After two months of living in Hod Hasharon, a city north of Tel Aviv, Israel, juniors Ilana Meisler, Hannah Wolk and Josh Halper returned to Park on Jan. 24.

Meisler said she, Wolk and Halper participated in Alexander Muss, a program that allows students to study abroad in Israel during the school year.

According to Meisler, students went to the places they were studying three days a week.

“I knew that I wanted to go on an Israel program, and I selected (the Alexander Muss program) because it was more educational,” Meisler said.

Michele Meisler, Ilana Meisler’s mother, said she thought an interesting part of the trip was the traveling, and said it was beneficial for the students to study the culture along with the history of Israel.

“They have a much greater appreciation of  Israel (by studying the history),” Michele Meisler said.

According to Michele Meisler, the students continued to do work from their Park classes while they were overseas, and participated in a Jewish History class through Alexander Muss.

According to Meisler, the social atmosphere in Israel differs from that in Minnesota.

“The people are a lot more direct and straight-forward, so it took some getting used to, like, that bluntness. Drivers are crazier,” said Meisler.

Park Hebrew teacher Hadassa Slager said the trip to study Israel is important because it educates students about the history of Israel and helps them gain a new perspective.

“I think it’s important when you come from a small Jewish community to connect to a bigger one (in Israel) and to see that you’re part of something bigger than the couple of people that live here,” Slager said.

Meisler said she enjoyed learning about the modern history of Israel on her trip, which was her second time traveling to Israel.    

“I visited a lot of places that weren’t the typical tourist attractions, so it was cool to get to see a different side of the country,” Meisler said.

Meisler said coming back to America was a change after living in Israel, and she had to readjust to it after only recently coming back.    

“I really miss it, and I think I’m definitely not the same person I was (when I left),” Meisler said.