12 hours of sleep. On my Shabbat stay at Neta’s house I got 12 hours of that sweet, REM sleep. What a special thing, on this day of rest. However, sleep wasn’t the highlight of my Shabbat like many would expect of me, a tired teenage tourist. To me, community and camaraderie are most prominent. Before Shabbat even began, I met my spontaneous Israeli host Neta’s boyfriend Tal. He was so kind and inclusive, wanting to talk to me, get to know me, and make me feel at home. Furthermore Neta’s parents made me feel like a queen in a palace, with their hospitality and the endless food they continuously offered. I couldn’t have felt more at home. Moving on, as the sun crept down and Shabbat began, the community became alive. Children and dogs were outside playing while their parents prepared for the sabbath. Two of Neta’s friends, Ayaelit and Avishag welcomed us into their homes. They were some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met and I know Leah (who also stayed with Neta) would agree. We had conversations that seemed like I’d known them for many, many years. On Saturday, Neta had her friends over and again they acted like we were best friends for years. Even Neta’s grandparents, who spoke no English welcomed us into their home with open arms and a table of food, where I dined on delectable morsels varying from fresh Israeli salad, to homemade lemonade to delectable kuba, a traditional Kurdish food of beef filled dumplings enveloped by a rich tomato flavored soup. The epitome of Israeli Shabbat is not food, sleep, or a break from technology. It is family and friends, making anyone- even an American tourist who only knows 10 words in Hebrew- feel like part of the family in the Jewish homeland. I know that when I leave Israel, yes I’ll miss the cities, yes I’ll miss the beautiful landscape, yes I’ll miss the endless adventure. But most of all, I’ll miss the connection and close friendship I built with my new bestie Neta and all the other Israelis the most.