I think this is very true. Not that I have lost something, but that I am realizing how quickly this year has gone by, how soon it will end, how much I have fallen in love with this country despite all the irritants, how sad I will be to leave. Everyone knows I have had points of wanting to leave this year, but I really have loved almost every minute of being here. LIfe here is hard, challenging, frustrating, but it is also beautiful, simple and perfect.
I love that the country shuts down for Shabbat and holidays. I love the kosher food everywhere. I love the coffee shops that are so unique. I love the walk to school, the beautiful blue sky and sun that shine down upon me each morning to wake me up. I love the air, the hustle and bustle, the language, the culture. I even think I’ll miss being pushed in line, being told No, and all the difficulties.
I have found myself a home, and Israel has a home in my heart. Jerusalem is a tough city, but a beautiful city. It is hard to imagine walking around in a few weeks, not surrounded by history, by my heritage, by my history. There is a connection to this land, that I dont’ feel in America. this is my land, this is my place, these streets have so many stories to tell.
I love that the country shuts down for Shabbat and holidays. I love the kosher food everywhere. I love the coffee shops that are so unique. I love the walk to school, the beautiful blue sky and sun that shine down upon me each morning to wake me up. I love the air, the hustle and bustle, the language, the culture. I even think I’ll miss being pushed in line, being told No, and all the difficulties.
I have found myself a home, and Israel has a home in my heart. Jerusalem is a tough city, but a beautiful city. It is hard to imagine walking around in a few weeks, not surrounded by history, by my heritage, by my history. There is a connection to this land, that I dont’ feel in America. this is my land, this is my place, these streets have so many stories to tell.
This year I have done it on my own, I have survived, I can do it. I made decisions and stuck by them, I took control of my learning, of my life. I have met and made some incredible friends, who will be with me for the rest of my life. I have had some friendships change, some end, but they have taught me what I needed to learn from them, and I have moved on. I have learned about what I value, and how I want to be with those I love. I have learned to be in the world as Eve, and how Eve fits into the world.
But I guess all good things must come to an end. So, from here on out, I will make the best of each day! I will love my studies, but spend time taking in the land, the cities, the culture, the language, the beauty. I will be back, soon, I cannot stay away from a place that speaks to me so fully… So, here I go, booking my ticket back to America, a new person, a changed person…
Rabbi Eve Posen 