Just 6 short hours until I board the plane that will take me from Baltimore with a layover and then onto Budapest! I have been looking forward to this once in a lifetime experience since I received my acceptance into this amazing program and can hardly believe that we are almost there!
While I am really looking forward to reconnecting with the Hungarian friends I made during their recent visit to Baltimore, I feel that I have a special mission to fulfill because of a comment that one of the boys made during our 
Beth Tfiloh Shabbaton. As he looked around at everyone singing and dancing on Shabbat, he said to me, “It’s amazing how much everyone appreciates being Jewish here and is so proud of it, instead of constantly trying to hide it.” In that moment, I realized how lucky I have been to grow up in Baltimore where I can enjoy religious freedom and attend Beth Tfiloh, a school which helps us to express our love for Judaism.
During my trip to Hungary, I hope to be able to help the students of the Scheiber Sandor School learn to show their love of Judaism as well, despite the Anti-Semitism they feel from their government and neighboring countries. Throughout this next week, I want to share the joy I have felt as a Jewish student at Beth Tfiloh and bond with our Hungarian peers through our shared traditions and Jewish history.
I have just finished packing, stuffing my suitcase with my lesson plans to teach a 4th-grade class and American candy to give out to the students. I hope that this trip gives my old and new Hungarian friends a taste of how sweet Judaism can be through the time that we spend together. ~ Nathaniel L
