Who would enter a war zone, knowingly? At 15, I made a decision to enter a war zone, willingly, which was an unlikely decision for a girl from Park City High School.
In April 2023, I decided to spend the second semester of my sophomore year abroad in Israel. I had always yearned to travel and expand my global community, so after thorough research on the program, I asked myself, “Why not?”
I went through a long application process and happily received an acceptance letter. I was elated to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience on the horizon.
When the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, took place, my world changed. The excitement I had built up over months was crushed with concern, unease and fear. The place I had planned to study became an official war zone. How could I travel to Israel when an active war just broke out?
This question wasn’t only mine. Friends, teachers and distant relatives expressed deep concerns about the safety status of Israel, my parents’ decision to send me, and my well-being. They worried that if I embarked on this journey, my life could be at risk.
Everyone in my life believed I should cancel my foreign-exchange semester, which led me to challenge my own decision.
As the war progressed and the departure date approached, my fear sunk in. I thought repeatedly how much I didn’t want to go and leave my friends from school.
After many long conversations with my parents and assurances from the school in Israel, I stood by my original decision: I, Isabella Sussman, would be attending the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program during wartime. My choice directly challenged the opinions of almost everyone in my life.
On Jan. 23, 2024, I left everything and everyone I knew and boarded a plane to Tel Aviv, Israel. Once the wheels touched the ground, I made another decision — to let my Israel experience transform me.
I increased my independence and confidence by navigating rocket attacks, bomb shelters, and rigorous courses. I lived, breathed, ate and slept in Israel for almost five straight months. My time there not only enhanced my religious beliefs and learning about my heritage, but I grew so much as a person.
Living without my family for such a long period not only made me much more responsible and self-reliant, but it made me view the world so differently. I now had new lenses to leverage in all sorts of ways with the hope of learning, growing and experiencing the world as it is. Not a Netflix series, but rather true life!
What was most unique for me was that I was surrounded 24/7 by Jewish people. I appreciated being surrounded by like-minded people, with similar histories, values, and aspirations. That is a feeling that never left me while in Israel. I truly belonged.
Despite the language barrier, and being over 7,000 miles away from my family, I found that I had a deep-rooted connection to not only the land of Israel but the people I met along the way. I never could have imagined that I would meet my long lost sisters in Israel. I went in not knowing a single soul and came out with a second family.
It wasn’t just my inner circle of friends. Our entire group became a family. We all went through so much together. We laughed like a family, ate like a family, slept like a family, fought like a family, and cried like a family. I truly found my people.
Now that I am home, a couple of questions I have been asked repeatedly are, “Did you feel safe during the war?” and I will sometimes get, “How did your parents let you go to Israel?”
My answer every time is, “I have never felt safer.” It is 100% true.
Yes, there was certainly a war while I was in Israel, and it is still happening. I honestly felt safer in Israel during a war, than the United States in normal times.
We did have one siren and one scare, and yes, at the moment it was scary. The adrenaline rush of running as fast as I possibly could to a bomb shelter was an experience I’d never had before. However, we were OK. We went to the bomb shelter and waited 10 minutes, and life moved on!
The experience taught me, that if you fall, you must just get right back up. If you have been blessed with a life, then live it to its fullest and never allow anything or anyone to hold you back or try and keep you down.
Studying abroad in high school was easily the best decision I could ever make. In the wise words of F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.” Don’t miss your opportunity. Stand up and grab it.
For anyone who would like to check out the blog I kept while I was abroad, please log onto https://izzyinisrael.blog.
Isabella Sussman is a junior at Park City High School.