A Day in the Life of a Classic Israel Student

Every morning at 7 AM, a chorus of phone alarms goes off. One by one, each of us hits the snooze button and burrows back under the covers. Eventually, one of the six of us pulls herself out of bed. Then another. A sleepy stream of students finds its way to the communal bathroom. As we each get ready at a sink, we speculate about the day ahead. Who is teaching class today? What will our afternoon tiyul (trip) look like? Will we get free time to sign out in the evening? 

After breakfast, the students of Muss Classic Israel head to the classrooms above the Chadar Ochel (dining hall) for a few hours of lessons. We cover current events as we scroll through the day’s headlines, listen to lectures on different eras in Jewish history, and discuss excerpts from across the Jewish bookshelf. 

Mornings spent in the classroom usually precede a group tiyul to a historically significant site around the country. Often, the era in Jewish history we just studied is context for the site we visit. This week, after learning about Jewish life under Christian and Muslim rule, we visited a well-preserved Crusader fortress that was overtaken by Muslim armies. Despite the sun’s glare, we entertained ourselves, imagining we were invading the fortress as we toured the Crusaders’ defenses. 

At least one meal a day is spent 'on the street'. We are given free time to roam a designated area and get dinner together. It’s a nice break from hiking and also gives us time to debrief about what we’ve explored. Plus, during this time in our day, we have the chance to buy keepsakes or gifts at the shuk (market). 

We pile back on our tour bus after dinner, thoroughly exhausted after a long day. The ride back to our campus in Hod HaSharon is usually a quiet one, as many of us have inevitably fallen asleep. 

Hannah Adelson is a 16-year-old student from Pittsburgh, PA.