Studying Judaism in Israel for a year has been  my dream for a long while, even more so since my first visit there last  year. I’ll try to explain why I feel that way by relating the following incident.

My family and I visited the Martef Hashoah in Jerusalem, where we saw some of the horrible realities of the Holocaust. There were bloody Torah scrolls lying in a glass case, a memorial for those who were killed by the Nazis, and countless names of European towns that no longer exist.

After leaving the Chamber of the Holocaust, my family and I headed for the nearby Kever of King David. We passed the Diaspora Yeshiva on the way and heard the loud sound of men learning emanating from the building. I felt proud to be part of a nation whose members continue to stick to their Torah traditions despite the hardships that they’ve gone through.

I still felt bothered by the horrible sights that I’d seen in the Martef Hashoah. I wondered when all Jewish suffering would finally end.

When we arrived at the Kever of King David, I felt somewhat comforted by the knowledge that his descendant will eventually bring better times to the world. I realized that we Jews have got a positive future to look forward to. When that time comes, all the pain caused by all holocausts will be healed.

Firsthand experience of Jewish life and history is mostly available  in Israel. I would never have had the opportunity to go to three such places in America and emerge with more of an understanding of Judaism.

I hope that studying Judaism for a year in Israel will help me explore more areas of Judaism and give me a deeper appreciation and understanding of what it means to be a sincere Jew.

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