(I wrote this post soon after arriving in Israel before classes had even started.)

I’ve never written a blog. I’ve also never been to Israel, nor have I flown alone. This summer is composed of many firsts for me. Though the language spoken here — Hebrew — is also new to me, but the one I am learning is not. The one thing that is familiar to me in this strange land is Yiddish. As a language that is not a common tongue, the fact that it is my comfort here may seem a bit strange, but being around people who all share some level of the same love I have for this language makes me feel like even though I am in unfamiliar territory, I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

This is not without difficulty, of course. I need help navigating not only the streets but the street signs themselves, I am dependent on those in my group who speak Hebrew and on my phone when they are not around, but despite any minor inconvenience I may have, I am aware so fully of the fact that I am supposed to be here for now. It is beautiful. It is interesting. More than anything else, it is educational. While I have been taking Yiddish for two semesters at this point and have a background that very loosely establishes my ethos as a secular Jew, the incredible newness of everything around me, enveloping me as if it was waiting, is something I can’t believe I have not experienced before.