Gann Academy Israel Reflections
Finding Independence Goldie Davoudgoleh '16 Before I embarked on what was to be the journey of a lifetime, my father sat me down and asked me what my main objectives were for my next three months in Israel. After deeply thinking about it, I narrowed it down to three points: I wanted to get a strong education while living in a foreign country, I wanted to embrace Israeli culture, and I wanted to gain a sense of independence. When I arrived back at Gann a few weeks ago, my dad asked me if I had accomplished all my goals, and I was proud to tell him that I had. Going on a program like this in high school is like getting a taste of college. When I think of college, besides classes and studying, I think about responsibility and independence. As I prepared myself for my three months abroad, I knew that those two pieces of college would also apply to this program. Sharing a dorm with 11 other girls may not sound independent, but living in a dorm environment put me in charge of managing my priorities while still allowing myself to have fun. Once I was able to successfully manage my responsibilities for school and in the dorm, I was able to experience that independence. Many high schoolers don’t get the opportunity to live a college-related lifestyle during high school, and I’m really glad that I had the chance to take on that type of lifestyle in order to slowly ease myself into college in the future. Different from family vacations or tourist trips, we lived Hod HaSharon, a town outside of Tel Aviv, and had the opportunity to experience Israeli culture as locals. During our free time, we were able to get to know our new home on a more personal level by engrossing ourselves in the culture. In addition to the local culture, we were also able to fully embrace Israel’s culture as we traveled from the Galil to the Negev on our trips, or tiyulim. On our tiyul to Tel Aviv, the heart of Israel’s progressive culture, we learned about how the idea of Israeli culture began and became what it is today. We were also able to experience Israelis’ way of life when we visited Irony Hey High School in Haifa in the beginning of the semester. We stayed with Irony Hey teens, experiencing their daily lives while making new friendships along the way. Through this trip, I realized that Israeli culture -- though
different from American culture in many ways -- is really unique and one of the parts that I love most about Israel. I know that I’ll be able to take my experiences and memories in Israel with me as I continue on through high school and then on to the rest of my life. Without the many incredible features of the Gann Israel program, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish the three objectives that I explained to my father over three months ago. I hope that my classmates and I take our new connections and friendships back with us to our lives in greater Boston and that we always remember this unforgettable trip that brought us together. Although it sounds cliché to say that this program was life-changing, I honestly don’t know how else to describe it. The Lens Through Which I Now See Jacob Hershman '16 Throughout my experience in the Gann Israel program, my classmates and I learned a great deal not only in regards to Israel, but also the world as a whole. Given our unique location, we were able to learn firsthand about the complexity and seeming incorrigibility of the problems that face both Israel and the world today. The culmination of all the information we had learned truly materialized on the final day of our three-month experience, as we gazed at the freshly turned grave of a fallen IDF soldier. That day, we traveled to Jerusalem, and began our daytrip with a visit to Har Herzl, Israel’s national cemetery. In light of the most recent conflict in Gaza, as well as the multiple acts of terrorism wracking the Jerusalem area, the time we spent at Har Herzl was of substantial emotional turbulence. We, like all previous Gann groups at Alexander Muss High School, paid our respects to the great Zionist thinkers, Prime Ministers and select soldiers who exemplified particular valiance and self-sacrifice in battle. However, our group also visited the graves of soldiers who has been alive merely days or weeks before our arrival in Israel. The most poignant and heart-wrenching experience for me occurred when we visited the grave of Sgt. Almog Shiloni. While waiting for a bus in Tel Aviv on November 10, Shiloni was stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist. Unlike the rest of
