I applied to this program in order learn the basics of the Hebrew language. I want to learn how the Jewish people struggled for centuries to be able to settle in their homeland of today. I also applied so I can learn more about how the people in Israel live and work as compared to how we live and work in the US. I am sure some of the traditions and customs are similar, but many I know are different.

It’s finally here. This Sunday, five days from now, I will embark on the greatest adventure I have experienced thus far. It’s crazy, really, seeing my ridiculously large suitcases sitting by the front door and bidding farewell to my classmates on only the second of school. The whole process of leaving is bittersweet.

Six days from today I leave for four months. It still doesn’t feel real to me that I’m going and I don’t think that it will actually hit me until I’m on the plane. It’s hard to believe that less than a year ago the thought of being in Israel for a week, let alone four months, seemed like a lifetime away.

Hello, my name is Daniella Mercer, and in four days I am going to begin the AMHSI Fall Semester program in Israel. When I first decided I wanted to attend an AMHSI program, I thought it would be their summer program, a trip which is much shorter and on which I would know many more people. My aunt had told me about the new Stephen Muss Impact Fellowship that had been initiated in Miami and encouraged me to apply. Initially, I believed the scholarship was for the summer program, and began the application. However, I soon found out that the scholarship was actually applied to AMHSI’s semester program, and I kind of just went with it. So in a way, I ended up in this situation by accident, and I think it is the best accident that ever could have happened!

We are a week into the AMHSI semester session, and many great things have occurred. Even though I have been missing many things from Miami, like my friends, family, and my home, the great activities we have done in this trip, have made me forget some of those things. I have made many good friends, and have had a lot in common with them, while also sharing new things with each other. We have already met our great teachers and madrichim, and have learned many great things from them, and a lot more to come.

During this program I really want to become as fluent in Hebrew as possible, make a lot of new friends, and just experience everything that I can. I’ve been learning Hebrew since I was 4, but now that I’m in a public school that doesn’t offer Hebrew, I really want to work on improving it a lot more. I think that the open Shabbats are a good time to practice as well as when we’re just out in town or on tiyulim.

However, now that I have begun to settle in and get used to the rigorous schedule of AMHSI, it is important that I set goals to ensure I set myself up for the greatest amount of success possible and take advantage of the amazing opportunity I have been presented.

Despite the fact that I have to take in all the new things I think it’s important to set goals for myself to achieve throughout this trip. Maybe it will even help me to adjust more smoothly.

Many of the goals I have had already come true. A massive goal l had was making new friends. At AMHSI It’s easy. The madrichim and directors make you feel at home as soon as you meet them. As for the AMHSI students a connection forms rapidly. I’ve been told by many people “The friends you meet at HSI will be friends for life” which on the first day I already felt is true.

I am now starting my second full week of HSI and it has been a really great experience so far. I am getting more used to the schedule and workload...

The first week at AMHSI was quite hectic and adventurous. Everything from exploring Hod Hasharon to my first shabbat was filled with new things and the exposure to new culture. It felt very weird walking down the streets of Hod Hasharon like a form of déjà vu. I thought it would be similar to Japan, but when I looked closer, it wasn’t anything like it. The atmosphere of the town with cars blaring their horns were equivalent to a Manhattan intersection. The markets reminded me of Thai markets, filled with fresh fruit and locals at the selling stand.

Anyway, since i was living in an Israeli city with an Israeli family while I was away, I was able to notice a good amount of cultural differences between Israel and America, some being more obvious than others.

Wow. Today marks the third week since we’ve been in Israel. Time has been flying by. Every week is filled with trips and learning, there are hardly ever any breaks. At times it can be a little overwhelming; you can feel like you don’t have enough time to do anything, and some days you can be in class until 6:15, which is crazy. I’ve never had a school day that long before.

We have been in Israel for about three weeks, and already you can notice many differences between Israel and America in many different things, for example, the culture.

Israel and America are two totally different places...

Greetings from Israel and l’shanah tovah. I have been having a wonderful time in Israel experiencing the country and its culture.

Israel and America have some clear differences, however, some are less obvious without residing in Israel for some time.

During my time in Israel so far, I’ve noticed the many differences between Israeli and American culture.

However, these past couple tiyulim it’s really hit me that I am standing in the places where history happened, and if I try hard enough I can picture it happening right before my eyes. It does take a little imagination to picture the grandeur of everything, as nowadays everything is in ruins, but it really is magical when you are able to imagine it.

Classes here at Muss are much different than back at home. Here my math class has two people, back home there’s about thirty. The way the classes are set up really allow for a relationship to be built between students and teachers. One thing that’s been a little hard to get used to is calling teachers by their first names, or having their personal phone numbers to ask questions whenever you need. You can tell that the teachers here really care and want their student to succeed.