„Oh Shalom”

Haifa is different from Poland but it’s amazing. People there are very nice, the food is so good and the views are beautiful. Every day, when I woke up I looked out of the window and stared at things for at least fifteen minutes. The way to the school was like in the movies – lots of trees, shortcuts and stairs. Everything was like in a dream – oranges grew on trees! In the school there was a friendly atmosphere, everyone was relaxed, smiled, quite loud too  The family I spent a couple of nights with was great. They were very nice – wonderful people. Our host mom was a great cook, and I will never forget her lime juice! The Hebrew language is great, especially the alphabet which is significantly different from ours. I will never forget this trip and all these people, thanks to them I’ve became a little more confident.

Gabriela Lisiak

*****

This month I had an opportunity to go on a school trip to Israel. I was a little bit afraid because it was my first flight so far away from Poland but also I couldn’t wait to see the Holy Land.

The trip to Haifa turned out to be the best time in my life for a long time. All people in Haifa were so positive and kind to me. They accepted me just like a member of their families. We visited so many beautiful places and I totally fell in love with this country, but especially with Haifa. Life there is completely different from the life in Poland and I really liked that.

I want to thank you all, guys, for these four wonderful days in Haifa. I love you all and I hope I’ll meet you once again.

I particularly appreciate the time I spent with Linor, Rotem, Erez, Yarden, Ron, Idan, Tai, Gal, Oriya, Ori, Michal and the best host ever Hamootal. I will never forget you.

Hamootal, I want to thank you and your mum for everything. Every day with you, Hamootal was awesome. I want to go back in time and be with you right now. I miss you so much and I hope to meet you in July in Poland.

Love you all,

Izabela Chybowska 

*****

Imagine love; a lot of sincere laugh, incredibly good food, people who treat you like a family member, even if you have known them for 3 days… sounds like a dream? That’s not all! Plenty of sunshine, bustling streets with chummy sellers’ stalls where you can buy and taste everything- from fresh fish and seafood to delicious oranges, pomegranates, chilli peppers and of course spices, coffee and a lot of tasty traditional dishes… Imagine that you’re walking among colourful scarves and hand-decorated Arabic clothes; imagine you pass piles of jewellery and gems, smelling incense and hearing metal clanging everywhere. You see men and women of every race, height and age, and at the same time you feel as if you’ve been here before- like there’s something in the air you can’t describe, measure or touch. Some say it’s because of the country’s warm climate and proximity to the sea, others think that the uniqueness of this place is created by people of many cultures living together. But to be honest, I can tell you in great secrecy that in Israel, though it is so young, the ancient magic still works! 

PS: If you truly want to get to know this country you MUST GO THERE. I’m sure you won’t regret it 

Jakub Zięcik

*****

If someone had told me before I was going to visit Israel I wouldn’t have believed them. If they had also said I’d fall in love with it- I’d have laughed.

On 10 March 2015 a group of students from a few classes set out on a big trip to Haifa. I had a pleasure to be part of this experience and I don’t regret anything- it was worth the money, skipped lessons and all the toils of travelling. All I can regret is getting back to Poland because I’d love to stay there longer than only four days which was obviously not enough.

The first day of our trip was full of travelling- travelling through Poland by bus, travelling on foot through the airport, travelling by plane and travelling by coach through Israel. I was a bit nervous, I’ve had so many questions and doubts, I was also a little afraid of meeting my host… But when I finally met her, all my fears disappeared. She was so nice and caring, I felt like I had an older sister… I also met her boyfriend the next day and I thought I wouldn’t talk to him too much so that he could talk only to my host but I was wrong! He was like an older brother for me, but at times I felt like they were my parents. They cared about me, explained a lot of things… They introduced me to their friends and family. They also showed me the best cafés and restaurants I’d ever seen.

Haifa is a very beautiful place. It’s very clean and there are plants everywhere. The art school is also amazing: it’s very big even though it didn’t look big at first glance. And they’ve got really great, artistic and friendly space to create things. They create art in a usable form that will be needed in the future for someone who wants to work as an artist and do it for a living.

The trip to Haifa was a ‘time of the first-times’ for me: travelling by plane, so far away from Lublin, meeting someone whom I’d first met on the Internet, talking in English daily, riding go-karts, attending a house party, drawing on someone’s plaster cast… When I was spending time with my host I felt alive, like I’m in the right place. These few days made me feel more confident and positive than I’d been before. I could write a long composition about things that changed for the better in me. I will never forget Haifa and the people I met there.

Agnieszka Jachowicz

*****

Our visit to Israel was great! I didn’t expect it would be such a great experience!

I met a lot of wonderful people there. Everybody was so friendly, polite and joyful. Love and happiness emanated from them.

Apart from people, I liked the beautiful views – blue waves of the Mediterranean Sea blown by the wind or the monuments in Jerusalem, where ages ago a lot of important historical events happened.

I will never forget that trip and I want to go there again!

I recommend a trip to Israel to everyone!

Kinga Ciepiel