Chana Ross is studying in Michlelet Mevesaret Yerushalayim (MMY) in the Baka neighborhood of Jerusalem. Even though she was born in Efrat, she spent most of her childhood living on the college campuses of Cornell and Princeton Universities while her parents helped start JLIC (Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus). Her family later settled in Highland Park; Chana attended Sha’arei Tzion for elementary school and Bruriah for high school. Her family davens at Congregation Ohav Emet.
Her plans for next year? The Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences Honors Program, where she plans on majoring in biology, before eventually progressing to medical school.
Why did you choose to learn at MMY?
I chose to study at MMY because I was interested in the combination of intensive learning, independence to explore the country and tiyulim—especially our tiyulim which always involve history and our Tanach’s.
What kind of goals do you have for your year?
My goals for the year are to gain strong independent-learning skills, to develop a stronger sense of self through living more independently than I have ever done before and to increase my love for, and connection to, Eretz Yisrael, its language and its culture.
What has been one of the biggest highlights of your year so far?
I’ve really enjoyed the learning. I love my classes and teachers, and feel like between the hours spent learning and being surrounded by brilliant Torah educators, I’m learning more than I ever have. I also love travelling—whether that means going for a five-minute walk on Derech Bet Lechem to go grocery shopping, or getting on a bus for a three-hour ride to the Galil. Just being here in general feels so right, and I love having the chance to speak Hebrew frequently. I’ve really been inspired by discovering how much learning I can really fit into each hour of the day.
What kind of challenges have you faced coming to Israel?
The biggest difficulty is definitely living more like an adult. Luckily, MMY doesn’t leave us alone in any sense of the word. However, small things can be scary without my parents, and without my familiar surroundings, so that’s definitely a challenge I’ve had to face. I also had a bronchitis and sinus infection combination recently, and when I went to the doctor I had to get a blood test. It was nerve-wracking facing a fear of needles alone, but, afterwards, I felt so empowered, like I could do new things, and be truly independent.
How has being here been different from your expectations? Did you feel prepared for your experience or did you have culture shock, and how so?
I am the oldest child in my family, so while I have older friends who went to seminary and told me about it, I had no idea what to expect of my year here! I have never been to sleepaway camp before, so the idea of living away from home for so long was definitely nerve-wracking. I spent the first three years of my life in Israel, so I have a good grasp of Hebrew, plus my family has many Israeli friends, so the culture shock was not especially jarring. I also love speaking Hebrew, and feel very comfortable using public transportation through Israel, interacting with native Israelis and experiencing the massively diverse culture that is contained in one small country.
Where is your favorite place to go for weekends/Shabbat so far?
So far, my favorite Shabbat was spent at my teacher’s house in Ramat Bet Shemesh. The area is beautiful, and it was so great to see how he interacted with his family, and it was overall a beautiful shabbat.
What are some of your favorite “Only in Israel” moments?
My best “only in Israel moments” are small ones—nothing so crazy—just small points I notice throughout the day that make me so appreciative and rekindle my excitement about being here. For instance, on Chanukah, every time I saw the chanukiot in the windows or outdoors, it was incredible to internalize how many Jews were keeping the same mitzvot in one small place. Seeing busses that say Shabbat Shalom on front is a similar “only in Israel” phenomenon.
There are countless others like this. I’d say my favorite would be when I witnessed a suspicious object being taken care of. While the speed and grace with which they took care of the situation was in and of itself impressive and memorable, what really stuck with me was at the end, when the police opened up the street again, the head officer said “Chag Sameach Lachem” over his megaphone to all the people around the street. It just reminded me of the pure reason behind the actions of the men and women serving for this country, and it was such a nice end to a potentially scary situation.
What are you most looking forward to for the rest of the year?
I am most excited to continue expanding my knowledge; becoming closer with my classmates, especially those in my Dirah (apartment) who are becoming my close family; and for going on more interesting and exciting tiyulim!! I am also incredibly excited to spend Pesach here and possibly participate in Yam L’Yam, a cross-country hiking trip which my school organizes every year.
By Tzvi Silver/JLNJ Israel
