During the first month of my Masa Israel experience, I was riding a bus through Jerusalem when a woman boarded and pushed me to make room for herself. Frustrated, I reluctantly moved, assuming the woman to be rude and disrespectful. But when we both got off the bus at the same stop, the woman chased me down to apologize and even invited me to her home for Shabbat dinner.
That’s Israel: a nation full of profound generosity, contradictions, and first-impressions that will leave you in awe. Throughout my gap year in Israel, I had experienced many similar moments. Over the course of 10 months, my expectations and first-impressions were constantly shattered. Every day, I learned something new, reshaped old opinions with new experiences, and took part in classes and conversations alike that changed my life for the better.
Before my journey in Israel, I thought I knew everything there was to know about Israel. I had visited once as a child with my family, and I was studying Jewish Studies in college. What could be new?
But when I got to Israel, I was blown away by the nation’s diversity. Diversity of opinion. Diversity of background and ethnicity. And most profoundly, diversity of Judaism. Everywhere you look in Israel, there’s somebody engaging in Judaism in a different kind of way. Ultra-conservative. Ultra-reformed. Secular. Jewish-by-food. Jewish-by-family. If there’s a way to engage with your culture and religion in Israel, rest assured somebody, somewhere is doing it.
Spending time in Israel not only taught me about the diversity of my people, it also taught me about the importance of real-life experiences and the impact it leaves on you.
Before my gap year with Masa, I often felt overwhelmed with so many different opinions about Israel. News about the BDS movement and antisemitic acts dominate the minds of most college-aged American Jews. And unless you go to Israel, live among the people, and experience the culture for yourself, it feels impossible to combat the hate we see at home. But armed with the experience of living in Israel, speaking the language, and seeing with my own eyes what life is like for the people on-the-ground, I returned from Masa with a renewed sense of confidence in my patriotism to Israel, in my ability to defend the Jewish state, and in my ability to form unique opinions shaped by real-life experiences that I, alone, have had.
This immersive experience was critical to my development as a young woman making her way in the world. I joined an international family of likeminded people who enjoy fast-paced, ever-changing environments. My coursework at Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies taught me more than I could ever imagine about my people’s complex and beautiful history. Immersing myself in the diverse community of Jerusalem and participating in a powerful Yom Hazikaron Ceremony were just some of the experiences that took me out of my comfort zone, grounded me, and gave me a more informed and global view of the Jewish people, of my community, and of my own place in the world.
I brought these life-changing experiences back with me in my professional life. I now work for the Houston Hillel as the director of Jewston, a program providing diverse mentorship, communal, and learning opportunities to Jewish young professionals around Houston, including students from South Texas College of Law, University of Houston, Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine, McGovern Medical School, and UT Health Science Center. My experience living and going to school in Israel deepened my relationship with the global Jewish community, and now I can help other young Jews do the same.
Alyssa Silva is a Masa alum of Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies.