the graves and memorials, which were of a specific construction and design, Shiloni’s grave was so fresh, his burial so recent, that a mere mound of loose, florally ornamented soil covered his coffin. At just 20 years old, Shiloni’s death was a tragedy that immensely affected me, and helped put into perspective the purpose of our three month trip in Israel. My classmates and I learned how to begin to understand the opinions of all parties involved in the conflict. I do not believe that we reacted with such sorrow at the sight of Shiloni’s grave solely because we now feel some intangible connection with the state of Israel and its inhabitants. I believe that we felt this grief because, consequent to our knowledge of the reality in which Israel exists, when we saw Shiloni’s grave, another victim of the perpetual Palestinian-Israeli conflict, we were forced to recollect everything we learned, saw, and experienced during our time in Israel. We thought about the unfortunate social reality of Arab Israelis and Palestinians, and the multiplicity of social injustices imposed upon them. Simultaneously, though, we thought about the two thousand year Jewish struggle to evade persecution and return to the land of Israel. All of these seemingly unsolvable and immutable quandaries rushed into our minds while observing at the freshly dug grave of Almog Shiloni. As I reflect on everything that my classmates and I experienced in Israel, the first experience that comes to my mind is and always will be the final resting place of Almog Shiloni. It was there that I realized the momentous opportunity with which I was beset in traveling to Israel. It was in that moment that I recognized the way in which my presence in Eretz Yisrael will forever impact the way I understand the world and, likewise, how that understanding can allow me to make a difference. An Incredible Experience Joelle Marx '16 Being home from Israel for almost a month has given me time to reflect on my experience as a whole. I am so thankful for being given the opportunity to go by Gann and my parents because it truly was a life -changing experience. When I first came to Gann and learned about the Israel program I knew I was going to go. Then, as it became closer to the time when I would need to decide, I became weary. Would it be the right choice for me? How would
it impact me academically? After week of deliberation with my family, close friends, and my advisor at Gann, we decided that I would sign up to go to Israel, but I was still unsure. I went to Israel not knowing much about the program. After our first Core class, though, I realized that this would be an incredible program. Learning 3,000 years of Jewish history in the classroom and then going to the place where it happened was the greatest interactive learning experience. While I knew that I was still in class, it did not feel like I was being forced to learn. I enjoyed every minute of Core, especially when we were learning about more recent events. Our Core teacher, Akiva, did everything in his power to make everything that we were doing exciting and interesting, while still teaching to the curriculum. One of my favorite trips was to Sde Boker where we got to see Ben Gurion’s home and the beautiful desert view surrounding it. I would not have traded my experience for anything. I highly recommend a semester in Israel to anyone looking for an amazing and unique experience. Not only did I gain independence, but a greater appreciation for Israel as a country and its people. Strengthening My Spiritual Identity Ben Bryer '15 Last year, during my three-month study abroad trip through the Gann Israel Program, I was challenged academically and spiritually unlike any other time in my life. Living in a country with a name that literally translates to “one who struggles with God” was the ideal place to strengthen my spiritual identity as well as dive deeper into my academics. As a student in Jewish day schools from kindergarten through high school, I have been blessed to have been able to establish a strong base for my Jewish identity. However, many of the views I held before my term in Israel were based on values that others had told me were important. Until I attended the Gann Israel program, I had not explicitly thought about whether these customs and beliefs defined who I am or what I stand for. During my time in Israel, I delved into complex issues including the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Holocaust, the future of American Jewry and
so much more. The combination of classroom learning and interactive trips throughout the country allowed me access to understand Israel in a unique way. I was fortunate to study these sensitive topics without bias or the expectation of arriving at a definitive answer. My teachers almost never shared their personal opinions and always welcomed fresh observations and lively discussions, especially when dealing with controversial topics. I was encouraged to continue discussions with my peers and to reflect about what we had each taken away from that day’s classes and trips. The learning environment at Muss contributed to a shift in sentiment regarding my spiritual and Jewish identity. For the first time in my life, I wrestled with my Jewish identity and reflected on my spiritual journey. I realized that as long as I am "struggling" and questioning my assumptions, I will be able to live a spiritual life on my own terms. By consciously allowing myself to shape my own belief system, I will never again value something solely because it is a widely accepted view. Living and learning in Muss’ diverse and safe environment helped me to form my own opinions—views informed by the wisdom that I picked up from my teachers, friends, and family. In college, I look forward to being exposed to new information, taking innovative classes, and broadening my knowledge as I continue my "struggle" to understand the ideas and assumptions that have shaped my beliefs.