Israel: Post Program Reflection: “Back in the Bay” by Maytal Abramson

Back in the Bay

September 24, 2017

After 1 sleeping pill, 2 movies, 3 meals and 2 bathroom breaks, I made it back home. I knew it would be a difficult return but in all honesty, it almost feels like I’m going through a break up with Israel. Since I’ve got back I’ve been constantly thinking about my experiences there and therefore mention Israel in almost every conversation, like how one would do with an ex. I’ve been saying things like “Well when I was in Israel…” or “That would never happen in Israel” or “That would most definitely happen in Israel”. I know my family and friends are probably annoyed but I honestly can’t help it. I know in a couple days or weeks I’ll get over it but I think I need time to just relax and process this change.

I think the most important things I gained during my time abroad were definitely independence and becoming more comfortable with starting/trying new things. Growing up, I used to have a lot of anxiety right before going to summer camp alone or starting a new class. Even in college I got nervous about going to classes not knowing anyone or days before an interview. Studying abroad not only exposed me to so many new opportunities to take more chances and be daring, but often times it forced me to. I entered so many unfamiliar environments and met so many new people, that eventually every new thing became less and less daunting. I’ll be honest, I still got nervous about speaking Hebrew to the Israeli TSA and I’m sure I’ll encounter a number of nerve-wracking experiences during my last year of college. However, I’m so glad that I was able to take myself out of my comfort zone over and over again while abroad.

For students interested in going abroad, even if it’s just a slight inclination, I’d say JUST DO IT…or at least apply. There a tons of programs suited for all types of majors and interests, located all around the world, that I’m confident there is something out there for everyone. I know all too well that it can seem like such a big and scary change in life but I think most, if not all, participants don’t regret going abroad and can say that it positively influenced them in many ways. Also, a semester or year can seem like such a long time but while you’re abroad, time seems to fly way too fast! I actually do recommend signing up for a full year since, personally, I really would have wanted to stay. However everyone’s preferences and schedules are different so a quarter or semester can also be the best option.

As far as anything I’d consider doing differently, I think that I spent way too much time researching about my program prior to my departure. I was so nervous that it wouldn’t be a good fit or that I’d be making the wrong decision, I ended up stalking people who were on the program already, calling the director multiple times and debating back and forth about whether to go through with it or not. Looking back, I shouldn’t have spent so much time trying to research every single detail about the program before going because there were times where I actually ended up spoiling little surprises for myself.

In order to graduate on time, I don’t think I’ll be able to participate in another study abroad program during my time in college. However, now that I know I’m capable of and enjoy living on my own abroad, I’d definitely consider moving out of the country, or at least away from Washington or California post-graduation. I don’t think I’d move anywhere without having some sort of job security or further schooling lined up, however I think I’ll look into it once I start applying.

Throughout the last few weeks of my trip, I’ve thought about how I can use the time I spent abroad to positively influence others. First off, I think that writing a blog was not only a great way to record my experiences, but to also spread the word about studying abroad, interning abroad, Israel and the Middle East. I explained things like how much credit I was able to earn, the strong bonds between friends I made and the qualities I gained/discovered. I knew I had a few people reading my blog (my mom), but unless I actually shared it publicly, it wasn’t reaching many. At first, I reasoned that this journey is a personal one, that I don’t need to post about it and that whoever really wants to follow me will follow my blog. However, I ended up sharing it on study abroad websites, Western’s Travel Blogs page and to Facebook, because I really wanted people to know how amazing this opportunity is and why college students should take advantage of it.

There was another reason why I wanted to share my blog posts and photos with others. Before I went abroad, I would tell people what my study abroad plans were and often times I got responses like, “Israel? Why would you want to study abroad there? Isn’t there a war going on?!” or “Oh…must be a heritage or faith thing”. Many of the people I shared my plans with assumed that I was shipping myself off to a terror-infested war zone filled with religious extremists. I won’t lie, there were a few dangers that occurred during my time there, however I think any location can present itself with risks. Through posting my blog and photos, I provided my social community with a new perspective of Israel. I showed them the amazing food I ate, the gorgeous beaches I swam at, the friendly people I met and the influential dance styles I studied. Israel definitely has its complexities, but it is such a diverse, innovative and warm-hearted place, and that’s all I wanted to expose.

