Katie F., Columbus, Summer 2019

Hi, my name is Katie Friedman and I was an Onward Israel participant this summer (2019). My summer in my favorite country was one of the most life-changing opportunities of my life. Not only did I experience a lot of self-growth, as this was my first time living alone and taking public transportation, but I also gained a whole new perspective on the culture and work environment. I worked at a center that does programming for underprivileged kids who live in at-risk communities, and through my job, I learned a lot of incredibly valuable skills that I can’t wait to bring back to all of my future jobs. The summer brought me out of my comfort zone in many different aspects, but the most apparent change was learning to navigate an entirely different culture and language. Through Onward, however, I had several opportunities to learn more about Hebrew as well as meet Israelis who sat down with us and taught us more about their country. I truly had the most amazing experience I could ever ask for and I’m looking forward to (hopefully) making it back to Israel soon!