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