I’ve also begun to submit reviews of my program on several study abroad websites in the hopes of encouraging, or at least providing information to, those interested in a similar program. Even just through conversations during my last year at Western, I know I’ll be advocating for studying abroad through sharing my experience. I also want to look into volunteering at study abroad fairs because I know that they really influenced me in making my initial decision to go abroad.

Overall, spending the last 8 months in Israel has been a meaningful and much-needed experience. I know that many can relate to the feeling of being stuck or bored towards the end of sophomore year and are looking to change things up without actually taking a break from school. Now that I have returned from my time abroad, I can honestly say that I feel much more refreshed and motivated to begin my senior year and post-grad life. I was able to discover so many things about myself, not just as a student, but as a dancer, friend, traveler, American and Israeli; things that a classroom setting would not have exposed me to. Although it took a lot of adjusting to, my internship abroad also allowed me to be more comfortable when approaching new work environments and helped me redefine my professional strengths and the skills I want to improve. Even just making new friends and figuring out what kind of people I want to surround myself with was also very meaningful and something that I will hold on to for the future.

As I said in an earlier post, I don’t know if choosing to study abroad was “meant to be” or “right”, but I do know that, while in Israel, there were certain things I did and people I met that made me feel like it was a good decision. As I integrate back into my school community, I’m excited to see how my experience will influence this last year and how it will inspire any post graduation decisions. For one thing, keeping a blog helped me realize my interest in writing and I hope to continue my blog in some form or another…so be sure to keep an eye out!

Thanks for following me through my time abroad (mom), apologies for the typos and hope to see you soon!

Maytal

ps: please enjoy this video of my dog greeting me at the airport

Video-2d4fk21

Israel: End of Program: “Farewell, Dance Jerusalem” by Maytal Abramson

http://maytalabramson.wixsite.com/blog/single-post/2017/07/02/Farewell-Dance-Jerusalem

Farewell, Dance Jerusalem

Two days ago, I officially ended the Dance Jerusalem semester program and boy, I wish I did the year program. Technically, I finished on the 20th of June, however on the 27th we had a Gaga class with Ohad in TLV and on the 30th I had my final level 2 Hebrew exam. Although during the week of the 20th, I already realized the program was finally ending, a very bittersweet moment.

This program could not have been more fitting for me. Sure, there are a lot of study abroad dance programs out there and there are even more study abroad programs that include communications studies. However, no program combined academic studies and dance studies with the same amount of freedom as this one did. I mean, I’m majoring in Communications and minoring in Dance so it was quite perfect for me as far as earning credits go.

I won’t lie, the Communications classes that Hebrew U offered in English were quite few. Yet, I really enjoyed my Producing Video Clips with Archival Footage class. As boring as the title may sound, I found it very interesting to create a mini-documentary about the Hebrew University using archival material since I’ve only ever edited with footage I’ve taken. We got to use documents and videos from the official Hebrew U archive as well as from the Steven Spielberg Film Archive. After learning about the history of the establishment of Hebrew U, my time there became much more meaningful. For the project I was put with 2 Israelis who are also Communication students. At first, I was really nervous about speaking Hebrew with them but Israelis are so warm and personal right when you meet them that after a few meetings, we were all friends.

The dancing part of the program was also really great for me. We got to choose how many classes to take and which ones we wanted. As great as the Dance Department as Western is, I loved finishing my minor with new teachers and styles that I wouldn’t have been able to take there.

Although my program ended, I will be staying in Israel for the summer doing an internship at a startup in Tel Aviv. However, I’ll take this time to reflect on my study abroad experience while it’s still fresh in my mind:

What have you missed most about the United States? What will you miss about your host country when your return?

For starters, living in Jerusalem made me really miss ethnic food and transportation on Saturdays. I understand that Israel is a Jewish state, and that Jerusalem is about as Jewish as you can get, but it was very hard for all us to fully comprehend and abide to the concept of Shabbat, no stores or transportation. To deal with this, we’d either have picnics with our friends or escape to Tel Aviv where way more things are open. In addition, I realized and missed how easy it is to get the simplest things done in the US. For example, opening a bank account, picking up a package or exchanging a pair of pants takes forever in Israel. I’ve probably gained way more patience for such trivial tasks.

What will you miss about your host country when your return?

Not only will I miss the amazing beaches, delicious chummus and unforgettable nature, but also the warm and friendly people. I’d say the culture between people is more European than American. Here, instead of shaking hands with someone you just met, you usually hug them. I’ve had people whom I met for the first time call me “chaim sheli” or “mami”.Technically they mean “my life” and “baby” but there aren’t any translations to what we use in English as terms of endearment, which just goes to show how personal and caring the people are here. I’ve gotten into personal and sentimental conversations with strangers, gotten help from people on the street and have even done favors for some I’ve never met, something that would not happen in the US. Of course, there are Israelis who will yell at you and honk at you on the road, but for the most part, there is such a warm familial feeling between the people here, something very special and unique to Israel.

Do you think you’ll experience reverse culture shock when you return?

I don’t think so however, I don’t think anyone expects to. There will be things that will be hard to adjust back to, such as being polite…that does not exist here. As much as I got used to living here and connected to my inner Israeli, I am 100% in my being and core, American. I feel like I won’t get to talk about or share my experience with people. I think that not only do people not really want to hear about it, but also it is very hard to describe such a personal and a “you had to be there” experience. I think that my blog has helped me share what I’m experiencing and how it affects people, and those who wish to know what I’m to are able to.

How do you plan to keep your study abroad experience as a key factor in your life?

Something I had to push my self to do constantly while abroad was trying more things on my own and by myself. Even if it was just spending a day in Tel Aviv or going to get to new sunglasses, spending time by myself figuring out and acquiring different things in a new place and in a new language was my daily goal. I think these are challenges that I’d like to continually incorporate into my life back home. As far as maintaining my Hebrew goes, I’ve already bought 3 Roald Dahl books in Hebrew to help me keep learning new words when I get back.

Although I still have about 2 months left here, it is going to be very hard for me to leave this place; I feel like I’ve just begun to settle in and that there is still so much more to see and do. Also, spending time living in another country, and visiting other ones while I was here, has made me crave seeing more new places and cultures. I’ll admit I have thoughts about returning after college to do my masters or something, however I think I’d like to go back to the US, finish my degree and take a break from school for a bit to see more of what’s out there.

Until then, I’ll be soaking up as much sun and as much jellyfish-filled sea water as I can before I head back to cold and rainy Washington.

~Maytal

Israel: Mid-Program: “A Day in the Life” by Maytal Abramson

http://maytalabramson.wixsite.com/blog/single-post/2017/04/07/A-day-in-the-life

“A day in the life”

April 7, 2017

Warning: this is a day in the life/mid-program reflection post so it is quite lengthy!

A day in the life of my Israel routine. The day usually begins with waking up to the Muslim call to prayer, known as Adhan, at 5 in the morning. It may sound irritating but it’s actually a very calming sound; it also lets me know that I have 2 more restful hours of sleep. For those of you that did the math, great job; I get up at 7am every morning however my schedule changes everyday. Some days I have a Hebrew class and a communications class, other days it’s a mix of Hebrew and dance classes and some days it’s just dance all day long. I really like the fact that I’m not stuck doing the same thing everyday and it also allows me to try new things in Jerusalem (mostly food).

I live in the Student Village Dorms of Hebrew University, which is the neighborhood Giva Tzarfatit (“French Hill”). It really is a hill located in the very East of Jerusalem and we are therefore surrounded by a very diverse population. Despite the fact that it’s far from the city center so we have to spend a bit more on transportation, I enjoy living there. From the neighborhood you can see the Dome of the Rock, the Dead Sea, and even the beautiful Jordanian hills in the distance. Fun fact: it is actually where my mom grew up in after she moved from Romania to Israel so that’s pretty cool.

