Comments
A YOUNG PERSPECTIVE - The world has a great deal to learn from Israel — the small but mighty Start-Up Nation, a country no larger than New Jersey yet bursting with innovation, resilience, and soul. It is a land where ancient history and cutting-edge discovery breathe the same air, where medical breakthroughs emerge from the same soil that holds the footsteps of the prophets. Tucked into the heart of the Levant, Israel has startled, inspired, and humbled the world. And over the course of my life, it has taught me three lessons that have shaped not only how I see the world, but who I am.
1. Israel Taught Me Love
Israel taught me what it means to love fiercely — a place, a people, a culture — with a loyalty that feels both ancient and immediate. Every moment I’ve ever spent there has been alive with feeling: joy as sharp as sunlight, gratitude as warm as a Jerusalem afternoon, grief as steady and heavy as the stones of the Old City.
It taught me to love together:
Am echad, lev echad — one nation, one heart.
A Saturday evening in the Old City showed me what shared devotion looks like when thousands of voices rise to the same G-d.
The early morning hours on the Eilat boardwalk introduced me to the soulful dancing of Israelis whose joy feels woven into the breeze coming off the Red Sea.
And Thursday night in Machane Yehuda — the vibrant outdoor market in Jerusalem — showed me how much I love Israeli street food, the laughter echoing through the alleys, and the family dinners spilling into the streets like a public celebration of life itself.
Israel even taught me to cherish unexpected friendships — like the girl I met in a hotel by the Kineret, with whom I baked cookies in a makeshift tent-kitchen set up for displaced families. Two strangers, connected instantly by shared purpose and shared heart.
Israel opened me. It taught me to smile at people I had never met, to face hatred without fear, and to understand that no matter where I am in the world, Israel remains home.
2. Israel Taught Me to Advocate
Israel gave me my voice.
It taught me what it means to speak up — not simply loudly, but truthfully, courageously, and with intention. It showed me the importance of pulling others out of the echo chambers of ignorance and misinformation, of teaching what Zionism truly is, and of refusing to let falsehoods overshadow lived reality.
Advocacy is not always easy. Sometimes it feels exhausting, even futile. But Israel taught me that people arelistening — quietly, curiously, wanting to learn about something that feels distant and complicated.
To stand up for Israel in North America, especially when my own society often misunderstands or scrutinizes it, is to swim against the current. And that is precisely why it matters. My words have weight. My presence matters. Speaking truth has value even when — especially when — it is unpopular.
Israel taught me not to bow my head or remain silent while hatred spreads.
It taught me not to become another sheep grazing blindly in the fields of Western complacency.
Instead, I stand firmly on my own two feet — as a Jew, as a Zionist, and as someone committed to the values the West claims to champion: religious freedom, democracy, justice, and peace.
3. Israel Taught Me Strength
Above all, Israel taught me true strength — the kind that comes from the heart, from purpose, and from faith.
Surrounded on all sides by enemies, Israel exists against all odds. Its survival is a testament to resilience and determination — the very qualities that have sustained the Jewish people through centuries of persecution, exile, and rebirth.
This tiny sliver of land showed me that strength is not defined by size, but by spirit. It taught me that intimidation dissolves when faced with conviction. It showed me that resilience is a choice — a refusal to let others extinguish our light.
For some, Israel is a political argument on the evening news.
For me, it is a fountain of wisdom.
It is a guidebook for living with purpose, heart, and unwavering resolve.
Israel has always been a light unto the nations — even if much of the world chooses not to see it.
Why I Am Sharing This
The answer is simple: gratitude.
Gratitude brings meaning and clarity, grounding us in who we are and who we aspire to become. And it is through gratitude that I now see how deeply Israel has shaped my identity, my worldview, and my sense of responsibility.
This was not the path I always envisioned. I once assumed that after high school, I would proceed straight to university, following the expected path laid before me. But Israel has a way of realigning your compass, opening your eyes to what truly matters.
When my cousin made Aliyah earlier this year, she told me she knew I’d be the first to follow — and while the future remains full of possibilities, I now understand what she meant. My experiences in Israel have given me something far greater than a single direction. They have given me the strength and clarity to contribute meaningfully to my community and society, wherever I go.
As someone who often struggles with decisions, finding this clarity has not been simple. But I trust the guidance of Hashem — a Hebrew word meaning “The Name”, a respectful way Jews refer to God — who I believe is leading me toward a life grounded in purpose and responsibility.
And wherever my journey leads next, I know that the lessons Israel has given me will empower me to contribute more strongly, more compassionately, and more courageously to the world around me.
For now, my heart tells me this:
It is time to give back to the place — and the values — that have given me everything.
(Shoshannah Kalaydjian is a Jewish student who writes about education, identity, and the challenges facing the next generation. Growing up in today’s climate, she has witnessed firsthand how rising antisemitism affects young people in classrooms and on campuses. Shoshannah is committed to sharing the perspective of Jewish youth, amplifying student voices, and encouraging leaders to create safer, more inclusive environments for all students.)
