Montgomery County teenager, Jason Lessans, recently spent 8 weeks living in Israel as a student on the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program.  The program, available to high students in the Washington, D.C. area, blends cultural and academic elements with the living lessons of history that continue to ignite our passion for Israel, our heritage and homeland. For local information, contact Phyllis Solomon at (301) 230-7292. The local high school in Israel program receives support from Federation's United Jewish Endowment Fund.

I came to Israel to better understand Judaism. I had often wondered about the significance behind being Jewish, and after almost eight weeks in Israel, I now have begun to understand it.

I have never been a religious person. My entire family was raised Reform and I was raised the same way, too. My parents first sent me to Hebrew school when I was five years old. I attended twice a week, regularly. However, I found Hebrew school extremely boring. The teachers were unenthusiastic and did nothing to help me build up my sense of identity as a Jew. So after about six years of hating Hebrew school, I began to view Judaism as a burden.

I gradually withdrew from all Jewish-related activities: I never went to services, not even on the High Holidays, and I continually went less often to Hebrew school. My parents could see my disinterest and because they were not religious themselves and never forced me into things, they left the decision of whether to continue in Hebrew school up to me. I chose not to continue and, consequently, did not have a Bar Mitzvah.

Prior to coming to Israel, I didn’t know what to expect. I imagined that Israel would have dirt roads, surrounded by little shops that were made out of tents and all by Arabs and Hasidic Jews. I imagined that there would be camels running all over the place. I realize now, after experiencing Israel for the first time, that I was slightly off.

I could not believe that the Jews, in about one century, managed to turn a barren desert into a thriving homeland for the Jewish people. Since I have been here, several aspects of my experience have significantly changed my views about Judaism. However, my new vision is not so much related to the trips we took to historical sites (I enjoyed seeing the Kotel, climbing Masada, and floating in the Dead Sea), but to me the most meaningful place I visited was the old age home in Jerusalem.

I don’t know if I was more proud of the fact that Israel has provided elderly Jews from all over the world with a place where they can be united and live meaningful lives, or of the face that the people, in their 80’s and 90’s, are still doing their best to contribute to society.

An even more influencial aspect of my experience in Israel was simply the other kids on the program. I enjoyed just hanging out with all the people here; whether it was competing on cell phone games, making fun of a terrible movie, or having random philosophical discussions - I have never felt closer to any other group of kids in my life. In Israel, I have made some of the best friends I will ever have.

I now realize how important it is to maintain the unity among the Jewish people. I have decided that it is necessary to get actively involved and stay connected with Judaism so that I can pass it on to my children. This way the Jewish religion, which so many Jews fought and died for, will not simply fade away. For this reason, I am now having a bar-mitzvah at age 17. And although it is occurring about four years later then it should have, I feel it is more significant then any bar-mitzvah I could have had at home years ago.

For now, I am actually having it in Israel, and not because I was pressured by my parents or because I could get a lot of money and presents out of it. I am having a bar mitzvah because I chose to, with the sole purpose of becoming closer to the Jewish faith.

For I now understand that it is a privilege to be a Jew.

Jason Lessans is a high school senior in Rockville, Md.

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