By Aviva Brynjegard-Bialik, Bus 4 Participant
What was my first thought when I stepped off of the plane? Well, first was “thank goodness the 13 hour plane ride is over.” But after that, I couldn’t help but feel that this is home. I can’t help but feel connected to Israel. Seeing and hearing Hebrew everywhere makes me feel at home, even though I don’t understand a lot of the language. Israel feels like home to me, even though I’ve never lived here. Why is that? It’s because this is the place of my people. I’m here with old and new friends, all of us traveling together in this beautiful country. We’re all Jewish, and there are so many people around us that are Jewish. I’m not around many Jews in daily life other than my family, and NFTY brings me the chance to be more connected to my people. So here I am, not just with my people, but in the place meant for my people. Every view is gorgeous, and getting to see the view with my friends makes it even prettier. The second I stepped off that plane I knew Israel would a place to always remember. The place, the people, the food, everything. Home.
