Student of the Week – Ethan Harkavy

Hey guys, my name is Ethan Harkavy and I am from Memphis, Tennessee. I have just started my second semester on the program. I found Aardvark while looking online after I decided I wanted to do a gap year before going to college. I came on the program because of how much freedom they give you and the internship aspect seemed cool. I also came on Aardvark because I felt like I needed more life experience before going to college.

I was in Jerusalem during the first semester and had a lot of amazing experiences. I interned at the Jerusalem Aquarium with Jared Suffet and Elan Ganz. We worked in the quarantine and had to clean tanks, feed the fish, and prepare food for the next day. In the last week of my internship, we were all allowed to dive in a shark tank. I also had amazing roommates, Noah Hirsch and Avi Bendayan, who made my experience one to remember. We got along really well and I’m rooming with them again this semester. We also had an amazing madrich, Gilad Moshe, who made the semester a lot easier. 

All in all, Aardvark has allowed me to live with other young adults who are also trying to develop and grow into the people they want to be, and that is an irreplaceable experience. I have never felt more connected to a group of my peers or the madrichim who guide us and care for us endlessly. Aardvark is absolutely incredible, and I’m more than blessed to live like a real local every single day for a whole year.

I am so excited to see what this semester in Tel Aviv brings and can’t wait to have experiences just as great as those I had in Jerusalem!