Anyway, back to my day. I purposefully wake up early in order to have a delicious breakfast, which normally consists of ביצת עין עם לחם ,בולגרית ואבוקדו…sounds delicious, huh? After that I either go to Hebrew, my video editing class or dance. Most of my days end around 16:00, with the exception of one extra long dance day. After classes I like to go with my friends to explore, eat or shop, but I also make sure to have lunch or dinner with my grandma 2-3 times a week. I’m so thankful that she lives not just in Jerusalem but only 2.5 miles from the dance academy. It’s nice to have her nearby as she is probably the family member I am most closest to. She is also the person I feel the most comfortable speaking Hebrew around so after a whole day of second-guessing my grammar it’s nice to just let go.

My favorite place to go, besides my grandma’s obviously, is the shuk. I know I’ve mentioned the shuk before but it is basically a huge market filled with fresh yet cheap produce, bakeries, street food, restaurants as well as bars at night. Although it surprised me at first, I think it has some of the best food in all of Jerusalem, maybe even all of Israel. I could go on about it forever but instead I’ll create it’s very own post sometime soon, after I’ve tried more restaurants of course. Here’s a few pictures as a preview.

Although most study abroad programs seem like more travel and less study, I actually do have 2-3 hours of homework per week. I know, not much, but that’s what I usually do after I get back home from a long day. I also usually hang out with my awesome roomies or work on other things like securing an internship or reading children’s books in Hebrew to learn new words. That’s basically a day in the life here in the holy land.

Some of the goals I wanted to reach while abroad were not only to improve my Hebrew and to connect to Israel more, but to also become more independent as well as more knowledgeable about myself. I’ll be honest, I thought being abroad would allow me to reach those goals more easily and naturally than being back home. I do experience more interactions that are outside of my comfort zone, however I’m finding that I still really have to push myself to seek change.

For example, I thought that taking Hebrew class and living in Israel would help me improve my Hebrew immensely, however my Hebrew class is a bit slow and I’m surrounded by English speakers most of the time. I’ve asked the teacher for more work and she gave me a couple of short story books to learn words from but I still have to be very diligent in reading every night and looking up unfamiliar words.

Also, due to the fact that I’m surrounded by my Israeli family and friends, I find myself relying on them to the point where I sort of sacrifice my independence and self-discovery. As much as I love being close to the family that I haven’t been close to in almost forever, it almost hinders me from doing what I came here to do.

It feels good to reflect on my initial goals and realize what I can do more to reach them; and I see now that it is going to take a lot more effort. With passover break being about two weeks long, I am going to use this time to be more with myself. I will post again after the break and hopefully get together a post about the shuk as well! I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of Spring!

~Maytal

Kine + food

Shamborak and potatoes

Shamborak

Israel: Arrival: “And so it begins…” by Maytal Abramson

http://maytalabramson.wixsite.com/blog/single-post/2017/02/05/Alas-My-program-has-begun

And so it begins…

February 5, 2017

Alas! My study abroad program has officially begun and I am lovin’ it. For the first time in a while, I feel like I’m in the right place in my life. I was quite nervous the day before the program began but moving in and meeting everyone went way better than expected! My roommates are wonderful: a dancer from Venezuela, 2 more dancers from the US and a philosophy student from Germany. All great gals. I think that the culture shock has sort of settled due to the fact that I’ve been in Israel for about a month already. Although, after moving into the dorms and studying on a new campus, I’ve noticed some differences from my old lifestyle that make me miss America just a tiny bit. On campus, they don’t provide places to recycle as often as they did in Bellingham. It was too disturbing to watch my roommates put paper, plastic and cardboard into the trashcan, so I made a separate bag for recycling and will have to figure out where I can drop it off. In general, the respect and care for one’s environment is a huge difference from what I’m used to at Western and is what probably shocked me the most. Other things like how Israeli’s can be rude, loud, personal and forward are all already familiar concepts to me.

