Trip to the High School
Today we had the privilege of visiting the local school in Karmi’el and learning about the student’s classes and their lifestyle’s. We were first taken to a lesson to have a discussion with the students. When I heard this I feared it would not be an exciting learning experience, and rather a chance for the Israeli students to “Talk to the Americans”, but the discussion ultimately gave us greater insight into the lives and culture of people our age in Israel. The first question we asked them was, “What is it like having to serve in the military when you graduate high school?” The response was surprising. They told us about the love they had for their country and how serving was not only an opportunity for them to help their country, but help themselves by better educating themselves in different fields of interest. I was completely unaware that the military gave the enlisted members a chance to explore different careers and go to college through the military. The students asked us the next question, which was, “What is the point of coming to Israel if you are not Jewish?” This is a question we were asked quite often. The answer was that, even though this country is predominately Jewish, religion does not separate people, thus the impact the children’s village had on me, and the rest of the kids on this trip was not affected by the religious differences of the people around us. What makes the connections we have with the village and the people we meet so special are our mutual desire to help and to learn. Ultimately after visiting the local school in Karmi’el I gained a better understanding my mission on this trip, and the culture of the people around me.