Reflections from Nora: Especially for Michal Chinn

Being back in New York is really weird. When I first got back, I was really excited to see my parents and tell them all about Israel. But now I just miss it. I loved the freedom of being away from my parents, for one. It’s nice to see them, but it was
also nice just to be with friends and feel so comfortable saying or doing anything. I also, of course, miss not having school. I liked that we were still learning, but in hands-on ways. It’s also really weird to try to explain the trip to other people, and tell them about what we did. It’s hard for people who haven’t been to Israel to understand what we did, and why we liked it so much.








It was also weird for me to adjust to have everybody speaking English. I was so used to everyone speaking Hebrew, and I’m so used to saying “sleecha” if I bump into
someone or “todah robah” if someone gives me something. I also miss how safe I felt in

Who is the American and who is the Israeli?

Jerusalem, not only at the Kotel, or anywhere in the Old City, but just on the streets of
Jerusalem. Even though I was only there for 10 days, I already feel as though Israel is my home. And I already feel as though all the Israelis that we met from Haifa and Jerusalem are my best friends, and I’ve known them for so long.

It would be hard for me to pick a favorite thing that we did, because everything was so amazing in its own way. I loved being at the top of Masada, and being able to say that I climbed it. I didn’t have the best experience in the Dead Sea, but it was still so much fun. All of the sites we saw and the activities were great, but I also loved being with the whole group, and just being in Israel itself. Just to be able to say I went to Israel is enough for me, and everything we did and everyone we met just adds to it.

CBE kids with Kol Haneshema Kids in Jerusalem

I really want to go back to Israel soon, or sometime in the future. I would go back on another trip with friends, or with my family so they can experience Israel like I did, too. Israel is one of the best places, and I hope everyone can experience it.
Michal Chinn, one of the girls from Jerusalem, wanted to be mentioned in this post.