The energy contained in nature, in the earth and its waters, in the atom and the sunshine will not avail us if we fail to activate the most precious vital energy: the moral-spiritual energy inherent in humankind. – David Ben-Gurion cred: @mimles

As the days grew closer flags began to sprout up all across the country. From highways to car windows to apartment porches- it was as if someone had sprinkled blue and white from above. Yom Hazikaron, the day we remember Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror, starts at the same exact moment across the country with a siren. (Jewish Holidays,Yom Hazikaron, and Yom Hatzmaut included start at night and continue into the day).

During the day there is an another siren that rings out, a moment of silence with which we begin to reflect and remember the 23,544 lives that have been lost. Each life leaving behind parents, siblings, loved ones, and friends.

This year I spent the morning at Har Herzel– the military cemetery in Jerusalem. Thousands of peopl were at Har Herzel on Yom HaZikaron, some to visit loved ones they had lost, and others to pay respect to the people who gave their lives protecting the country. When the siren went off at Har Herzel, you could hear the silence across the whole country; no one moved, and no one spoke. Yom Hazikaron affects every single Israeli has either experiencee personal loss or second hand loss.

As Yom Hazikaron ends, Yom Hatzmaut– Israel Independence Day, begins. We celebrate the country we have, the country that the fallen have sacrificed their lives for. Yom Hatzmaut is entirely about celebration. From Monday evening until Tuesday people are celebrating nonstop. At night, the streets of cities are packed with people dancing, and celebrating. In communities everywhere there are performances, fireworks, and festivity wherever you go. I saw fireworks light up the sky, walked around Jerusalem, and was even invited to a strangers barbeque. On Yom Hatzmaut the entire country shuts down, and people spend their days with family. All of the parks and beaches are packed with families barequing, and playing sports.

These two days are about the unity of the Jewish people, and the country. For me, being in the country at this time made me feel even more like I am part of a family.

By: Anna Kaplan

   We all have expectations. Expectations for ourselves of what we want to accomplish. Going into this year abroad I had expectations to have an amazing year, and I did, but not in the way I expected. I was going in with a false reality expecting every single aspect of my year abroad to be perfect. Spoiler alert- nothing in life is perfect.

        When people tell you how amazing living abroad is they forget to mention everything in between. They leave out the adjustment period in the beginning- the part about being in a strange place with a bunch of people you don’t know. They forget to mention the part about learning a different currency, busing system, and language. Although, in the end having to learn all of those contributed to my year. After all, you have not truly spent a year in Israel until you have gotten stranded on a highway in the middle of the night, waiting for your next bus. As for the language,  I adjusted so much to speaking Hebrew that I have to stop myself from saying Kamah Zeh Oleh (how much does this cost) now that I’m back in America. As for the currency? Well my wallet is still full of shekels…

       Any one can think back on a life experience, and pin point things they wish they had done differently, and make a list of could haves. However, I choose to think of all that I did. From the four am hike, running my first 5km and 10km, visiting the Western Wall so many times I lost count, spending Shabbat with thousands of people in Hebron, and everything in between.

      Looking back on the past year I can say without a doubt I’m happy I spent the past year in Israel. Not only did I learn so many new things, but I also learned so much about myself. One could say I could have learnt those things anywhere, but they would be wrong. There is nowhere else in the world like Israel. Walk the streets, and you will see that is a one of a kind place, a place where everyone is family, a place with an unparalleled amount of culture and history.