Hi, my name is Daniel Sabo. I’m originally from Israel but moved to California when I was five. I came to Aardvark to volunteer and reconnect with my family. Initially, I volunteered as a nurse’s assistant at Ichilov Hospital with Sky, later moving to Jerusalem after the war to volunteer at a mixed Arab-Israeli school. In the second semester, I dove into a fast-paced EMR course in Jerusalem along with a few Aardvark students and then I dedicated my time to MDA, juggling night shifts, day shifts, and “security” shifts, which often just meant enjoying a free soccer game or an Omer Adam concert. I had a hectic year, and that was with the safety net of my family here in Israel.
For those in different circumstances, and for those who faced unique, unexpected challenges throughout the year, we should all be extremely proud of ourselves for staying in Israel, and being here today. I want to thank you for staying, it made wanting to come back a lot easier.
Jim Carrey, during his commencement address in 2014, said the following:
“Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you. How do I know this?… I don’t. But I’m making sound, and that’s the important thing. Sometimes I think that’s the only thing that’s important, It’s just letting each other know we’re here. Reminding each other that we’re a part of a larger self.”
When I think of what that larger self is, I think of all the people I met this year. I think of the candy shop owner in Jerusalem who upcharges you if you speak English, I think of the 10-year-old students who taught me how to write my name in Arabic, I think of the dozens of patients I helped transport who were experiencing the worst days of their life, yet still desperately wanted to show me photos of their grandchildren.
And I think of all of you, sitting here today.
I think of all the interactions I had with everyone here, I think of all the interactions I didn’t have, and people I would have liked to spend more time with.
I think of the different paths we took to recognize how we fit into the Jewish diaspora.
I think of meeting my apartment roommates for the first time… four separate times. And I think of how much resilience we showed to ourselves in the face of uncertainty.
The beginning of the war came not far after the beginning of the program. I remember thinking the week of October 7th that I really was just starting to get comfortable. It was incredibly daunting hearing sirens over and over again the following days. I felt a pit in my stomach, a fear that everything would now change. While choosing to take a break and come back home, I eventually decided to come back and finish the rest of the semester in Jerusalem. I am incredibly happy for making that decision, the friends I made and the experiences we had as a community in Jerusalem were unforgettable. While not always the easiest decision, everyone here today decided to be in Israel during the war, and for that, I am incredibly grateful.
When thinking back, I think of how much we grew, and how we realized that being a part of something bigger than ourselves is a gift. We learned a lot about Israel and ourselves. Although a lot of time on Tiyuls was spent either waiting for lunch or for our tour guide to pull out his harmonica, we did actually learn a lot! We learned about this country’s history, the multitude of people living in it, its successes, and its setbacks. A highlight of my time in Israel was seeing the secret munitions factory, a tactile view into the early beginnings of this country.
Even though this knowledge is particular to Israel, I believe we were given an opportunity to view the world through a new lens. We were given the opportunity to craft an outlook on life that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. A mature lens that allows us to view the world with a clearer focus on context, critical thinking, and maturity.
This is an incredibly valuable gift.
We head back into our homes facing new challenges. Rising antisemitism, school, jobs, and our families. These are all challenging aspects of our lives to balance. I believe that after having gone through all we went through this year, we can face anything. Using skills we gained, both soft and hard, we can push forward, but not without hope.
Hope is as important as anything, especially now, when it is so easy to go against everything we stand for. Our hope can be felt inwards, pushing each other to be strong in the face of adversity. Our hope can also be expressed beyond us, educating others and connecting with like-minded peers. Having lived in Tel Aviv for most of the year, I found it inspiring that the people around me had as much hope as ever for a brighter future. The Israelis around me expressed their issues, but it was always clear that they never lost their sense of hope, a hope that one day we can live together in peace; a hope for a brighter future.
I want to take this time to thank a few people. Thank you to Rachel for managing this community, two times in a row, while staying cool the entire time. Thank you to Orly, Bar.. (and Effy for a quick minute there) for being my madrichim. You guys were a stable and calm piece of Aardvark that I quietly relied on. Thank you to the people who rode on the bus with me, thank you to the people who encouraged me to go out, and thank you to Max Bell for being a fantastic roommate since our time in Mizrachi.
When looking back, Jim Carrey’s words ring true “It’s just letting each other know we’re here. Reminding each other that we’re a part of a larger self”
We are ready to say goodbye, but we can never forget the time we spent together. We have all undergone so many changes in just nine months; I can’t wait to see how everyone here will take the lessons they learned and use them to continue to grow. Although it might be easy to get lost in the anxieties of forming our own path, I wish that no one in this room forgets that they are indeed a part of a larger self. Our time together was temporary, but the lessons learned and memories shared are permanent. I am bittersweet about saying goodbye, but in the back of my mind, I think in maybe 30 years, I can’t wait to just sit, relax and fondly look back to all the memories we made together.
