Less than two weeks remain before our departure. Each day anticipation builds, and questions float through my mind—will I make connections? Will I have fun? Will I be successful in enriching the Jewish identity of my Hungarian counterparts? I hope that when I write again upon our return, I can answer yes to all of these questions.
So far, our group has met three times: once discussing activities for the much anticipated Shabbaton, once planning activities to educate 4th graders at SSG of American culture (I am excited to plan a game on famous American architecture), and once discussing the various Holocaust memorials that we will encounter during our week in Budapest. The last meeting spoke to me the most because as a Jewish American I am disconnected from the 
atrocities committed on Jews in Europe in the past and I am sheltered from the discrimination that some Jews face today in other countries like in Hungary. Hopefully, upon enriching the Jewish lives of the SSG students, I too can learn and understand these inequalities. So, while counting down the days, I must also prepare myself to learn, to teach, and to connect which will allow me to have the most meaningful experience as possible. ~ Ethan
