"Live in the present moment, do not rush": Our guest writer’s experience in Israel
Then-high school junior and Alexander Muss participant Marley Comito in Israel.
Traveling is probably the furthest thing from most of our minds at the moment, unless we’re wistfully thinking about where in the world we want to go in a post-pandemic world. But earlier in the year, airports were still bustling and travelers still happily making their way to new countries and new experiences—including Marley Comito, a high school student from Minnesota who had the opportunity to study abroad for a “minimester” with the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program.
MJF has plenty of opportunities for cultural exchange between Minneapolis and Israel, with our Israel Center promoting travel, volunteer and work programs, and study abroad programs like Alexander Muss for teens. To make the other side of the world even more accessible, scholarships are available to help community members get to Israel. And if you need something that’s coming up a little sooner than the end of the pandemic, we’ve got you covered. Check out the Global Teen Summit on August 23rd to connect with your Jewish peers across the globe and to enjoy an international exchange filled with music, art, conversation, and more!
Marley’s experience in the Muss study abroad program was nothing short of amazing. “[This trip] changed me for the better. When I came home I felt so much more prepared for what’s to come. And I’ve always been kind of Jewish, but this made me so much more proud to be Jewish,” she said. And what drew her to study and live abroad for nearly two months? “It was the thought of having a new experience. I was saying, if not now, then when? You don’t always get the opportunity to study abroad in high school.” But with the Israel Center’s support and guidance, that’s exactly what she was able to do.
We could go on about how amazing it is to travel to Israel (really amazing), or how studying abroad can be a formative and illuminating experience for teenagers (it absolutely is), or how you probably want to live vicariously through someone who had an incredible travel experience in recent months (boy, do we get that). We could do that—or we could let Marley tell you how great her Alexander Muss experience was herself.
“Live in the present moment, do not rush—simply ride your bike, and continue to thrive on your own path of joy. ”
By Marley Comito
Being a high school junior is nothing short of brutal. When you think of a typical junior year, you may envision cramming your brain to its fullest capacities studying for your SATs and ACTs, beginning your college search and tours in hopes of finding your dream school, and trying to maintain the best possible GPA, all the while juggling your social life, extra-curricular activities, and sustaining a healthy lifestyle for yourself. While I experienced all of these strenuous aspects of junior year, I had the opportunity to put the world on hold for two months by spending December and January of this year in the holy land and utopia of any junior in high school. During my time at Alexander Muss High School in Israel, I had the opportunity to learn more about myself and my identity than ever before, even in the midst of a year where self-awareness is predominantly difficult to find.
Towards the end of my session, I found myself struggling with the realization that my magical time in Israel was coming to a conclusion and I would soon be returning back home where all of my stress and anxiety of junior year was waiting, as I had assuredly not packed them in my suitcase. I carried this weight with me while I was still on my program, causing me to struggle in making the best of my last week there and living in the present moment. In the peak of my feeling of this weight and anxiety, my group and I took our last field trip of the program to the Golan Heights. We planned to take a nature hike where we would learn about the territory we were hiking in and so on. However, that particular day had a forecast of potential thunderstorms and the weather seemed a bit questionable.
My teacher ended up making the executive decision to bring us to Agamon HaHula, a nature preserve. I was a bit timid about going here, as it was presented to us as being a bird observatory for rare birds in the North of Israel. I personally am not very into birds, and neither were the other kids on my trip. My teacher ended up surprising us there by renting bikes for all of us to ride along the breathtaking path that this nature preserve had to offer. At first, I did not think very much of this as I had gone on very nice bike rides in my life previously, having grown up in the beautiful suburbs of Minneapolis and along the chain of lakes. Nonetheless, this was an experience unlike any other for me. Although this might sound a bit silly, I felt as if I reached a complete and total euphoria on this 5-mile bike ride.
To begin with, the scenery was absolutely astounding. We biked along mountains, rivers, and other small bodies of water, and even saw some pretty interesting looking birds. Forget what I mentioned before, birds are actually pretty fascinating! The sky was a dreamy pink and light purple, the calm before the storm, and the temperature was absolutely perfect as it was not too Israel-humid nor too windy.
As we biked along this trail, I could not stop thinking of how thankful I was to be living in this moment. I was absolutely zen and at peace with the mini-war inside of my head, which had caused all of my thoughts to turn to stress and pressure before. It was there that I had an aha-moment: “It is not worth my time and energy to stress and fixate my mind over what I can not control in my life,” was what I thought to myself. Through the entirety of this bike ride, I carried this thought with me while enjoying the mountains and valleys we rode through. In my last days in the most beautiful country on earth, why would I waste my mind space by focusing on my future and what is yet to come, the unpredictable and unchangeable?
“In my last days in the most beautiful country on earth, why would I waste my mind space by focusing on my future and what is yet to come?”
To this day, I remember the lesson I taught myself at that nature preserve in times of struggle. Junior year truly did live up to its name when referring to the stress and difficulties that come with it, but after returning home from Muss, I chose to become a stronger and more prepared version of myself. Though 2020 has had its twists and turns for us all since January, especially in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, I want to share what I have learned as it truly can present itself in any given situation life throws at us all. Do not base your attitude, mindset, thoughts, and perspective on what you can not control in your life or in this world. I can guarantee you that from undertaking this message, you will live happier and healthier. I learned so much while on my Israel program that I am so thankful to bring home with me and guide me through other hardships I may face in the future.
The Israel Center was so helpful in getting me the information I needed to ensure this experience was truly once-in-a-lifetime. I strongly encourage anyone who is even remotely considering this opportunity to take it and make the absolute most of it; you miss 100% of the chances you don’t take and you only live once! When the world around us seems as if it is crumbling, envision yourself riding your own bike in your own paradise, fixing your mind on how you can perceive the crumbling world around you. It is all about perspective and your choice of how you wish to see the world, whether that may be an inevitable struggling environment that you cannot change or a beautiful home to you and your loved ones that will have brighter days to come. As I learned on my bike ride, try to make beauty of all of your hardships, this too shall pass. Live in the present moment, do not rush—simply ride your bike, and continue to thrive on your own path of joy.
To learn more about the Israel Center and the different programs available for high school students, click here or email Amanda Feigin, Israel Program Specialist. To learn more about the upcoming Virtual Global Teen Fest, click here!