Jerusalem is an interesting place to study abroad. Specifically where the school is located, we are surrounded by a mix of orthodox Jews and Arabs from nearby villages (which makes for a great food scene). The campus itself is beautifully filled with botanical gardens and ivory stone walls. Each classroom has the some of the most amazing views of either the Dead Sea or of the Old City, perfect distractions during Ulpan. Yet, a week in the capital is enough for me and I suspect I’ll be escaping to West Israel almost every weekend.

Our madrichim (RA’s) did a really nice job of hosting welcoming activities where we got to meet everyone in the program. After going on some adventures with other students, I’ve found that I’ve become the one that has to order at restaurants, find the right bus stop and bargain at the market, since for them I am the closest thing to a local. I’ve noticed that when I’m around my Israeli family and friends, I feel very American and very foreign. However when I’m with the other international students, I feel like a confident and knowledgable Israeli. Then as soon as I walk into the doors of my Ulpan classroom, I am suddenly the awkward person who can sort of speak Hebrew but doesn’t know any grammar.

The first month of the program consists of Ulpan (Hebrew language intensive) and then a Gaga dance intensive in the afternoons. I thought the Ulpan would be easy breezy for me since I was born here, however, I was wrong. On the first day of Ulpan I was in Aleph 1, the level that is designated for those who have never spoken a word of Hebrew. After spending 2 hours on the alphabet, I decided to talk to the director of Ulpan because I wasn’t feeling challenged enough. I spoke to him in Hebrew and he had me read a few lines from the textbook. He simply stared at me and replied, “you are a very interesting case…” What he meant was, it was very odd that I could speak Hebrew but not read, write or know basic grammar. I assumed I would be put in either Aleph 2 or 4 but instead he sent me to level Bet, a class where most of the students have done Hebrew school for over 10 years. The first day gave me the worst headache as I struggled to quickly learn to read and write while the teacher gave lessons on different grammar rules. After a couple days, the class became less daunting and I’ve been really enjoying learning Hebrew. It was actually one of the aspects that I was most excited about and I can’t wait to see how much my Hebrew improves by the end of the course.

My favorite thing thus far is probably rebuilding the connection to the place I was born in. And also the food. The food is amazing, I can’t stress that enough. Sometimes I believe that peace in the Middle East can be achieved through admiring and appreciating Israel’s conglomerate of different cuisines. Anyway, as I go about my day in this country, I sometimes imagine who I’d be and what I’d be doing if my family had stayed in Israel. An immense feeling of gratitude usually follows as I realize that I’d currently be serving in the Israeli army had I grown up in Israel. All in all, the more time I spend navigating through Israel and interacting with people here, the more I feel at home. Although, I’ll feel more at home when I’m able to speak the language without messing up verb conjugations and male/female adjectives.

As far as researching before the program started, I think I researched enough, maybe even too much. I was so worried about not fitting in or about making the wrong decision that I researched the program almost every day. I wished I had been less worried about the whole study abroad experience but it also made me realize that in situations like this, things will usually work out better than expected.

UPDATE: I wrote this blog post about a week after the program started and didn’t publish it until a week later so I thought I’d give a quick update. Ulpan is going better than before. I feel like I haven’t improved as much vocabulary as I would have liked to, however I’m learning grammatical rules that I never knew existed! Over the weekend I went camping near Sde Boker and explored around the Negev with the adventurous Niv Yaffe. Today we had our first Gaga class (my first EVER) and I really enjoyed it. Again, I was very nervous to try Gaga as I had no idea what to expect. It is basically an hour and 15 minutes of nonstop guided improvisation. It was explorative, aerobic and fascinating and I’m actually happy we have it 4 times a week. For the next few weeks my days will consist of Ulpan for 5 hours in the morning and then dance for 3 hours in the evening. Somehow we will manage to sleep, eat, study and breathe in between. Also I found a place to recycle for those who were concerned. Here are some pics from the past few weeks, להתראות!

