“My name is Shira and I recently finished my freshman year at Rothberg International School (International part of Hebrew University). I am from Toronto Canada, and this was my first year out of high school, and my second time in Israel. I did not know any Hebrew, knew no one attending the school, had no family in Israel, and did not understand the culture at all. Arriving in a foreign country to begin university was very difficult, however there were many helpful staff at the school to assist us, such as the four madrichim (guides) that were put in charge of the international students. They were amazing throughout the entire year. Within the university program my year consisted of many great classes, incredible planned trips, several cultural dinners and lectures, and much much more. Two of these trips really stand out in my mind as a great memory. The first was the weekend getaway to Mitzpe Ramon, a trip in the middle of the desert where we did everything from intense hiking in the Negev to watching the early morning sunrise with a beautiful view on Shabbat. The second trip was Sea to Sea, in which we hiked from the Mediterranean sea all the way to the Sea of Galilee. Besides being able to further understand the land of Israel, discussing previous wars and conflict with personal stories from the madrichim who had all been in the army, I made some of my best friends on these excursions. My friends and I would also plan our own trips all around the country exploring everywhere we could, and every weekend was a new adventure, including the celebration of all the different holidays, cheap concerts, and Israeli lifestyle. Overall, I returned home with a high level of understanding of the history of Israel and the Jewish people, could speak Hebrew at a good level, made some amazing friends, and had a plan for the next year. I really fell in love with Israel, and am returning to serve in the Israeli army and live my life there. I am so happy that I did my year at Rothberg.”

See how Hebrew U law students are helping others – this is a very meaningful and uplifting video that will give you some great insights into the University.

O.

O.

O.

Click here to watch it.

O.

O.

The Israeli government’s water website now has a page where you can check back daily in order to see how much the Kinneret – our main water source, located in the Galilee – has gone up or down.

It makes sense this exists online because an integral part of the Israel experience is living in a parched country, always being careful how we choose to use our water because it’s such a limited resource. When I was in the midst of deciding whether or not I wanted to move back to Israel a few months ago, one of the things that made me very nervous was the thought of living in a country with so little water after spending three years in British Columbia, of all places! Who could compare the two when it comes to water supply (not to mention quality).

A lake on Vancouver Island (Photo by Deena Levenstein)

I went on a trip to Vancouver Island shortly after I arrived in Vancouver. This island is larger than Israel (just an fyi) and is covered with huge quantities of fresh water. The photo above is one of the many lakes we passed as we drove from one coast to the other. I felt like I saw more water travelling across the island in a few hours than one will ever see in Israel. This while Vancouver Island’s population is around 741,000 and Israel’s population is approximately 7,465,000.

Aquaphers is the man-made water source in the desert. They catch rain water. (Photo by Deena Levenstein)

Israel relies very heavily on percipitation for water. The rain in the winter fills up our reserves to get us through the year. The problem is that for years now it hasn’t been raining enough. Because of this, every time it rains here, it’s big news.

In the next couple of days we’re supposedly heading into some real wintery weather. Lets hope it brings us lots of rain!

Check it the government’s site here!

Hataklit and Cassetta Joint Sylvester Party