Reflections on Israeli Life

Eve Stein

4/12/11           

Reflective Essay

Ms. Novick

                                                            Living the Israeli Life

            Watching the waves roll and caress giant boulders on the tip of a hill and listening to the slush and stir of water on a beautiful day in Haifa, Israel was an amazing experience. As was staying with Inbal Shemesh, an incredible ninth grader and Arielle Grossman, one of my great classmates. Those few moments and days we spent with ninth graders of Ironi Gimel taught me how different their lifestyle is, and how appreciative I am of getting to experience some of it.

Arielle and I arrived at Inbal Shemesh's house and at first it was a little awkward but then we eased into each other's company and became close immediately. She introduced us to her younger sister and explained how her older sister was in China. After her mother came home from work and everyone was acquainted, we sat down to a large feast of eggs, bread, cottage cheese, assorted vegetables, salad, m&ms, omelets, and much more. Her father offered to take us on a tour of Haifa, where they live, and so we drove around the city at night and saw the Bahia Temples with the gorgeous glowing lights. The sounds of the city at night were calming, and Inbal's dad also bought us delicious ice cream from a small shop. We were exhausted from our long day so we happily went home and set up the beds to go to sleep. In the morning, her mother made us lunch and prepared a lovely breakfast of pastries and sweet cereals. The aroma from the cakes and coffee was incredible and I could taste the rugalach, chocolate pastries, before I even took the first bite.

            Inbal's mother drove us to school and dropped us off at the awaiting bus where we drove to the gorgeous Rosh Hanikra. Rosh Hanikra is a place where the Mediterranean Sea meets the rocks on the tip of Israel and the waves created tunnels where you can take a tour and view the water from a great height. Also hearing the waves pound and rush onto the massive boulders was unimaginable. The bubbling blue water blew us all away and I was awestruck at how marvelous nature can be.  Sadly, we had to leave because there were sights to be seen and tourist attractions to be toured. Inbal was such a lovely person and getting to know her and Arielle better was a privilege. I would not change one thing about my visit. 

            The stay with the Inbal showed me how to enjoy life in different ways. Her family taught me about so many things and helped me improve my Hebrew about a hundred percent. She taught me about their different lifestyle and culture. Inbal helped me appreciate nature and appreciate simplicity. There is nothing I would change about my visit or the time I spent with the Ironi Gimel School. Looking back, I'm amazed at how fast the two classes clicked creating a tight bond between children. It was not awkward or even hard to make friends with the other school; it was as easy as one, two, three. When I observe myself I am more critical about choices I make and I often compare activities I do with the activities the Israelis. I also find myself thinking and speaking Hebrew by accident. Before, when I thought about nature I pictured trees and bugs, but seeing Rosh Hanikra opened my eyes to a whole other world of beauty and life.