Last year, when the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy freshmen went on their trip to Israel, they stayed with host families from Kansas City’s sister region of Gezer, in central Israel. On Wednesday, March 28, the Israeli teens that housed the HBHA students last year flew to Kansas to stay with their HBHA friends until Saturday morning, March 31.
HBHA Hebrew teacher Danny Altshull, who lived in Israel and served in the Israeli navy, said the Israeli kids did a lot in a few short days. Those activities included volunteering alongside HBHA students at Mitzvah Day, shadowing the sophomore students throughout the school day, watching the girls’ first soccer game of the season and attending Taste of Shabbat. The teens’ itinerary also included a visit to the Arabia Steamboat Museum at the River Market.
The Israeli kids were brought to Kansas City by the Jewish Federation, who thought that they should get a taste of America. Since the Israelis housed the HBHA students last year, the Jewish Federation thought that HBHA students should return the favor, which they were more than happy to do.
Gal Sugbeker, one of the visitors from Gezer, said, “I am very excited to be here. The school is a lot bigger here, which was surprising, but the people are not so different than they are in Israel.”
Noa Dikman, another Israeli visitor, agreed with Sugbeker and added, “The education is very different from our school in Israel.”
Prior to Lady Rams’ first soccer game of the season against Southwest High School, the teens tailgated and then cheered the team on after the game began. Following the game Noy Bertish said, “The girls soccer game was very impressive, and the energy of the crowd was exciting.”
After the Israeli teens left Kansas City, they spent two days in New York City and then traveled to Madrid, Spain. All of the Israeli visitors said that they had a wonderful time, learned a lot, and will not forget their experience in Kansas City and in the United States.
This article was originally published in the March 30 edition of The Academy Voice, the student newspaper of the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy.