Ariel Shavit
Arts Features & Games Editor
My Muss experience was far from normal. Of course, living on campus with my class was one of the best experiences so far of my Barrack journey, and going on trips all over the country, from climbing Masada to praying at the Kotel on Yom Kippur, will never be forgotten, but it had to come to an end much sooner than I expected. When I woke up on Simchat Torah on October 7th to multiple messages on my phone instructing me to put my head down in my hotel room because it was too late to run to the bomb shelter, I felt scared and heartbroken. I realized that instead of making my last couple of days in Israel sad, I should be hopeful because it was my time to help those in need. While sleeping in bomb shelters at night, during the day, I helped pack bags for soldiers in the south. I started a fundraiser for families and soldiers in the Gaza Envelope (which is about 6 Km away from Gaza, in Israel - an area where many were targeted during the first couple of days) affected by the horrific tragedies. My Alexander Muss High School in Israel experience was one of the most memorable experiences ever, and I will never forget it and the impact it made on my life.