Timing is everything right? Well for me it’s decisively appropriate to share with you what I’m sure you’ve been wondering about and I thank you for your patience because this was a strenuous process that spanned two years and took countless hours of work to reach its two-announcement summit.
When I began to have preliminary discussions about my future post -high school, I knew it was a bit early for that but I was anxious, because my sister was close to making her decision and it naturally got me thinking about my aspirations following the expiration of my four year deal at YDE. It wouldn’t be the first time I felt like a free agent, as I signed with them after graduating the prestigious MDY elementary school, but this one felt particularly different because of the various avenues I could explore. My parents implored that I should entertain selecting a college to at least keep my options open and I did so. Personally, I didn’t expect what resulted into several universities accepting me making way for suitors-galore. I didn’t take the fact I was BH the most scholarshiped student in school because it was a result of years of hard work on the academic and extracurricular side. It was time to play “Pick em”. We inquired about each one, and narrowed it down to a few before taking visits to those respective college campuses. Truthfully, with nothing against the others who I spoke to today, including Baruch(Runner-up) and Pace(Bronze), once I fixated my eyes on this school, visited them, did due diligence, and imagined myself fitting in comfortably as a student there, it was decided that BH Yeshiva university in would be my college of choice. However, what if I told you that was the simplest part of the equation because after all, even though i figured out the “Where”, the question was always going to be the “When”?
The first time I planted the prospect of taking a “Gap year” in Israel, they were skeptical as I presumed. However, I had a wraith and wasn’t going to let it go easily. The advice I received from my rabbis in school was to see it through and eventually they’ll open up to it. Yet here we entered this Summer after a profusion of emotionally draining conversations still on opposite sides of the spectrum. Nevertheless, we were forthcoming and persevering on coming out of this unified, and those who have either gone through this know exactly what I’m talking about, but for those who haven’t, the best advice I can give you is to keep those disagreements regarding this in-house and not let it affect the overall love and respect you have for your parents, because I’ve seen it happen where because of a discrepancy surrounding going to Israel or not, theres a temporary ruptured relationship between the parents and the child which was a line I enforced to not cross.
As each round of punches progressed, although it looked as if we were going nowhere, I felt as the time progressed one way or another, I would get clarity. YU was very accommodatable telling me to take my time and that I could still earn credits for year one either way through their “Israel program” where they basically pay the admission fee if it’s on their long list of “Approved Yeshivot”, so I knew I didn’t need to rush things and that it will come to me as long as I kept showing that desire for it.
Recently, I had one more sitdown with my parents, this after much input from rabbis, friends, and family members, as well as exploring other scenarios and avenues that could allow us to meet in the middle as far as this particular year was concerned. Therefore, I had to admit that although I possessed the ambition, there’s many question marks that I had as to how I would attain the responsibility that comes with living on your own, being organized with your belongings, and knowingly how to adapt and overcome various types of problems that come with that isn’t something that comes right away, which is another reason why people go to Israel, not only to increase and grow in learning, but it’s more of a “Trial run” as you enter the next phase of your life. But for me, I believe everything comes in steps and yes even a seemingly “short” leap like that of going overseas as I know most of my friends prepare to do. It’s why I’m here to announce that I’ve decided to embrace the 2022-23 scholastic year, as a Yeshiva University Maccabe. I would like to add that indeed I understand the “Once in a lifetime chance” that every HS graduate has of spending a year in Israel and still don’t plan to let that fall by the wasteside, which is why I’ve already made an oral commitment to a Yeshiva in Israel using the access kindly given to me by YDE and in collaboration with my parents for the fall of 2023 and have had dialogue with them; but I’ll hold off on disclosing the destination because while it’s great to think ahead, it’s imperative to take things one step at a time which is what I’m doing. I don’t feel slighted nor less self-confident than previously, because I know that everything has its time and Hashem is pointing me in this direction after two years of fuzziness in my brain because that’s what’s best for me. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind, making it all official with the University, and prepping for “Move-in” on August 21st, because yes I’ll be dorming there. I would like to extend my gratitude
to the rabbis, my parents, my family, my siblings, my friends and everyone else who helped guide me positively towards a decision, because while ultimately it was down to me, there was a lot I soaked in. Prior to the conclusion of this announcement, I would like to wish my friends both who are sticking around in the USA going to a local Yeshivah or different college, and the ones headed to Israel best of luck, and for those of you that are reading this as incoming 2022 YU students, I’ll see you soon and am excited to meet you!
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