STUDENT LIFE
Delayed Neshama 29 Worth the Wait for the Class of 2021 By Amitai Nelkin ’21 L’Shavua Ha’Ba B’Yerushalayim. That’s what the senior class of 2021 sang at their seders this year. Next week, not next year, in Jerusalem.
As I’m sure all alumni fondly remember, Golda Och Academy proudly boasts an immersive, intensive, and unparalleled second semester senior program abroad in Israel, called Neshama, where instead of straying from the hard questions we dive headfirst into them. As I’m sure all current students can attest to, nothing compares to the anticipation of your very own Neshama, the culmination and celebration of your journey through Golda Och. Our class, of course, was no different. We couldn’t wait to embark on our three-month long journey. Let me clarify. We felt we couldn’t wait. Covid-19, however, decided we could. Our original February 14 departure date kept being moved, over and over. We were stuck; not in school, not in Israel. The school thankfully took to keeping us active, through Zoom lessons about Israel, volunteer opportunities and social (and socially distant) programming. We were busy, but no amount of distraction could mask the fact that every day we woke up in America was... well, it was another day we didn’t wake up in Israel. But Golda Och Academy, and the Class of ‘21 for that matter, isn’t big on giving up. With Israel on our mind and in our hearts, we recalled Theodore Herzl’s famous words: “Im Tirtzu, Ein Zo Agada” — “If you want it, nothing is impossible.” And so the students took it upon themselves to enable every class member who desired to get a vaccine — by registering with the cancellation service that prevents vaccines from going to waste — in hopes it would improve our chances of being let into Israel. The school also worked to link us with MASA, securing for us special permission for entry. And so it was that on April 6, 2021, in the middle of a pandemic, Golda Och Academy’s Senior Class of 2021
18 ALUMNI SOCIETY NEWS SPRING 2021
boarded a plane l’artzeinu, to our land. I can’t explain how it felt to finally land at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, so I won’t. I think it would be a disservice to even try. When we arrived, we had a mandatory Covid test, took a blood test to see who among us luckily had the antibodies, and headed into a 10-day bidud, or quarantine. We knew some of us would likely have the antibodies and some would likely not, and were prepared for a difficult 10 days. If that’s what it took to be in Israel, we would not hesitate. Our bidud lasted two hours. I won’t call it anything short of a miracle. Every single one of us tested had the antibodies. Not just that, but the absolute lowest antibody count among the vaccinated was more than three times higher than the minimum. Once we were all out of bidud, our semester abroad truly kicked off. Our nonstop Neshama experience was absolutely incredible. We have been all around the country, from the Golan Heights to Eilat, and we walked from Yam to Yam. Our three-month trip became two months, but you’d only know by the numbers. Each day was so packed, the energy and excitement so palpable, that you could easily mistake our trip for a year-long program, maybe more, from the itinerary and attitude alone. As I write this, we have just under two weeks left. But with a school, a program, and a grade like ours, we can make the remaining 12 days feel like 12 months of adventure. Im Tirtzu, Ein Zo Agada.
