How a Semester in Israel Helped Me Return to My Roots

Last fall, I spent the semester at Jewish National Fund-USA’s Alexander Muss High School in Israel (Muss), located in Hod HaSharon, just north of Tel Aviv. Before I arrived, I had heard the phrase “Hod is Home,” but I couldn’t understand how a place thousands of miles away from my parents could ever feel like a true home. Now, I understand. 

I was born in Israel and left at the age of 10. Ever since, I’ve dreamed of returning. After October 7, I was overcome with guilt—guilt that I wasn’t there, that I hadn’t experienced that traumatic moment alongside my people. I felt distant. Disconnected. I kept asking myself: What could I, a 15-year-old girl, do to help? That question is what led me to Muss. I wanted to show my solidarity with the people of Israel, return to the land God promised my people, and walk the same soil my ancestors once fought to survive on. 

Muss gave me more than just an unforgettable experience—it gave me a chance to give back. We packed food boxes with Pantry Packers, made sandwiches for soldiers, and visited Har Herzl. Even during the second Iranian attack, as we all huddled in a bomb shelter, fear didn’t define the moment. What I remember most is a deep, quiet strength—a mix of solemn understanding and hope for a better future. As rockets exploded and the ground shook, we stood together and sang Hatikvah. That moment will stay with me forever. 

At Muss, I realized that every Jew is a link in a long, unbroken chain—one that continues to grow with each generation. I discovered a new part of myself and learned that each of us can make a difference. We are all part of something greater than we can ever truly grasp. 

So, as I study this summer at Harvard and travel to Los Angeles as a Stand With Us intern, I will take all the great experiences I learned at Muss with me, and I hope I can impart them to you. Because antisemitism is not just my fight– it’s all of ours. 

Maayan and JNF-USA CEO, Russell Robinson

Maayan Amsterdamer is a 16-year-old rising junior at Bethlehem Central High School in Upstate New York. Maayan moved from Israel at the age of 10, and ever since, has worked to support the Jewish people—even from thousands of miles away—through community initiatives like challah bakes and volunteer work. Maayan is a member of Bethlehem Youth Court, Student Athlete (Track and Field),  part of the BCHS Model UN club, and a CTeen leader. She leads the Jewish Food Club at her school, serves as a StandWithUs High School Intern, and is a proud Muss alumna. Her greatest hope is to help free the world of sinat chinam—baseless hatred—and to work alongside organizations like JNF-USA to build a more peaceful and accepting future for the Jewish people.