Moshe Acrich grew up in Barcelona, where being openly Jewish meant keeping a low profile. He came to Reichman University in Herzliya and found the opposite, a campus full of Jews who were just themselves, no apologies. Morning minyan. Shabbat davening. A barbecue at Rabbi Elisha’s house where everyone who ever showed up to minyan

Finding the Right Fit: How Shira Finkelstein Found Her Place in Occupational Therapy For as long as she can remember, the idea of living in Israel sat quietly in the background of Shira Finkelstein’s life. “It was always in the back of my head,” she says. “Even from Grade 10.” That was when she came

Early Life and First Steps Toward Israel Gabriel Lerner grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, in a Syrian Jewish community. Israel was always present in his life culturally and emotionally, and many students from his background pursue short programs in Israel, such as MASA. This was originally Gabriel’s plan as well. “In my last year

Starting in São Paulo, Building a Life in Israel Michael Hubner grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, and today lives in Haifa, where he is studying Computer Engineering at the Technion. His path to Israel was thoughtful and intentional, shaped by a desire to both experience something new and build a meaningful future. After graduating

Growing Up Connected to Israel Maddie Landau is from Boca Raton, Florida, but Israel was never a distant idea. Her family visited often, and she spent summers in Israel through different programs. Over time, those experiences built something steady. Israel became more than a place she loved visiting. It became a place she could imagine

A Maryland Background, A Jerusalem Present Dovie Shimoff grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and attended Yeshiva of Greater Washington for high school. After graduating, he spent two years learning at Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh, an experience that played a significant role in shaping both his religious growth and the direction of his future. That time

When Ellie Steiner says something didn’t feel right when she started her college career America, she doesn’t mean she was lost. On paper, everything was right. She had come to Israel at 17 to learn at Darchei Bina Seminary. She returned to the U.S. and began studying pre-health sciences at a religious college near her

A New York Background, A Jerusalem Present Zack Moskowitz grew up on the Upper East Side, surrounded by a strong Jewish community, and attended Frisch for high school. Israel was always part of the atmosphere he grew up with, not necessarily as a concrete plan, but as something meaningful in the background. Summers at Camp

Medicine with a Mission: Sara Erblich’s Commitment to Healing and Home An Unexpected Turn Toward Aliyah Sara Erblich grew up in Los Angeles and attended Jewish day school. Aliyah was never part of her plan. If anything, she assumed her future would unfold in America. That assumption began to unravel during her year at MMY

From New York to Ramat Aviv Ella-Rose Feldman grew up in Manhattan. Now, she lives in Ramat Aviv, on the Tel Aviv University campus. She’s part of the dual-degree program between Tel Aviv University and Columbia University, studying Middle Eastern Studies at TAU and planning to study Biology when she continues at Columbia. “For a