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May 26, 2021

Close Quarters

By: Karina Casarrubias

By Sami       As I’ve begun thinking about moving onto Duke’s campus next fall, I’ve been wondering how much I’ll miss living in my dorm in Jerusalem. As much as I am looking forward to moving into college dorms, I’ve only now started to appreciate how good I have it here. Of all […]

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March 2, 2021

My Trip to the Gaza Border

By: James Ziemba

By Sami As one of the most turbulent and dangerous areas in the world, the Gaza strip is certainly a place myself and most Jews have learned about, at least in the context of its relationship with Israel. Before writing more about my experience learning about the conflict between Israel and Gaza, though, I thought […]

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January 27, 2021

Winter break in Tel Aviv

By: Admin

By Sami This year I got to spend my week-long winter break in my grandparents’ vacant apartment in Tel Aviv. With very few expectations and very many Corona-related restrictions, four friends and I arrived in the apartment on Thursday night, and after resetting our screwed-up sleep cycles we decided to make the most of our […]

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December 15, 2020

The Silence of the Desert

By: James Ziemba

By Sami The silence of the desert was so powerful that I could hear the blood rushing through my head. Only a single fly would occasionally steal my attention away from the awe-inspiring sunset over the canyon. Once finished with my accustomed ritual of squatting like an animal to relieve myself, I turned to walk […]

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October 20, 2020

Why Journal

By: Admin

By Sami Last May, I decided to start writing regularly in a journal so that I could improve my awful handwriting. Now that my penmanship has improved, however, I’ve started to notice the many other positive effects that journaling has had on my life since I started six months ago. Especially now, while on my […]

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September 24, 2020

Silver Linings in Jerusalem

By: Admin

By Sami On this quiet Shabbat evening I sit alone on the couch while my new roommates nap. There’s not much else to do at the moment. Jerusalem has restrictions in place requiring American students to quarantine for two weeks, and at times, without proper motivation (and with 108-degree weather), we find ourselves struggling to […]

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September 2, 2020

Spontaneous Summer

By: Admin

By Sami As my virtual high school experience came to a close in mid-May, I was preparing myself for what I thought would be the most uneventful summer of my life. Uncertainties regarding my gap year plans were all I had to think about as canceled travel plans and a lack of work opportunities left […]

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