86 | APRIL 14 • 2022
SPOTLIGHT
T
ali Rubenstein, a
senior at Groves High
School from West
Bloomfield and the daughter
of a Conservative rabbi and
a Jewish educator, went on a
journey with Jewish National
Fund-USA’s (JNF-USA) flag-
ship study abroad program,
Alexander Muss High School
in Israel (Muss).
One of the most impact-
ful programs for Jewish-
American high school stu-
dents, Muss blends a tradi-
tional high school education
with a unique curriculum
that teaches Israel’s history
through interactive and rigor-
ous academic programming.
Judaism has always played
a significant role in Tali’s life,
she says. She attended Hillel
Day School until eighth grade
and went to Camp Ramah in
Wisconsin for years. Hence,
upon discovering an opportu-
nity to study abroad in Israel,
she had to seize the moment.
Like many students during
the pandemic, Tali was not
particularly fond of Zoom
schooling. “I would still be
online on Zoom, and that just
wasn’t something I was inter-
ested in,” Tali says. “And when
I found out I could study
abroad in Israel, and I could
have a normal school semes-
ter, that was the main appeal
… It was something new,
totally out of my comfort
zone, but it seemed great.”
She did more research into
Muss, discovering that some
individuals she knew had pre-
viously gone on the program.
After contacting JNF-USA,
Tali decided this was the
next step in her schooling and
was thrilled to join like-mind-
ed individuals passionate
about enhancing their Judaic
studies.
Tali joined other teens in
this voyage to Israel during
the Fall semester of her junior
year. She said that Muss
supported students of all
different streams of Judaism,
regardless of religious obser-
vance level.
Every Friday, students gath-
ered for a Shabbat meal.
“Everyone was open,” Tali
says. “They made sure both
people who observed Shabbat
and people who didn’t were
comfortable. Whether you
were Orthodox, Conservative,
Reform or secular, everyone
fit right in.”
Muss also strengthened
Tali’s connection to Judaism.
Despite her previous experi-
ences growing up in a Jewish
PHOTO CREDIT
Groves student participates in JNF-USA’s Muss Study Abroad Program.
Jewish-American Dream
NOY MESSINGER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
TOP: Participants of the JNF-USA’s
Muss Study Abroad Program