Surrounding a crackling campfire at midnight, we sing, dance, eat as friends. Friends that have only known each other for four days but it feels like more. One song, one dance, one s’more after another; we aren’t ready to say goodnight or goodbye yet.
Over the too short past four days we discovered so much from each other. Not only did I learn enough Hungarian words to make fun of myself trying to pronounce, but I also learned what it meant to be a teenage Hungarian Jew in the 21st century. While they haven’t forgotten their past or their roots, they all look for a future outside of Hungary. For them, remaining in Hungary isn’t an option because of politics, economics, and a lack of opportunities. Consequently, as a proud Jewish American, this astounded me, I personally couldn’t imagine ever leaving America permanently. Although I also understand that leaving Hungary is their best option for a successful future.
While I learned about all the differences between our experiences as Jews, I also absorbed all our similarities that five-thousand miles couldn’t change. For example, we enjoyed the same music, played the same sports, knew the same memes (online jokes), and wore the same clothing. More than that, we still experienced the same Jewish culture of loving Israel, speaking over each other in conversations, and eating Jewish food that is the same around the world. And I discovered all this in only four days.
Thus, when I’m spending my last night with my new Hungarian friends dancing, singing, and eating, I’m not focusing on our differences. I’m focusing on our commonalities and how much more I can discover, and the next time I will see them.
