enjoy the program much more once I learn everyone’s true personality. I hope to gain a much greater understanding of the Jewish history of myself and Israel.

I made goals in my head before I left home to come to Israel about what I wanted to get out of this trip, but it’s very different when you are actually in the experience.

Some of the differences between the US and Israel, as documented by an Israeli expat in the States.

The first time I experienced the cultural difference between America and Israel was on the plane to HSI.

When I think about the cultural differences in Israel compared to America it makes me aware that my “normal” is not similar to an Israeli person’s “normal”.

A phenomenon that is commonly referred to as “culture shock” is something that I imagine almost every student coming to AMHSI (who has not come to Israel in their lives before) is feeling about right now or at least sometime last week. There is a fine line between what is seen as normal/ respectful in America VS what it’s seen like in Israel.

Denver is nearly seven thousand miles away from Hod Hasharon. This leads to a great difference between cultures. J

To me a living classroom is being outdoors while studying. But it is not just about stepping foot out of the physical classroom it’s about going to unique and significant locations.

In my mind, a living classroom is a classroom that is striving to have hands on and unbiased teaching methods. A hands on class is a class that is not always just sitting in class and taking notes, but seeing things for ourselves and being able to participate in real activities that apply to what we are learning.

One of the main pulls to Alexander Muss High School In Israel is the opportunity to learn in many different environments. One “living classroom” that has stood out to me the most up to this point has been our tiyul to Mount Masada.

I’ve been on plenty of field trips in my life filled with fun excitement, and soon after the impact ends. Until Alexander Muss, I have never had to bring notes or books with me on one.

Back home, our school routine is to wake up and go to every class at the same time and place everyday. Here in Israel, our class changes on a day-to-day basis. We are in a “living classroom”.

Israel is a very unique place. There is no place on Earth quite like it. The people are unique, the land is unique, and the culture is unique. The things you see and the things you experience are things you can only find in Israel. A moment that I experienced in Israel that could not be experienced anywhere else in the world occurred on Yom Kippur.

These experiences all convey the same message. Israel is a place filled with people who are very direct. Being that I have not been to a place that is similar to this environment, I previously couldn’t relate to how the people around me look at various situations. Israel is special in many ways, and these are only some of the moments I have experienced thus far into my short eight weeks here. I hope to have more of these memories in which I can look back on later in my life and laugh about.

My only in Israel moment was this past Yom Kippur. Traditionally, on Yom Kippur people fast for the entire day as well as not drive their cars. In America, Yom Kippur is celebrated by some people but the limited driving idea is not spread through the country.

There are many things that could and almost will happen to you in Israel that you will not experience in America. Something that really interests me is just how different the two places can be.

I want to start off by saying this, the program and your first few weeks in Israel will be a harder than anything you are used to BUT, it really just adds to the delightful experience that you will have here.

Being in a different country with almost complete independence brings up a lot of new challenges. Being by yourself in Israel can be challenging and you need to really find a routine to follow quickly. Here is my advice/routine.

My parents get more and more excited with each and every phone call. They are counting down the weeks until I come home. I am excited to see them, but am not ready to leave Israel and this experience…There are a few things you need to be sure to do when you are here in order to have the experience I had.

To any student who is interested in coming to Israel, the first step is to build up the nerve to come! Of course, you may be a little unsure of what you will get out of the experience, but you only live once. Get on a plane here with a good attitude. Congratulations, you have taken the biggest step.