by Gracie Glaser, participant in the Platt Youth to Israel Trip 

When we were in Israel, we hugged all of the Israelis goodbye, and were constantly saying, “We will see you soon.” When they arrived in San Diego, I felt like it had only been a few days since I had last seen them. We immediately connected, and I felt like I was back in Israel, except this time it was my turn to show them where I lived.

During their three weeks here, the Israelis had the pleasure of working at Camp Simcha and the Ken Community, trying Mexican food and s’mores, going to Disneyland, and visiting numerous beaches up and down the coast of San Diego. Their last night in San Diego, was a night I will never forget. We had all just eaten at Smashburger, and drove over to the Jewish Academy where they would be spending the night. We were all sitting in a circle talking about our favorite memories from the trip, most of them said Disneyland, but they all said how impressive they think it is that a group of kids could be so close despite the language barrier and the distance between our countries. A few of them also mentioned that this was a needed vacation, which helped them keep their minds off of what is happening back in Israel.

When it was time for the Americans to leave, we all stood up to hug each other goodbye, and I kept wanting to say, “I’ll see you soon,” but that’s when I realized that I don’t know when I will get to see them. Our worlds are so different. Most of the Americans plan on graduating high school and going off to college, and the Israelis are going to the Israeli Defense Force after they finish high school. I feel so privileged to have been able to be part of such an amazing program, and I feel very fortunate to be able to say I have friends in Israel.

In light of what is happening in Israel right now, I am constantly thinking of them, and even know that some of them have left their homes for Tel Aviv in hopes of being in a safer place.