This has been the most incredible journey that I never imagined I would have and I cannot believe my time in Israel is almost up. 

After 4 days of hiking, bonding, learning and experiencing, our group returned to campus and I think I took the longest shower I’ve ever taken. You have to understand how hot it is here now and between sleeping in the dirt, swimming in rivers and waterfalls, and sweating to death, I was beyond filthy. 

In preparation of our last Shabbat together (which I can’t really believe), we made it a white theme in which all of us dressed up in our best white dresses and outfits. It honestly didn’t really feel like we weren’t going to have another Shabbat together and we did whatever we could to really make it special. We shared prayers, brought in the light of Shabbat, played games, laughed beyond belief and sometimes cried. We did not want this 24 hours of Shabbat to end. Like I’ve said in many of my other blogs, Shabbat is my absolute favorite day of the week. I love how we all wind down together and just be in the moment. On Shabbat day which was now Saturday, we just chilled all day, started packing, and then later we had our last Havdalah together. This was the moment that I realized we were really leaving and that we wouldn’t have our Shabbats together anymore. We wouldn’t have our getting ready parties, blasting music, singing, dancing, sharing clothes, makeup, stories, learning together, experiencing and exploring life all together. I didn’t know what to do with all of this but we had a lot to do so keeping busy helped me get through it. 

I didn’t sleep much that night which is not unusual because we stay up late often studying together and just talking, but this past night was even tougher. 

The next morning we had our last Israel Studies class. We presented our teacher with a photo collage poster board that we made of our journey and adventure together here at Muss. As I looked at all of the pictures, I really couldn’t believe what we had accomplished. First and foremost, the amount of outdoor activities we did whether it was hiking, camping, barbecuing, volunteering and that’s just to name a few, I couldn’t believe how far I had come. Actually how far all of us had come.  I never really was an outdoors person and here I became one. And not only that, in my Israel studies class I learned what being Jewish is, I learned about my heritage and how I feel about it, I experienced what life is life as a Jew. I learned how to look at different perspectives and I learned how to ask a good question, how to empathize, sympathize. I learned what real friendship is. I learned that I loved and cherished learning all of it and looking at this collage was indeed memory overload, but in a good way.  When I walked out of my classroom that I loved, cherished and enjoyed for over 4 months for the last time, a piece of me stayed at my desk. 

The rest of the day we packed, some of us strayed a bit as we were kind of lost in our emotions, others were just on autopilot and we got ready for our closing banquet. We did an ‘Oscars’ like theme so each person got our own little Oscar. We watched some skits about funny things that have happend over the past 4 months and then we had our closing montage. It was so emotional and sad watching how fast these past 4 months have flown by. We laughed and cried our way through it and I spent the rest of my last night in the dorm with my best friends. I don’t think any of us wanted to go to sleep. The friendships I found and made here are not like anything I could have ever imagined. To be honest, I don’t think I knew what ‘finding my people’ meant. But guess what? I found 5 of them and I couldn’t be more grateful. 

The next morning we woke up and got ready to head to Jerusalem for our last day. Walking downstairs and seeing all of our suitcases together was heartbreaking. We boarded the bus one last time, bright and early, and drove east to Jerusalem. We walked through the old city and went to the Western Wall. We prayed and I gave my notes for Hashem. While I was at the wall, I just reflected my entire experience and how much my love for Israel has sky-rocketed. I really can’t say it enough how grateful I am for this experience and everything I gained from it. 

After the wall, we boarded the bus to head west to Tel Aviv for dinner. We ate at Sarona Market which is basically a HUGE market of all different types of foods and restraunts. I ate my last meal with my best friends. We walked around and got our last ice-cream at our favorite spot, Otello. After dinner, we said our goodbyes to our Israel Studies teachers. It was so emotional. These teachers have a tremendous impact on me. All of their knowledge, wisdom, stories, anecdotes and encouragement have changed me and I will never forget them. I will miss them when I’m home. My time in Israel would not have been as meaningful without my Israel Studies teachers who really taught me what it means to be a PROUD JEW. 

Soon after, we drove to Ben Gurian Airport and dropped off the LAX kids. I would be on the flight if I were leaving but I was meeting my family in Greece after. The East Coast kids flight was delayed so we went back to campus one last time with them. We sat together everyone in our common room just soaking up our last moments. At around 12:30am, my friend Mia and I left to go to Tel Aviv because we both weren’t on the Newark flight. We said our goodbyes to the campus, and to our family. Everyone here really became one big extended family. Some of my friends walked and helped us with our bags to the car. Finally, I said goodbye to my best friends and to my home. I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without my girls. You have to remember I have spent every waking second with them for 4 months straight. We were all sobbing as not only didn’t we want to leave each other but we didn’t want to leave our home. 

We got into the taxi and left. When we got to the apartment, we lugged our million pound suitcases up 8 flights of stairs. We got into the apartment and collapsed. And then suddenly, we looked and realized we didn’t have our passports. The madrihim messed up and thought we were with the Newark kids. We were both panicing because I had a flight in the morning and it was 2am. I called my mom and had to say the dreaded words, ‘I don’t have my passport.’ After what seemed as  hours of anguish, but really was more like an hour, my mom got a hold of the dean of our school in the middle of the night and he literally drove our passports out to us at 4am in Tel Aviv. I can’t explain to you how grateful I was. 

I slept for 3ish hours and then wokeup to head to the airport. Mia helped me bring my stuff down and we said our goodbyes. We made it a “see you later” to make it easier but it was so hard saying bye to her. I got into my gett (taxi) and headed to the airport all by myself. I looked out the window and just reflected on my entire journey here in Israel which has now become my second home. How could I do life without you Israel? I thought to myself. To be continued….

I made it to the airport and checked in smoothly. Before I knew it I was Greece bound, heading to meet my family. 

Thank you for following along my journey with me my time in Israel was really the best thing that has ever happened to me. Stay tuned for my recap in my next post.

Xoxo,

Izzy