In my bat mitzvah speech about five years ago, I spoke about the Hebrew Free Loan Association and their interest-free loans. Little did I know some years later, I would be going to Alexander Muss High School in Israel, and would love it so much that I would return the next year to go on Young Judaea Year Course. Going on one Israel trip isn’t cheap (at least for me), so going on two consecutive trips most definitely wasn’t cheap. The Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association played a big part in helping me go back to Israel for a full year, and for that I am so grateful.

Both programs had an academic part to them, so in high school I was taking my AP classes that I would take in the US, just in Israel. For my gap year, I took classes that I could use for college credit. I explored all of Israel and lived with many people, making some of the best friends that I still keep in contact with to this day. For the second half of my gap year, I was an Intern for Moovit, an urban transportation company with an app that is used all around the world. If you live in or visit an area with public transportation, the Moovit app could be very helpful!

I could go on, but again, I really do appreciate the DHFLA for making my second trip possible, and anyone in need of help should definitely reach out to their amazing team.

—L.A.

*All stories are true. Names and/or photos may be changed to protect confidentiality.