Junior Ben Phillips spent his first semester in Maryland and his second overseas in Israel and is loving his decision. The program Phillips is participating in, Alexander Muss High School in Israel, includes kids from the U.S. so making friends hasn’t been an issue for Phillips.
Phillips chose to go to Israel because he felt disconnected from his Jewish heritage and wanted to strengthen that relationship. Phillips felt the only way to execute his plan was to “go to the holy land and learn about the history of my people.”
Over the past few months, Phillips has come to enjoy his daily life abroad. Phillips said, ”I absolutely love it, the vibrant lifestyle, the culture and the people all make me feel that connection I am in search of. There are plenty of geographical wonders in Maryland, but in Israel, it is just different. The country itself is very beautiful. There are plenty of mountains to hike on, and the deserts are also pretty to look out at. When you look out on some deserts you can see half the country and even further.”
The news about Israel heard in America is not what Phillips said he experiences throughout his daily life. “None of the news on the hostages and fighting has affected me in any way,” Phillips said.
Phillips said he feels safe and that where he is staying is away from drone strikes, though he has heard sounds of the war. “I have only heard the sirens and the fighter jets that fly over us,” Ben said.
Phillips is the oldest of his three siblings. Freshman Luca Phillips is the middle child and his younger brother, and his sister, sixth grader Kaia Phillips, is the youngest. Luca said that he misses Ben but he likes seeing his older brother try new things and enjoy himself while abroad. “I like to see that Ben is having fun while in Israel,” Luca Phillips said.“I think it’s cool what he’s doing but what’s been on the news is really a dampener in my opinion,” Luca said.
The AMHSI program that Phillips is in has been a fun experience for him. The program provides trips and adventures as well as teaches the kids the history of Israel. “All the trips we’ve taken, makes me want to suggest this to everyone I talk to,” Phillips said. “I would choose Israel 10 times out of 10. The shared Jewish backgrounds help the kids connect whereas at Wootton not everyone shares that trait,” Phillips said.
