Israeli Teen Experiences GOA and USA

Grace Saperstein ‘23

This past November, Shirel Benoliel joined the sophomore class at GOA, coming from Netanya, Israel. She is greatly enjoying her time in America and has had many meaningful experiences both here and in Israel. 
Benoliel’s school in Israel, Kfar Hayarok, is quite different from GOA. Kfar Hayarok is located in Southern Ramat Hasharon, along the border of Tel Aviv-Yafo. The longer school day started at 7:45 a.m. and ended at 4:20 p.m.

Benoliel said that “she is not a morning person” and disliked getting up early every morning, especially because she had to take a bus to school. Additionally, in Israel, Benoliel’s weekends consisted of Fridays and Saturdays, but in America, her weekends now consist of Saturdays and Sundays. 
Kfar Hayarok is very open and has animals on campus. Benoliel loved seeing peacocks at school and watching the way they interacted with each other. The Kfar Hayrock community consists of about 2,400 people with about 40 students per class.
Conversely, GOA is smaller and contains only about 200 students in the Upper School. Benoliel noted that the attention that teachers are able to give her at a smaller school adds to her learning experience. She enjoys learning about Judaism and other new subjects at GOA.
Regarding food, Benoliel said that she definitely likes the food better in America.  She loves American cereals and chocolates, especially M&Ms.
“[America has] more variety and it’s cheaper,” she said.
     In addition to American snacks, Benoliel also prefers the stores in America because they are less expensive and bigger.
“When you get into a store [in America], it doesn’t end sometimes!” she said.
In Netanya, Benoliel lived close to the beach and was able to surf often, an activity that she loves. However, she lived in an apartment in Netanya, restricting her living space.
In New Jersey, Benoliel lives in a house and appreciates the extra space. She is fond of having a backyard, front yard and garage, all of which she did not have in Netanya. Benoliel described that living in her house in New Jersey “is the American dream.”
Perhaps one of the most prominent differences between America and Israel is the weather. 
“I really like the snow because I’ve never seen it,” Benoliel said. 
Specifically, she loves how everything turns white when it snows. She recalls falling joyously into the snow to relax after a tiring time shoveling. 
Benoliel explains that in comparison to Israeli television, she likes American shows and movies better, even thinking back to when she was younger and watched the American mermaid show “H2O.”  She finds that she benefits from watching American TV as it allows her to practice and improve her English skills. 
The differences in Benoliel’s experiences in America and Israel, she said, help her feel “open to new views of life.”