Right now I am sitting on a bus on the way from Jerusalem to the Ben Gurion airport with 44 wonderful people. We joke around around, we scream, and we have a great time. It's hard to believe that we've known each other for only ten days, it feels like we've known each other for years. I feel like we're like family.
I have lived my whole life in Israel and I'm so proud of this country, but I feel that it's really easy to take it for granted. The main population in Israel is Jewish so you don't think about it too much. This experience really made me think about what being a Jew is, asking those important questions like, "Is believing in God important to your Jewish identity" or "Should Jews marry other Jews?"
I feel so united with these people and like I just got another family. I felt like I had an incredible opportunity to see Israel from a different angle. From this experience I will return to the army with much more pride and a realization of why what I am doing is so important so I'm going to continue my service with more motivation.
-Hagai Kraus
First Sergeant
Yalam 222
Israeli Defense Force
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