These days, my life isn’t measured by material luxuries, but it is filled with meaning, and that meaning is more gratifying than I could have imagined. Volunteering this much doesn’t always feel easy, but it always feels real. In a world full of menial work and superficiality, giving myself fully to something that isn’t rewarded by a grandiose lifestyle is its own kind of satisfaction.

“Why do you want to go to Israel?” - The loaded question I continually faced, posed by so many people before coming here. My answer was simple: to be a light.

Immersive service creates real connections. It creates countless encounters that have the potential to move us and bring us together in ways we never imagined possible.

Starting over in any capacity can be scary and being so far from your family can be incredibly hard, but I have learned that starting again is part of life. Volunteering in schools to help Israeli kids practice their English language skills has made me reflect over my exposure to Hebrew growing up.

Which identity feels strongest? If you had asked me six months ago, I would have said I felt far more Jewish than British. Here, being Jewish is the norm — an incredible feeling in itself. Yet now, I’m the British one.

As I've grown older, something has become increasingly clear to me, that community is everything. It is the bedrock of a functioning society and an essential part of identity. 

Perhaps bravery is not something that you identify yourself as, a quality or action that you have or do. Maybe bravery is how others view you...What is important is the positive impact I can make in the community that has welcomed me as their own. 

I know that right now, shabbat is good, and more than I keep it, shabbat keeps me grounded.

When evil rises, you don’t stay silent. You stand up for what is right and show up.

As Pesach approaches, and as I sit here, a year or so on from making Aliyah I reflect on a trip to Sinai, Egypt. Around two years ago...

My roommate was the introduction to the overarching value within which I try to frame my interactions on a day to day basis: curiosity.

The life of Kiryat Chaim is something you can’t quite catch on camera. It’s something simmering below the sea’s gray-green surface. 

Programs like the Yahel Social Change Fellowship, or other Masa Israel Programs, provide opportunities beyond traditional language learning

Highly subsidized Israel programs, present an opportunity to experience everything Israel has to offer, in a cost-effective manner

I've discovered that life in Israel pulsates with energy, reminding me that every moment is precious.

While Birthright provides an excellent foundation and introduction to Israel, longer-term programs offer different kinds of opportunities

Participating in an Israel program provides an immersive environment that classroom learning simply cannot replicate.

Still, compared to the city I’m from, Chicago, I feel incredibly safe and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

Lod's journey is far from complete, but its recent transformations offer a glimpse of potential paths toward greater understanding

Are you dreaming of spending time in Israel but worried about the costs? Masa Israel can help make your Israel experience a reality.