My initial days in Israel have left me speechless. I was really excited to come but I was insanely nervous. I wasn’t sure what to expect and if I would make friends but I have met some amazing people, tasted some delicious food, and seen Israel through a new lens that is leaving me wanting more. 🙂 I’m really loving it. Adjusting to school life here has been a unique experience, with classes being smaller than what I am used to and teachers teaching a bit different then the regular classrooms in Park City or even when I was in LA. 

The weather this first week has literally drenched us. It’s been raining every day and despite the heavy rains this first week, we’ve had many hikes with that stands out in my memory. We had gone to Jerusalem and it was beautiful that day. It was sunny, clear and just refreshing. We hiked up these huge boulders and when got to the top, the views were incredible. It was felt like I was on top of the world! In the distance we saw the IDF planes flying towards the Gaza Strip which I had never seen anything like that before. I had heard so much about the October 7th war before I left but to actually see planes taking off to fight the war, that was very surreal. I felt safe even this country is in the middle of a war. 

After heading down the mountain, we explored the city of Jerusalem and paid a visit to the Western Wall. I called my mom to show her where we were and though I had been there before with my family, this visit was a different. It felt good being there and connecting with my Jewish roots and not because my parents forced me to do it. This time I was there myself and was felt something.  Standing before this ancient wall, it dawned on me that generations of Jews have shed tears and offered prayers in this very spot, each one making sacrifices to be here. I loved it and I loved the fact that I was experiencing this with other kids my age.

My first week in Israel has been a whirlwind of new experiences and adventures, stories, memories being made and of course feeling really independent. 

It’s been a long week. Stay tuned for more!

Love,