Adventures during Chag Month

    After being in Israel during Yom Kippur two years ago, the prospect of spending yet another in Jerusalem was incredibly enticing. After preparing meals during Rosh Hashana and worrying about cleaning an apartment full of young adults, the prospect of a clean, hungry chag sounded like a wonderful respite. I was invited to a friend's apartment, and I excitedly packed my belongings to share the experience with him and 5 other friends.
    The first night, we had dinner at Michael Freeman's house. The director of FZY, Michael invited us to share our only meal for 25 hours with him, and we had a fantastic time doing so. Interestingly, the television in his apartment was turned to the sports channel, where Israel played a 5-hour doubles tennis match with Chile, finally beating them 20 minutes before Yom Kippur began. Once again, I was reminded of Israel's magic when, after being interviewed on the television, the tennis players said "Gmar Chatima Tova" before leaving the pitch.
   After eating many courses of delicious food, my friends and I walked to a large shul named "Shir Hadash" near Emek Refaim in Jerusalem. The synagogue was filled with English speakers: couples, children, young adults our age, as well as some grandparents here and there. The service was beautiful, and I shivered as I heard the prayers, connecting me to every person in the room. Once the service was over, my friends and I walked in the middle of the street among Israelis and tourists of every age and background, all celebrating the most sacred moment in the Jewish calendar together.
    Once we returned to the apartment, exhaustion took over and we fell into a profound sleep. The next afternoon, after going to shul and resting for a while, we walked 45 minutes to the Kotel in order to participate in Neila. The electricity of being at the Kotel is undeniable. There is no other place on earth where one can see so many segments of the population reunited and connected in the same way. In one corner, soldiers strap on their tefillin with their M16s on their backs. In another, ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva boys sing and dance. In yet another, secular Israeli boys and girls mingle before they go to pray individually. The energy is palpable, as all Jews usher in a new year.
    The following days flew by. As the days go by, my friends and I are emboldened by our difficultly acquired Israeli knowledge. One of my closest new friends and I went to the mall a few days ago, and decided to take the bus back. In an adventurous mood, we settled on riding the bus until we recognized our surroundings. Of course, we ended up lost, but we had a wonderful time in the interim.
    This weekend is Sukkot. After a Zionism siyyur in the middle of Tel Aviv on Tuesday, my boyfriend, another friend, and I decided to go to Holon. During orientation, my boyfriend and I met a few girls who are currently in section 2 and thus have an apartment in Holon. Nervous, we traveled down Allenby street to find the bus stop that would take us to their apartment. Almost instantly, a few girls approached us and asked us whether we were on Year Course. Excitedly, we made a few new friends as we traveled through the busy streets of Tel Aviv. Once at the apartment, we met many more Year Coursers and we went on a walk to a park near their apartment.
    My favorite day in Israel so far was yesterday: after waking up,  I went to the Bat Yam beach. The most beautiful beach I have seen so far in Israel, Bat Yam is the epitome of relaxation. After enjoying the sun and the sea, we had lunch by the shore and relaxed on some chairs.
    Today, I am back in Jerusalem. Next week, I will embark on my last adventure during this wonderful month: Simchat Torah.