It is impossible for me to accurately portray the emotions we felt, the everlasting friendships made, and the unforgettable memories we made during the 2013 North American Seminar with a simple blog post. I will give an example of emotions, friendships, and memories from NAS to help you understand how meaningful this experience was for me and all the other fellows.
Although NAS was filled with emotions, the last one that we shared with the Israelis was easily the strongest. After around 30 of us had been awake for nearly 24 hours straight we heard Hila say those words that we all dreaded “Israelis, time to get on the bus”. Initially, when she said that it didn’t really sink in that NAS was over. We then spent about 15 minutes sharing our last hugs for 4 months. Although many of the fellows began to tear up I held strong and kept my eyes dry. In my 17 years of existence I have always prided myself on rarely crying, yet this was one of the times that I could not hold back my tears. I then walked outside to see the yellow school bus filled with our Israeli counterparts and that was when I felt my eyes water up. I grabbed the closest American and shared a tear filled hug. Sleep deprived and permeated with sadness, the remaining Americans shuffled back inside and shared a collective sadness. The only consolation was that we would see them in Israel, yet that incentive came with a 4-month wait.
The next thing that defined NAS for all of the fellows was the friendships that formed. This is what Pittsburgh native Li Milch had to say about the friendship that she formed with her Israeli homestay Noam Nadler:
“When the Israelis first came through the door on Friday we all introduced ourselves and welcomed them to Pittsburgh. Noam and I said hi and talked a little bit but it was awkward. Throughout the weekend we got much closer and I’m so glad because she is awesome and I love her so much. The first night that she slept at my house was interesting because she lost her wallet with all of her money in it and we were both so scared, but then we found out Hila had it and was trying to mess with her! Each night we would talk and one night we were up so late that we were talking and all of a sudden Noam fell asleep. As the week went by, we bonded even more because I went with her on the day trips which put us together literally 24/7. By the end of the week she had become a part of my family and a best friend for life! I miss her so much and I’ve been talking to her every day since she’s left. I can’t wait until we go to Israel so I can see her and everyone else again. The experience of NAS is an unforgettable experience that we all were able to make long lasting friendships and I’m so glad that I was able to be a part of it.”
Among the countless memories from NAS, one from our shabbaton stands out in my mind. It was the last night of our shabbaton. The Americans and Israelis briefly separated for Ma’agal. The Americans was unusually light-hearted and short, so what better to do at 11:30 pm than have a rave-dance-party? With the lights out and strobe lights going we listened to music, danced, and some of us slept. When the dancing died down around 1 am we still didn’t want to go to sleep so the remaining fellows stayed up for 2 more hours and talked about almost anything you could imagine. When we were all talking I had sort of a retrospective/out-of-body experience. Amid the deep conversation, I sort of stepped back and looked around. I saw the faces of these Israelis that I had known for less than 48 hours and realized that they were already more than just friends, but they were family. As cheesy and cliché as that is, it is true. In conclusion, I would just like to say that NAS was an unforgettable experience that is hopefully foreshadowing to Israel Summer Seminar.
-Henry Cohen
Sunday morning (March 24,2013) at 6am, all the Americans and the Israelis said goodbye until the summer. Hugs and tears all around. We didn’t want the Israelis to leave and they didn’t want to leave. In just 10 days, actually less, the 39 of us became closer friends than any of us could have possibly imagined. We started off just getting to know each other on a bus, but by the end of that day, we were playing football, lacrosse, and soccer together. We spent that weekend getting to know each other more, but it seemed as if we were already friends. Throughout the week we had programs that allowed us to learn about each other and each others homes, from learning about the different sects of Judaism to planning for ISS. Saturday night, we spent a lot of time planning, but throughout our struggle to keep everyone quiet and understand what everyone was saying, we managed to accomplish our goal. We ended our night with a group ma’agal which, I felt, was very moving and meaningful. While Shir and Orly told some of us to tap the head of someone who made us feel loved, or we would want to house or be housed by in Israel, or someone who surprised you, made you feel different/special, and many more, the rest sat with their eyes closed and were tapped. Then those who were tapping sat down and different people tapped. We didn’t need to know who was tapping us, or even know/remember why, just being tapped on the head made us feel special and a part of the group. It created a connection that maybe we weren’t already aware existed. We spent the rest of the night listening to some of the Israelis play music and trying not to fall asleep. We wanted time to freeze and not start again just so we could stay with each other (that was actually said), but, sadly, morning had to come and we had to say goodbye. It was tough, but we know we’ll meet again in 4 months and we’ll be happier than ever to see each other again.
-Alexa Silverman