By Emma Nowak

Like the United States, Israel is a country of immigrants. However, instead of looking for a new start, it is like the people of Israel have returned home. Today, we explored the city of Tel Aviv and learned the story of its creation. 110 years ago Tel Aviv was just sand dunes, but to those who didn’t have a home to call their own, it was an opportunity to develop a community for themselves and for the future. Tel Aviv was built with pride on manual labor and a unified Hebrew language. We were lucky to walk the original main street of Tel Aviv, tour street art representatives of the culture, and taste the many flavors the city has to offer.

With an influx of people, comes an influx of ideas. Israel is known as the start-up nation for a reason. At the Center for Israeli Innovation, we were able to learn about how the Israeli culture influences the tech industry and what products they have brought to the world market. For instance, Pillcam is a small camera that is swallowed instead of completing an invasive gastrointestinal exam. This device has helped diagnose a variety of disorders and was developed in Israel.

While most of our morning consisted of trying street food, our evening was spent learning Israeli recipes and cooking for ourselves. The chefs were tough on us, but the end product was delicious! It has been enjoyable to experience new cuisines while in Israel, but it is especially meaningful to be apart of the process. After being on our feet all day for our first full day of tours, it was wonderful to end the day around the table with friends. In early childhood education at the JCC, we call this our “school family.” There are many more adventures ahead, and I am excited to experience them with these people.