I woke up this morning homesick. I spent the bus ride to the Lauder-Javne school watching videos of my twin baby boys. I was holding back tears as thoughts began to race; thoughts of the distance from my babies and my husband, thoughts of the long flight back to Vegas, thoughts of missing my father’s 70’s surprise birthday party. And so time passed and the bus reached school. I was settling into our designated teacher’s room when I heard the sound of an upbeat Israeli song. I rushed over and saw the school’s Shinshiniyot, Roni and Shahar, leading a group of excited little kids in simple dance moves. So sweet. The song ended and was followed by another — a new upbeat version of a traditional Israeli song by Yehoram Ga’on. The Shinshiniyot lead the kids in a Hora dance as Ga’on sang “I haven’t loved enough… if not now, when?” My mood began to change as I filmed the Shinshiniyot and the young kids dancing and jumping with excitement. When the teachers gathered the students back to class, I walked over to Roni and Shahar, who were very happy to speak to a fellow Israeli and eagerly told me about their experience in Budapest so far. They spoke of how different the Jewish community is from Israel, of how refreshing it is to get to know another culture intimately. The spoke of their desire to be meaningful for the students with whom they engage, and about their plans to do so much more for Budapest Jews and Israelis. As I listened to the passion in their voice, my mood improved even more; through these girls, I was witnessing a bridge being built between three Jewish communities: Budapest, Israel, and Las Vegas. I felt pride knowing I am doing my share in building it by taking part of the SOS International program. Roni, Shahar, and I continued chatting and sharing more personal stuff, then Roni and I realized we are from the same place in Israel. My hometown is very small; most native Israelis won’t be able to place it on our map, and here I was in Budapest, laughing with a young girl from my community! My heart was full at that moment. Home was right here with me. I commanded these extraordinary girls for the incredible choice they made to spend a year of their lives building bridges between Israel and the diaspora. Without realizing they had, Roni and Shahar gave me the strength to overcome my homesickness and get through the day.
