The fact that it's already May terrifies me. I remember getting off the airplane in Israel and being surrounded by 72 fresh faces, excited, but nervous for the journey that lay ahead. That day feels like it was just yesterday, but in reality, it was three months ago. My time here has flown by more quickly than I ever thought it would. Time here passes like it does at camp: a day is a week, and a week is a day. Meaning that each day feels like forever, but the days fly by.
Well, three months have already flown by, and my friends and family are counting down the days and hours until I return home, but I am nowhere near ready to leave this incredible place that has now become my home. I'm going to save the sappy "I love EIE" and "I've had the time of my life" stuff for a few weeks down the road, when I unfortunately have to return home, but I wanted to use this time to brainstorm ways to continue my Judaism and love for Israel outside of this program.
As I have mentioned before, I have been attending URJ Camp Newman for the past 10 summers. Camp is the place in which I feel most connected to my Judaism, that was until I came to Israel at least. Israel has given me a completely new sense of myself, especially as a Jew. I'm truly looking forward to returning this summer to be a CIT, surrounded by many of my camp friends who are now EIE peers, and helping to instill a more meaningful Jewish experience into my campers. Israel has instilled so much knowledge, history, freedom, and responsibility in me, and I'm really excited to be able to bring these things back to America with me, never forgetting Israel and all that it's helped me achieve.
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