Ella Tav, New York, NY

Something I didn't understand until I got to Beit Yisrael was the power of people truly living their values in an Israeli context. I came to Beit Yisrael to experience the religious, socioeconomic, and political diversity of Israeli life. What I found was a group of dedicated, humble activists using their pure love of the Jewish people to change the world around them. Coming to Mechina here has taught me the importance of using my privilege to benefit others. At Beit Yisrael we have opportunities to combine both traditional Torah learning with active work in our community. We live amongst the students we mentor and the elderly we visit in the afternoons. We are given tremendous authority over our learning and our living. Because of our freedom to construct our own schedules, we are able to find what is most meaningful to us individually and focus our energy there. Learning in Beit Yisrael is a catalyst for building community and self exploration. We take on leadership roles that prepare us to positively contribute to civil society later in our lives. And we use the skills we gain to give back to Israel and the greater Jewish world. Beit Yisrael is a magnificent place. It has been an honor to start my Israeli journey here.