For many of us, change can be scary. Every day we take the same route to and from our classes and see the same familiar faces. Have you ever stopped to wonder what it would be like to throw away the comfort of your routine and start anew? Spending the entirety of her sophomore year in Israel, Adelina Tuchin shared her unique experience.

Through the Na’ale Elite Academy ֵprogram, Adelina had the opportunity to spend 9 months at Amana boarding school in Israel, located about an hour away from Jerusalem.

“Naale… in Hebrew means “to go up.” What it [does] is it brings kids from the states and from around the world to go to school in Israel. We had our own little class and kids who are from abroad were in classes together, but the school itself was Israeli and the kids who went there were locals.”, Adelina explained.

Adelina was born in Israel and had visited a couple times before her time at the boarding school. She shared that the hardest part was adjusting to the culture and the language.

“When I went I did not know how to speak Hebrew very well. They made [the kids from abroad] take classes so we could speak”.

A typical day at Amana “… started at like eight, but school went until five because [they] had all the regular classes, some religious classes, and some Hebrew. We [also] went on trips.”

She enjoyed the freedom of not living with parents so she could do more of what she wanted to do.
However, it wasn’t all fun and games.

“Overall, I was fine, but at the beginning of the year there were a lot of terrorist attacks. One time we weren’t allowed to leave the school for two weeks because it was a bit dangerous.”

As a lover of food, I was compelled to ask what foods are most common in Israel. Adelina shared that the food is not only Israeli, but Jewish as well, with some staples including falafel, couscous and hummus. Yum.

Adelina arrived in Ames at the end of June and is happy to be back. You may see her in orchestra or roaming the halls sporting a cute outfit and a smile. We’re glad you’re back in Ames, Adelina!