Shalom!

I’m Kyla Gersten and I was last year’s Co-Editor in Chief of Ohr Chadash. This year, I am taking a gap year in Israel so I will be writing blog posts from Israel about my year here. Check in here every couple weeks for my latest post!

I’ve been in Israel for about a week and a half now and I am having a fantastic time! I’ve already met so many new people and seen so many new things. Although this is my fourth time in Israel, it is a very different experience now that I am calling Jerusalem my home for the next five months. The place where I live is right in the middle of the bustling city. Standing on my balcony, I can see the walls of the Old City in the distance. It is an amazing sight to wake up to every day!

My time in Israel began at an overlook of all of Jerusalem. I got off of the buses and was welcomed to this city that was going to be my new home. As I stood there exhausted from the long plane ride, I could not help but be excited for what was to come. The director of the program addressed our group and began by saying that he took us to this overlook in Jerusalem at the beginning of this life changing journey so that we could see how all of the different parts of Jerusalem come together. On all sides of us we were surrounded by different aspects of Jerusalem: we saw the Old City, East Jerusalem, the first Jewish neighborhoods outside the old city and the modern mall right next to us. These are the aspects that make up the past, the present, as well as the future of Jerusalem, and we have to spend this year learning about these aspects, as well as figuring out how we fit into these different parts of Jerusalem and, most importantly, how Jerusalem will fit into our lives. This breathtaking view and his words made me so happy that I was in Israel and able to have this incredible experience.

One of the coolest times to be in Jerusalem every week is during Shabbat. Last Shabbat, our group went to an overlook of Jerusalem called Yemin Moshe. There, we prayed Kabbalat Shabbat together and welcomed in Shabbat as a group for the first time. I think that was the first moment that it hit me that I am actually in Jerusalem and that this is my home for the next year. Standing with 71 people who I knew would soon all be my best friends, all of our voices singing loudly and spiritedly and looking at the view both modern and ancient Jerusalem was a chilling moment for me. Tears started welling up in my eyes as I thought about the amazing opportunity that I have that even 70 years ago was not a possibility. I get to explore this amazing city that has the perfect balance of history and modernity. Taking a gap year was something I always wanted to do, but to be honest, I was extremely terrified as I stepped onto the plane in St. Louis knowing that I would not be back for 9 months. As I stood there singing ‘Yedid Nefesh’ I knew that I absolutely made the right choice and I cannot wait for the 9 months ahead of me where I get to explore this golden city and find ways to call it my own.