by Izzi C., NFTY-EIE Spring 2013 Student
Shalom!
So at this moment I am sitting in a cafe/lounge room during my two free periods. This is the time where I get to do my homework. So far we have had one full week of classes and it is so exciting!! Here is my typical class schedule.
7:00 am- Wake up. This consists of setting three alarms, and finally scrambling in the bathroom with 3 other girls trying to not be late for breakfast. Typical.
7:45 am- Breakfast! We eat in the Chadar Ochel with all the other inhabitants of Kibbutz Tzuba!
8:15 am- The history of Israel and Judaism. This is a class I am growing very fond of. It is taught by David Berg who is a 6 Day War Veteran. He fought in the battle of Jerusalem and always has new, and amazing stories for us. So far we are learning about historicity which is the ability of a story to be historically accurate. We also have a quiz every day about the notes we take the previous day. It is a tough course but it is rewarding in the end. I am learning so much. This class lasts 3 hours and we have a twenty minute break somewhere during that time. There are about 20 kids in my class.
11:00 am- Hebrew class. This is by far going to be my favorite class of the semester! I was placed in beginner Hebrew but there is a chance that I am moving up because I am learning so quickly. We are learning how to say “how are you?” and other conversational things. We really learn whatever we want. I am excited to see where I will be by the end of the semester!
1:05 pm- LUNCH! Woo!
1:55 pm to 7:15 pm- General Studies. So now I begin my general studies classes. These are much much smaller and more focused. I am taking classes such as US Hisotry. In this class there are 4 kids from all over. Right now we are focusing on just reviewing what we learned before we got here and then we will start moving forward. Something that stood out to me was the discussion we had on our first day. We talked about what kinds of things all of the people in the textbook and US History had to overcome to get to where they got. It was very interesting. He is very big on pop culture and modern times so I am excited! I also get to take SAT Prep here. This class is taught by the vice principal, David Solomon. Many people have said that students do incredibly well on the SAT here so I am excited to work hard to accomplish my goals!
7:15 pm- DINNER!! Finally. The days are long so dinner is always fun and the food is delicious.
8:00 pm- Homework time! At this time most of the students head to various locations on the kibbutz that have strong wifi. This is the time to do all the homework from every class. It is a lot but we all get it done together. This is also my time to skype family and friends. Even though there is a 7 hour time difference, there is always someone there to talk. Unless we have a free period during the day, this is our free time for the day. Most nights we are free till about 11 pm then we have to be in our rooms. Till then you can hang out wherever you want. The staff here trust us a lot to be responsible and independent and it is really great. People are very smart about what to do and what not to do. Sometimes it is hard to find the balance between work and fun but it always works out. We have lights out at 11:30 pm and then the day begins again!
So far Israel is everything I wanted it to be. I have made an incredible group of friends that will soon be my family.
Keep watching The Israel Programs blog for more updates about this semester on NFTY-EIE High School in Israel!
No comments yet.