Israel: Pre-Departure: “T-Minus Three Weeks:” by Maytal Abramson

http://maytalabramson.wixsite.com/blog/blog

T minus three weeks

December 18, 2016

With three weeks remaining before I leave for Israel, I’ve decided to do some pre-departure reflection about my goals, worries, etc.

There are a few goals I hope to achieve during my semester abroad. My main goal is to revive the connection I once had to Israel. To give some context, my parents moved us to the USA when I was 2 years old, stripping me of the chance to grow up like a true Israeli. I lost the ability to fluently respond to my friends and family in Hebrew. I never developed the tough, sometimes rude, Israeli mannerisms that counter my polite and contained American ones. And I definitely don’t feel like the Israeli citizen that my name and passport indicate I am. I hope that by living in the country I was born in, not just for a summer but for 6 months, will allow me to rekindle what was once lost.

I also hope that this experience will shape me into a more independent and daring student, dancer and human being overall. I’ve always struggled to push myself outside my comfort zone throughout many aspects of my life and although Israel isn’t completely new territory, I’ll be forced to navigate through many unfamiliar situations.

I can confidently say that I’m most excited about learning Hebrew. The reason being that my grandma never learned English, so over the years I’ve had to maintain some sort of foundation of the Hebrew language in order to communicate with her. Although in the past her lack of English has felt like quite the burden, she is the reason that I can still speak Hebrew, despite my awful grammar, and I am very thankful for that. Some of the most frustrating moments in my life are when relatives, family friends or even strangers start asking me questions in Hebrew and although I can understand most of what their saying, I have to awkwardly respond in English, or even worse, with just a stiff nod and smile because I have no idea what they just said. I’ve always wanted to smoothly converse in our native language but with my obnoxious American accent and terrible usage of masculine/feminine verbs, it’s just too embarrassing. I’m eager to not only complete the Hebrew intensive, but also to immerse myself in the culture and put my refined Hebrew skills to the test.

Though, my eagerness does not extend towards every aspect of the program. Since high school, I had planned to either go to a university that offered Hebrew classes or to study abroad in Israel for a semester. Applying to Dance Jerusalem was not planned at all. Deciding to apply to the dance program and to send in an audition video was actually an easy decision; not because I really wanted to do it, but because I didn’t think I’d get in. My thought process was that if I’m minoring in Dance, I might as well apply even though it seems like a long shot. When I was accepted, I asked my study abroad advisor to double check, and when she confirmed it, I assumed it was because they were lacking funds or I just edited my audition video well. After knowing that I had this amazing dance opportunity available to me, I started to realize that I had already taken dance classes from each of the amazing, but few, faculty members at my home university. The idea that I could finish my minor not only with new peers and teachers, but in a completely different country, started to sound more and more enticing. However, at the same time, I constantly stressed and worried about not being trained or talented enough for the program. I messaged three different dancers who were participating in the program at the time and explained to them my concerns. They told me I had nothing to worry about and that the level over there was quite varied. After speaking to them and doing TONS of research about the program on my own, I’d say that I’m much less worried about it. However, it’s still my biggest concern.

As far as implementing strategies to assist me in reaching my goals, no matter what I am trying to achieve, I’ll have to begin with an open mind. Especially in the dance classes, it’ll be important to let go of any inhibitions I have in order to really take advantage of the new styles and movements. Also, although I have family in Israel, I’ve decided to live in the student apartments with the other international students. I’m hoping it will push me to become more independent, to meet new people and to explore Israel on my own. Lastly, this blog will serve not only as a space for reflecting on new experiences, but also as a strategy for maintaining a genuine presence throughout my journey. Continually writing about my adventures, ideas and feelings will allow me to really understand how this new environment is affecting me as well as how to make the most of it.

As excited as I am to embark on this new chapter in my life, I will be sad to leave my family and friends behind. Despite these conflicting feelings, I must continue preparing for the next 6 (possibly 9) months! The next entry I write will be posted in Israel…so until then!!